Chapter 029 - A Hidden Area

Cyan woke up the next morning, even though he was still holding onto his phone he could not remember why, however, he felt something was lost last night. After letting out a sigh Cyan stood out from his bed, and checked that his [Status] was the same as last night, still in 49’s, after that, he took a bath and exited his room.

At the [Food Area], everyone, including Cale, was already busy eating breakfast, and as always, Karla was the first person to notice Cyan arrival.

[Karla]: “Good morning sleepy head, you took so long in waking up that we have started without you”

Cyan could only scratch his face, having breakfast with everyone in the morning has become quite a tradition now, however, other than him, everyone else came here one hour early. Cyan ignored Karla constants teasing and took a seat beside Alice after giving a morning salute to everyone.

[Boss]: “…”

[Karla]: “Right, newbie, Boss, want to ask you, how are your stats?”

Cyan shook his head; he had already checked that his stats are still stuck at 49.

[Cyan]: “Boss, I think I have hit a bottleneck”

Boss nodded as he was expecting that, Karla, on the other hand, was surprised.

[Karla]: “Eh? Let me see that”

Cyan showed Karla his stats, making her eyes go twitchy, as she was not expecting this, after only one week of training and without the help of [Midas] quests, the newbie stats have increased so much since the last time that she could only let out a sigh.

[Karla]: “Sigh…”

[Cyan]: “Senior?”

[Karla]: “No, it is nothing, newbie”

[Boss]: “…”

[Karla]: “Right, Boss, says that you should take a day off, your stats will increase after you take a rest for today”

Cyan already knew this information, but he could not remember why he knew, he also has remembered something else that everyone will be pleased to hear.

[Cyan]: “Right, Seniors, I have found a way to increase our INT stat”

Karla was the first to react to this, after all, this was their last weak in the Tower, and they have yet to find a way to increase that stat.

[Karla]: “You did? How?”

[Cyan]: “That…”

Cyan tried to remember, but he could not remember how he knew, he also took his phone out as an involuntary action, before putting it back down.

[Cyan]: “it doesn’t matter how I found it out, what matters is that now we all can increase that stat, if Seniors don’t have anything to do for today, maybe we all can go?”

Just at that time, Cale stood up from his seat.

[Cale]: “Sorry, I am busy”

Cale left without saying anything else after that.

That took Cyan for surprised; Karla on the other hand only waved her hand dismissing Cale actions.

[Karla]: “Don’t mind him; he is in a bad mood because his stats are not increasing as he wished”

[Karla]: “Boss, what do you say should we take a day off too?”

Boss thought for a moment, after making a [Breakthrough] to Tier 1 a few days ago, what it is left for him to do inside the Tower was actually to test out the [Gen Orb] from the monsters drops, and beat the next round [Round 5] in the Floor 8. Then, there is also to train Cyan and Alice in combat, also in Floor 8, but that will only happen by the end of the week, so taking a day off to increase his INT stat was not a bad plan at all.

[Boss]: “…”

[Karla]: “Really Boss?”

Boss nodded with his head to reassure Karla, as it was ok for them to take a day off.

[Karla]: “Very well then, Cyan, lead the way!”

Karla stood up and pointed out to the elevator, however, even though she was eager to go right now, it was, in fact, they have yet to finish their breakfast. In the end, Karla forced Cyan to finish with his food as fast as possible, that he was almost choked to death, Karga and Alice could only laugh at the scene, while Boss did not say anything at all.

After successfully finishing the breakfast without any causalities, Cyan brought everyone near the end of the [Rest Area] where a big tree and the hidden door are. Cyan could clearly remember this place as he turned around to steal a peek at Alice that was also shy looking at him; they both remembered this place as this is where they have their first kiss.

[Karga]: “Oh, there is really a hidden door here, good job newbie”

Even if Cyan has been here before, he clearly remembers that they have not found that door on that day; Cyan could only ponder how he knew about it now, and how he knew what was on the other side.

[Karla]: “What it is this? Newbie, why have you stop walking?”

Cyan shook his head.

[Cyan]: “It is nothing Senior, let’s enter”

[Boss]: “…”

[Karla]: “Alright Boss”

[Karla]: “Karga, wait for a moment”

Karga that was about to open the door to the [Hidden Area] was stopped by Karla.

[Karga]: “What is it?”

Karla pointed at Cyan direction.

[Karla]: “Boss says that there may be a reward for being the first to uncover a [Hidden Area] so let the newbie open it”

Karga just shrugged his shoulders, as he was not trying to steal Cyan rewards, he was just too eager to know what was on the other side that he has forgotten about this fact.

After Cyan pushed open the door and entered the area, as Karla has said, Cyan received a notification to his phone with a reward; in fact, he got two messages.

Message [Midas]: “Cyan is awarded 50.000 Credits by being the first Player to discover a [Hidden Area]”

Message [Midas]: “Cyan is awarded 50.000 Credits by being the first Player to enter the hidden area [Spa]”

There were two rewards, one for discovering a [Hidden Area] and the other for entering it, at this time Cyan realized, that there must more than one [Hidden Area] around the tower.

The second person to enter was Alice.

Message [Midas]: “Alice is awarded 40.000 Credits by being the second Player to discover a [Hidden Area]”

Message [Midas]: “Alice is awarded 40.000 Credits by being the second Player to enter the hidden area [Spa]”

Alice also got a reward and she took notice that the message was calling her by her name.

Message [Midas]: “Player Karla is awarded 30.000 Credits by being the third Player to discover a [Hidden Area]”

Message [Midas]: “Player Karla is awarded 30.000 Credits by being the four Player to enter the hidden area [Spa]”

Message [Midas]: “Player Karga is awarded 20.000 Credits by being the four Player to discover a [Hidden Area]”

Message [Midas]: “Player Karga is awarded 20.000 Credits by being the four Player to enter the hidden area [Spa]”

Message [Midas]: “Player Boss is awarded 10.000 Credits by being the fifth Player to discover a [Hidden Area]”

Message [Midas]: “Player Boss is awarded 10.000 Credits by being the fifth Player to enter the hidden area [Spa]”

[Karla]: “Oh, I also got a reward, 60.000 Credits”

For some reason Cyan witnessed the scene of how Karla was hugging her phone with both of his hands after she has read she got 60.000 Credits, he could not help but think that maybe Karla was crazy for money. Boss, on the other hand, was the last person to enter the area, but he did not mind that he only got 20.000 Credits, because he will just transfer the Credits to Karla later on anyway, because, in fact, Karla was the one that was managing all the finances for their unit.

After everyone had entered the Area, they found out this was an open thermal bath or [Spa] where they could melt their tiredness away; there was a dedicated section for Males and Females, separated by a wooden wall, and there was not a mix bath section.

After realizing this, Karla immediately split the group in two by dragging Alice away and going into the Females dressing room. Cyan, Boss and Karga, went into the Males dressing room, where they could change into clothes that were already prepared for them, after that, they entered the hot water making their bodies start to feel more relaxed.

Karga could not be more amazed at the effects the water has.

[Karga]: “Hey newbie, this place is amazing, I wasn’t even aware that my body was all cramp up like this”

[Boss]: “Agreed”

Even Boss was happy about coming here.

Cyan submerged his body, including his head under water; as he remembered feeling a quite similar sensation when he was submerged into the [Suspension] tank last week, however, this place felt far more conformable.

When Cyan resurfaced again, Karga was waiting in front of him with a mischievous smile; this gave Cyan a bad feeling.

[Cyan]: “What it is Senior?”

Karga put his arm around Cyan neck as he whispered him so Boss could not hear.

[Karga]: “Hey kid, don’t you want to look at the other side of the wall?”

Cyan was all flustered.

[Cyan]: “That’s… there is no way I want that…”

Even so, Karga did not him let go.

[Karga]: “Come on a healthy boy like you, would obviously be interested in looking at his girlfriend bath right?”

Cyan could only go red in the face, however, he still cannot go and do that, after all, there was a wall separating the two sections for a reason right. Cyan tried to think of something to get out of this situation.

[Cyan]: “That... isn’t your Sister on the other side too?”

[Kara]: “Tsk, of course, I wouldn’t be peaking at all; I am not interested in your girlfriend nor in my Sister, but you on the other hand… hehe”

Cyan tried to separate himself from Karga hand lock.

[Cyan]: “Senior, please stop joking”

Karla could only lament himself as he failed to cause troubles.

[Karga]: “Tsk, kids now on days don’t know how to have fun…, then how are your stats?”

Cyan took his phone and checked his notifications.

[Notification]: “Player Grows +1 INT”

[Notification]: “Player Grows +1 INT”

[Notification]: “Player Grows +1 INT”

They have been bathing for 30 minutes now, and his INT stat has increased 3 points already, meaning they were getting 1 point for every 10 minutes they spent inside the water.

[Cyan]: “The INT stat is growing at a very fast pace, it should catch out with the other stats soon if we take a bath here every day for a few days”

Karga shook his head.

[Karga]: “I don’t think it will increase at the same rate for everyone, not to mention, the rate should slow down later on”

Boss also nodded as he shared the same thoughts as Karga.

[Karga]: “Even so, the only thing we have to do is to relax and wait”

After all, they have come here just to relax and take a day off from training; they only need to wait for the time to fly by, however, after two hours of just floating around...

[Karga]: “I am bored”

They still needed to stay here for two more hours, but Karga was already feeling bored out of his mind, in the other hand, Boss was just sitting in the water with his eyes closed and a meditation pose, and it seems Boss would stay like that for the entire time.

[Cyan]: “Senior, we only need to wait for two more hours, please be more like Boss”

Cyan could start to understand why Karla hyperactive younger Brother, Karga, annoyed her so much, as Karga could not remain still and unmoving for more than 2 hours, without causing troubles.

Karga could only groan, and dropped his body into the water while being face down and start imitating a drowned person, making Cyan eyes start to twitch; even so, he ignored Karga and started to look at the clear sky. Boss that was sitting not far away nodded with his head and closed his eyes once again as he will not have to intervene here.

This place like the other Floors that have a fake sky and a sun, and it felt no different than being back at earth, however, there shouldn’t be a place like this on earth right now, not with a monster invasion ongoing, Cyan could only contemplate the scenery as these thoughts filled his brain. In the end, Cyan could only shake his head, as he could not anything about that right now, so he moved his gaze into the water.

Cyan looked at his reflection on the water; it has been 2 weeks since he has entered the Tower, and he has not been able to see his reflection in a mirror since then, now he could see his reflection once more. In the water it was reflected a teen boy that was not that thin anymore, he has a good fare face, with gentle blue eyes, well-defined muscles, short black hair, and his height of 1.68 had also increased a few centimeters to 1.71.

Even if much has changed in him, the look on his face remained still the same as he remembered before coming here, an innocent yet gentle looking face, nothing like Boss or the twins, that had been in real combat situations. They have a gentle but fierce gaze, and serious looking face, it was the look of some that remembered things they wished to forget, and probably, this was the reason as to why they looked at him and Alice like children’s in a playground, it was because of their innocent expressions.

Cyan could not help but let out a question to himself.

[Cyan]: “I have changed so much in two weeks; however, my face still remains the same, but would it remain the same after two more weeks?”

Cyan could not help to wonder if after two more weeks of training and after entering Floor 8, the next time he sees his face in the mirror would have the same expressions or if he would be the same Cyan.

[Karga]: “What are you talking newbie, everybody changes, that’s part of growing old, you know?”

Cyan could only shake his head.

[Cyan]: “But Senior what if I don’t want to change something?”

Cyan remember Alice words “Would you change for being the Cyan that I like” He did not want to change that part out.

[Cyan]: “What if the next time I see my own reflection there is something that I don’t like?”

Karga stopped floating and took a seat beside Cyan.

[Boss]: “…”

[Karga]: “What are you so afraid kid?”

That question, he has heard it before, Cyan has though he has got rid of all of his fears, however, he failed to realized, fear, it was not something one would stop having because you wished, but something to overcome.

[Cyan]: “That, I don’t know…”

Karga could only groan to Cyan weak attitude, however, he has noticed that Cyan has changed from the first time they have met.

[Karga]: “Let me ask you something kid, if we were back on earth would you have asked Alice on a date?”

[Cyan]: “I don’t think I would have”

[Karga]: “Aren’t happy that you did? If you were the same Cyan as before, you wouldn’t have been able to jump that wall”

Karga turned around and pointed to the wall that was separating the bath in the middle. Of course, Karga was just trying to get Cyan to jump that “wall” for his own entertainment.

Cyan did not fall for it; even so, what Karga was saying was actually true.

[Cyan]: “You are right Senior”

Karga turned around to give Cyan a palm in the back.

[Karga]: “You bet I am right, I am the smarter twin after all”

[Karla]: “What did you just said?”

Karga froze and turned his head around; over there, it was Karla that was standing on top of the wall, while carrying an unwilling Alice under her hands”

[Alice]: “Senior, please let me down!”

Alice begged to be released as she was brought here against her own will.

Karla jumped down of the wall and put down Alice into the water, all the while thinking that there was no need for the wall here, after all, they all were properly dressed. Of course, she would not admit that she was also bored out of her mind without doing anything on the other side.

Then the twins started to fight in a tug war in the middle of the bath with the help of the Alice and Cyan as support, they were forced to participate.

.

.

.

After the commotion had calmed down, thanks to Boss intervention that forced the twins to sit down in meditation besides him, and now everyone was just waiting for the 4 hours to end.

[Alice]: “Hey, Cyan?”

[Cyan]: “Yes, Alice?”

Alice and Cyan were floating around the water while holding their hands so they do not float apart.

[Alice]: “I think growing up and changing with time is something that will happen no matter what, but that doesn’t mean...”

Alice stopped for a moment.

[Alice]: “… that’s why the next you see your reflection in the mirror, I think you still will be seeing yourself”

Cyan could only nod and put this matter behind him, next time, he will no doubt about his own identity anymore.

[Cyan]: “Thank you, Alice”

Alice could on shook her head, she only has overheard Cyan when Karla had dragged her over the wall, but she still could understand what Cyan was thinking of.

[Alice]: “There is no need for that, but you still owe me a date”

Cyan could only laugh and he promised to himself to take Alice to the best place he knew back on earth, the theme park where the first have met.