As the days passed, it became clear that Vesper had adapted to the work faster than I had expected.
Every morning, we went together to the warehouse—arranging heavy crates, carefully cleaning weapons, and inspecting equipment that no one else had the patience to organize.
Little by little, he became part of our small crew. In fact, he grew close to Marcus, Luxian, and even Knox and the others…
Our number never exceeded ten—and with the employer, we were only eleven men.
It was obvious that the reason he had agreed so quickly to hire Vesper was the shortage of hands. Most of the older workers—more than thirty men—had already left, complaining about the harsh conditions and the strange, difficult tasks imposed on us.
They said the work was no longer what it used to be… and then they left, one after another, leaving behind a void that had yet to be filled.
At the inn, however, things were very different.
Aunt Melissa treated Vesper as if he were one of her own children, welcoming him every evening with her warm smile and serving him food with her own hands.
But he didn't receive the same welcome from Liana.
The girl ignored him coldly. Even though he tried more than once to start a conversation, she paid him no attention—as if she had shut the door of her heart against him.
I didn't know the reason, but I left it to time.
And so the days passed—between work and returning home, between the light training I maintained every night before sleep—half an hour of movements and exercises I had grown used to so my muscles wouldn't weaken—and observing the details of this strange world I had become part of.
Until the following week came, and I began to notice that routine had firmly settled into my life.
One night, after finishing work and returning to the inn, after we had dinner together, I entered my room exhausted and threw myself onto the rough bed.
I lay there for a moment with my eyes closed, then murmured softly:
"Status window."
At once, the familiar window appeared before me, glowing with its bright blue light—something that had started to feel like a daily greeting.
I couldn't stop myself from staring at it for a long time, as if it were a living being that had accompanied me from the very beginning.
I said:
"Superpower, display!"
A golden card opened before me. I reached out and touched it, and the information appeared clearly as usual:
[Rank: F]
[Ability: Stay awake slightly]
[Description: You can stay awake a little longer than usual]
[Usage: Avoid sleep when necessary]
[Conditions: None, due to the weakness of the ability]
I read the words slowly, my brows knitting together in a mix of confusion and disappointment.
"Stay awake… slightly?!"
I reread the lines, as if I had missed something.
An ability… just to resist sleep for a short time?
I sat on the edge of the bed and let out a deep sigh.
"What's the point of this? Why would I even need to stay awake?"
But soon, a faint, sarcastic smile formed on my lips.
"Well… that's expected from the window."
As always, my ability was weaker than I hoped.
At least it was now recorded among my skills—even if it was a useless one.
I closed the window and lay back down as thoughts began racing through my mind.
Something was bothering me… something I felt I had forgotten—until suddenly, it hit me.
"Wait…"
My heartbeat quickened.
"I forgot to tell Vesper about the window!"
How had it slipped my mind that sooner or later, he might open his own status window just like I did?
I should have warned him—prepared him for it. Otherwise, he would face it alone… and might panic.
I covered my face with my hands and sighed.
"I'm such an idiot… fine, I'll tell him tomorrow. I have no choice."
I couldn't think any further. Sleep quickly weighed down my eyelids, and I sank into a deep slumber, leaving all my worries for another morning.
The next morning arrived—and it differed from the previous ones in only one way:
I realized that three full months had passed since I came to this world.
Three months of work and adaptation… of caution and wonder… of trying to understand the rules of this place that still hid so many secrets.
I ate my breakfast quickly, then left with Vesper toward work as we did every day.
The streets were crowded, merchants' voices echoing through the market, while the sun cast golden light over wooden buildings and partially paved roads.
But unlike usual… I was distracted.
Something had been weighing on my chest since last night, and I had decided to tell Vesper today—no matter what.
I turned to him, hesitating for a moment before speaking:
"Vesper… there's something I want to tell you."
He looked at me with a small smile.
"Yeah? What is it?"
I hesitated, then said cautiously:
"Just… don't be shocked by what I'm about to say."
He smirked slightly.
"So… you're going to surprise me again? Like when you told me we don't dream here?"
I paused, then gathered my courage.
"Listen… you might have a 'status window.'"
Vesper suddenly stopped walking, as if his feet had been glued to the ground.
He stayed silent for a few moments, then murmured slowly:
"You mean… like the status window we see in games?"
I nodded.
"Yes. Exactly like that… maybe even more."
He lowered his head, hiding his expression from me.
I felt uneasy, so I explained further:
"I'm not the only one who has it. In fact, every human who comes to this world gets a status window—and a unique ability. But it doesn't appear immediately… it takes some time."
Slowly, he raised his head.
And his eyes were shining with a light I had never seen before.
Shock appeared on his face at first—then quickly turned into overwhelming excitement as he shouted:
"That's amazing!!"
He laughed loudly.
"I thought this world didn't have things like that! I tried from day one to call 'status window,' but nothing appeared. Now I know it only shows up after some time!"
Before I could respond or calm him down, he took a deep breath and shouted excitedly:
"Status window!"
Suddenly, his expression changed.
I saw anticipation turn into astonishment… then into a wide grin, like a child who had found treasure.
He reached out into the air in front of him and exclaimed:
"It's… it's really here! Look! It's floating in front of me! This is incredible!"
I smiled lightly.
"Vesper… you're the only one who can see your status window. Others—including me—can't see it."
His eyes widened even more, then he burst out laughing.
"What?! That's even better! This is like being inside a game!"
I watched him silently.
His excitement was contagious… but I couldn't help thinking:
This isn't a game, Vesper… this is our reality now—and it might be harsher than you think.
But I chose to remain silent and let him enjoy the moment.
After he calmed down a little, I turned to him and asked curiously:
"So… what's your unique ability?"
He froze again—this time strangely quiet.
His eyelids flickered, then he said hesitantly:
"Oh… my unique ability is…"
I waited, eager to know what the window had given him—but the words didn't come easily.
He stayed silent for several long moments, opening his mouth and closing it again as if unable to speak.
I pressed him:
"Yes? What is it?"
Finally, he lifted his head toward me, a mysterious smile on his face, and murmured in a low voice:
"My unique ability is…"
And his words stopped there.
My heart pounded with anticipation as the seconds dragged on—slow, heavy… almost like minutes.