Arianna sat next to Joseph on the ground in his garden. Frustrated, she huffed. They had spent all of yesterday analyzing the seed projectiles and had mostly figured out how plant mana was achieved. At least in theory. In practice, it was proving to be much more difficult. The main issue was their lacking mana control. Even her own manipulation wasn't good enough, while Joseph's was even worse. Still, they had managed to use their mana as a kind of fertilizer for the garden, keeping the mana patches evenly distributed instead of creating overly fertile clusters next to dried-up spots.

That morning, they had told Marnie about it, and she had been excited. But the technique still required too much precision for most in her community to use effectively. Though, to their credit, they had been watching Arianna and Cassis's training videos and were working on improving.

Arianna wanted to visit the village again to help them in person, and Joseph was also eager to speak with Marnie about their shared goals. But for now, Arianna's next step was to improve her own mana manipulation.

She would have lunch with Joseph and his family, then head back home to Cassis. She snickered quietly to herself, and Joseph gave her a side-eye, as if she were acting strange. "It's just that Cassis actually built a home for the fox monster," she said, amused. She'd told the Morrisons about their adventures in Belaney Park yesterday, then hopped over to the Bristols and did the same in the late afternoon. Noah and Violet had been fascinated with the fox monsters and were at the Walkers' house right now. "He was so miffed about it yesterday, but today he went to his parents' place again to check if the lean-to held up and whether it could be improved. It's really cute."

Joseph barked out a laugh. "Cassis has been like that ever since he was a boy. I saw him on his way to school and back when he passed our house. He'd say he didn't want to do something, but then a friend would need help, and he'd end up doing exactly what he didn't want to. He's become a good man."

Arianna smiled. "Yeah. He has."

Joseph stood and stretched. "Well, our experiments will have to wait until I'm better at mana control."

Arianna opened her mouth to say that she needed to practice too, but Joseph raised a hand to stop her.

"I know you need to improve, too. But if I were on the same level as you, you wouldn't have to keep getting better just to cover for me. Don't sugarcoat it, young lady. This old man needs to step up. And for that, I need to level."

Then he looked at her seriously.

"I've talked with Elena and Benny. We all need to reach level 10 so we can get proper professions. I don't think I'm suited to be a fighter, but I'd make a good farmer. Elena's already happy helping you with your PR and social media, and Benny wants to ask you a favour. But we'll talk about that later. The next time you go to Marnie's village or a dungeon to level up, we'd like to tag along. We're not strong enough to level on our own, but with you and Cassis, we have a chance. We know that it's still dangerous, even with both of you, but we need to be stronger."

Arianna nodded. "Of course."

Joseph sighed. "Don't say of course. That kind of help shouldn't be given with an 'of course.' What you're doing is valuable. And my family and I will repay you. We're already in your debt because of Jessica. We'd be dead without you and Cassis." His tone turned firm. "We will pay you back. So don't undervalue what you're providing. Always put a price on your help—otherwise, people will start to feel entitled to it."

Arianna wanted to argue that she would help anyone who needed it. But Joseph was so earnest, so serious, that the words stuck in her throat. Could it really be true? If you didn't remind people that your help was valuable, would they stop valuing it?

She wasn't sure. But she nodded at Joseph. "Okay. You've given me a lot to think about."

She'd discuss it with Cassis.

Because this was now the third time someone had warned her.

Marcus had said something similar when he helped them found their NGO. He'd been kinder than Joseph, more diplomatic about it. He had told them that people needed to know what to expect from them and that they should always be transparent about their work, their goals, and the effort they were putting in.

Then Marnie had told them that while people might take things for free, they'd still respect trades more, favours for favours, knowledge for knowledge. She'd even said their information was valuable and couldn't believe they were giving it away without expecting anything in return.

And now Joseph, too.

Arianna had never been in a position to help so many people before. In her old life, it had just been her father and Cassis. They had never taken her for granted. But her world was bigger now. And people would see them as heroes if they weren't careful. Heroes could always be relied on to save the day. She didn't want that. They would do their best. They would help where they could. But she didn't want to die doing it. More importantly, she didn't want Cassis to die.

After lunch which was a quiet affair, since Noah was out and Jessica was still napping, they sat down to talk about the children's future paths. Noah and Jessica were already level 5, thanks to Liam. While Noah could choose a class now, Jessica couldn't. She wouldn't be able to until she reached five years of age, according to the system message Elena and Benny had received.

Still, they weren't sure what class Noah should take, and Arianna understood why. Nadine and Luke were in a similar situation with Violet. Choosing a class too early could hinder the child's growth because their personality hadn't fully developed yet, and you couldn't be sure the class would suit them in the long run. But waiting too long would stunt their progress in skills and spells. It was a delicate balance.

Somehow, when Felicia, who was only a year older than Violet, had chosen her class, Arianna hadn't been this worried. But Felicia had approached the decision differently. She had asked every adult around her, researched the four basis classes as well as possible, studied possible evolutions by asking Cassis, and even discussed with them how her elemental affinity might work with the different classes. Arianna had been impressed by the foresight and deliberation Felicia showed.

And so they'd let her choose what she wanted. Arianna wondered if, now with her connection to the foxes, Felicia might be led down an unusual path for her next class advancement. But that would be years from now, and much could happen until then.

Arianna suggested the same approach for Noah and Violet. They should take their time. Go through the four base classes together with their parents. Talk to others who have chosen those paths. Think about what might come after the first evolution. Who they might become, not just what they were now.

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Matteo, on the other hand, was almost fourteen. Just a few more months until his system protection ended. He had already made up his mind before he had reached level 5: he wanted to become a warrior. And he was old enough to make that decision. Nobody had objected, and his guardians had let him take the class.

Benny and Elena both agreed with Arianna's suggestion. They would call Nadine and Luke to meet up tonight. They'd all sit down, parents, children and family friends, and talk through the class options. They'd meet up at Danielle and Marcus's house.

Then Benny turned toward her, his tone shifting.

"I'm going to write about the first wave," he said. "About what happened and how we got the system protection. For that, I'd need to interview you and Cassis. You two were the driving force behind it all. I think the world deserves to know how it started, and just how lucky we are to have you."

Then he grinned, almost sheepishly.

"Who knows? Maybe one day that book will become something of a chronicle of this new world."

Arianna blinked. Somehow… that felt right. Like something about the future had just clicked into place. A book for every wave. A chronicle for each step of humanity's new life in the system. Seven waves. Seven books. Seven rewards.

Wait. Rewards. Her head throbbed suddenly.

Yes, she'd forgotten. But they were on the right path, weren't they? Heading toward another reward. Which one was it? Cooperation, ingenuity, wisdom…?

A blinding headache tore through her skull. Arianna grabbed the side of her head with a groan. Benny shot to his feet, eyes wide. "Arianna, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she managed. Her voice was strained. What had she just been thinking about? Another sharp stab hit her temple. She stopped herself. It was a warning. And then she noticed her sapphire necklace had grown hot. Not warm. Hot.

She clutched it instinctively, and her fingers brushed over the other pendant, the heart-shaped one from Cassis. She'd threaded it onto the same chain so she could wear both.

The heart was comforting. Calm. Familiar. But the sapphire pendant radiated heat. A clear warning. Don't think about this. Not yet. Arianna forced her breathing to slow and looked up at Benny. His face was pale with concern.

She forced a grimace, something between a smile and a wince. "Just tired, I guess. Maybe I should take it easy today." She wouldn't, of course. Mana training never gave her headaches like this. But… if this was what others experienced when they said they got headaches from pushing their limits, maybe she'd try to be a bit nicer about it next time.

Back at home, Arianna told Cassis about her conversation with Joseph.

He nodded slowly. "He's right. We already did that with the government. We showed them that we wanted to help, but we just weren't going to do it for free. I just hadn't thought of doing that with other people. I was too focused on the government." He cursed under his breath. Arianna couldn't blame him. She hadn't thought of it either.

Still, they were already on the right track in some ways. The basic knowledge on their platform was free, while more advanced content came with a price tag. They openly shared how hard they worked to get results. Elena, especially, kept up their social media presence, regularly posting about their progress. Ben added to that by calling weekly, talking about the updates and sharing them on the website. It helped people stay informed and inspired.

Then Arianna told Cassis about Benny's project and how the family wanted to level. Cassis nodded firmly. "Yeah, we should do that. Everyone in this neighbourhood should get to at least level 10. We also need to talk to the other neighbours." He sighed. "There just isn't enough time. But my parents said they wanted to do some neighbourhood meetings. Them taking care of that would be a huge help."

Arianna sighed with him. He was right; there never seemed to be enough time. There was always more to do, more people to help, more skills to train, more preparations to make. Danielle and Marcus had been living in this neighbourhood for thirty years, so it was a great idea. They'd talk about it and then those two could do it. But for now, Arianna and Cassis focused on their mana training.

While Arianna practised shaping her non-elemental mana again, she noticed that Cassis had made major progress with his mana pattern. His control was steadier now, and the flow more consistent. Nothing seemed to give more improvement than battle. This, too, was achieved by Cassis using his pattern in new ways during the fight with the giant bear. But it was also a lot more dangerous than practising steadily.

She grinned as she returned to her own training. Her own shapes were also easier to hold now, and she could transform them more smoothly than before. Tomorrow, she would finally start working with her elemental mana. She needed to improve her Water Shield and Water Barrier spells. They were somewhat similar and at the same time functioned totally different. But she suspected she could use the knowledge from the two spells to improve the other, respectively.

But for today, she focused solely on her non-elemental mana. One shape at a time. One improvement at a time. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.

For dinner, Janice came over. Danielle had once again sent them leftovers from lunch, and Arianna was more than happy not to cook, Cassis too. Danielle genuinely seemed to enjoy preparing meals, so it was a win-win situation for everyone. While they ate, Arianna noticed something troubling: Janice looked thinner than ever, and her hands trembled slightly when she picked up her fork. She was quiet, subdued, so different from yesterday's more cheerful, animated version of herself.

Arianna told Cassis through their private party chat: "We need to talk to her tonight. This can't go on." Cassis gave a small nod in reply, his expression darkening just slightly.

Later, it was time for the lessons, and at least for those, Janice managed to dredge up a smile. She moderated the session more cheerfully, though it still felt like a mask.

Her role had grown significantly since they had started. At first, most people had been content just to listen to the basics again, but now the questions were pouring in, about movement, posture, the odd feeling of adjusting to new strength, or the frustrating difficulties with mana flow. Some still couldn't even see their mana.

Arianna and Cassis tried their best to answer, but it was hard without seeing people in person. Video conferencing was helpful, but nowhere near as effective as being face-to-face. Still, the lessons were paying off. Their teaching professions levelled up again: three levels for Arianna, two for Cassis.

After the session ended and Arianna was putting away the leftovers since Danielle had, as usual, cooked too much, Janice approached hesitantly.

"Cou...could I have those leftovers? Or… or do you need them? Sorry." Her voice was small, uncertain, and she ducked her head.

Arianna paused. That really couldn't go on. "Sure," she said gently, handing them over. "Here you go."

Janice clutched the food tightly.

Arianna stepped a little closer. "Janice… what's wrong?"

Janice's eyes went wide and wild. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong." Her gaze darted to the door where Cassis stood. Panic flared in her expression.

"I… I need to go."

Arianna reached out to touch her arm, but Janice jumped back like she'd been burned.

Arianna froze.

That reaction was instinctive. Janice looked like a cornered wild animal. She backed herself into the corner of the living room, breathing hard, still clutching the leftovers to her chest. Her eyes kept flicking between Cassis and the door, but she didn't make a move toward it.

Arianna kept her voice calm and gentle. "Janice, it's okay. You can leave whenever you want."

Janice nodded but didn't move. Her body was tense, trembling, edging slightly closer to Arianna now, as if seeking shelter, but she kept watching Cassis like he was a threat. Something was very wrong. Janice had never acted this way around Cassis before. In fact, she had sought out his help when they first met. Which meant… She wasn't afraid of Cassis. She was afraid of men. And in her life, there was only one man they knew about: her uncle.

Arianna shot Cassis a look. He was already there, rage quietly smouldering behind his composed expression. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, but he made no move that might scare Janice more. Then, slowly, deliberately, he walked across the room and positioned himself in a different corner far from both Janice and the door. He moved in a way that made it clear he wasn't blocking her anymore.

Instantly, Janice bolted. She rushed to the door, sobbing, still clutching the container of leftovers like a lifeline. She barely managed to get out a panicked, "Sorry!" before slipping out the door and disappearing into the night.

The silence afterwards was heavy. Cassis stared after her, his fists still clenched. Then he growled out, voice low and full of fury, "We're visiting her house tomorrow. There will be an explanation for that behaviour."

Arianna nodded grimly. But from Janice's reaction tonight, they both knew one thing for sure: that explanation wouldn't be good.

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