Mr. Whitley's voice droned on about the Civil War, but David Lamb's attention had drifted to the ancient oak tree outside the classroom window. He'd spent most of the class mentally replaying last night's Battle of the Ancients match, analyzing every mistake that had led to their team wipe. If he'd just positioned his Pyromancer better during that last encounter... The enemy team's Ice Mage had caught him completely out of position, and his poor positioning had left their healer exposed. One frost nova later, and their whole raid group had crumbled. Five hours of progression, wasted because he couldn't maintain basic situational awareness.
The worst part was knowing he'd have to face his guildmates tonight. Tony would be understanding - he always was - but some of the others had been pretty vocal about David's performance in guild chat. "Maybe if our Pyro spent less time farming cosmetic items and more time learning mechanics..." He could still see the message floating in chat, accompanied by that smug little laughing emoji.
A squirrel darting across the oak's branches caught his eye, and he found himself wondering if the new BoTA patch would finally fix the pathing issues with pet classes. The dev notes had mentioned something about improved AI...
"Mr. Lamb?" The teacher's voice cut through his distraction. "Perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts on General Sherman's strategic approach?"
David's stomach clenched as thirty pairs of eyes turned toward him. He could feel Francine Holderman's gaze from two rows over, and his face grew hot. Like always, she sat with perfect posture, her shoulder-length curls framing a face that made focusing on history lectures nearly impossible. She had this way of taking notes that looked almost artistic, her pen flowing across the page in elegant strokes that probably captured every important detail Mr. Whitley had covered. He quickly looked down at his desk before she could catch him staring, his own blank notebook a silent accusation.
"Um..." He straightened in his chair, mind racing. "He... burned stuff?"
A few snickers rippled through the classroom. Mr. Whitley's disappointed sigh felt like a physical weight. David caught Morgan Altura rolling his eyes from the back row, though there seemed to be more sympathy than mockery in the gesture.
"A somewhat reductive analysis, Mr. Lamb. Though technically accurate." The teacher turned back to the whiteboard, already launching into a detailed explanation of supply lines and scorched earth tactics.
David slumped lower in his seat, trying to ignore Nevin Nevage's smirk from the front row. Even from behind, Nevin radiated that familiar aura of smug superiority, his expensive clothes and perfectly styled hair a constant reminder of the gap between them. When he half-turned to share his smirk with his usual crowd of admirers, his sharp, aristocratic features only made his contempt more obvious. The silver watch on his wrist probably cost more than David's entire wardrobe.
The rest of the class passed in a blur of dates and battle formations. When the final bell rang, David shoved his unused notebook into his backpack and made a beeline for the door. He needed to find Tony before---
"Quite the military analysis there, Lamb." Nevin's voice carried that familiar edge of mockery. "Really showed off that big brain of yours. Tell me, do you practice being this stupid, or does it just come naturally?"
David kept walking, shoulders tight. Just three more steps to the door. His hand clenched around his backpack strap, knuckles white.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, spacing cadet." Nevin's hand landed heavily on David's shoulder, spinning him around. The movement sent David stumbling back against the wall, his backpack hitting with a dull thud. Nevin loomed closer, that perfect smile still in place, though his eyes had gone cold. "It's rude to ignore people, you know. Didn't your parents teach you any manners? Oh wait, they were probably too busy working minimum wage to teach you anything useful."
"Leave him alone, Nevin." Francine's voice cut through the tension. David's heart did a complicated flutter as she stepped between them, her presence somehow filling the narrow space by the classroom door. Something in her stance radiated an authority that even Nevin seemed to recognize. "Don't you have some freshmen to terrorize?"
Nevin's hand dropped away. "Just trying to help our resident daydreamer with his education, Francine." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Someone has to keep him grounded in reality. But you're right, my talents are wasted here." He adjusted his designer jacket with exaggerated care. "See you around, Lamb. Try not to strain yourself thinking too hard. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
David caught a glimpse of Francine rolling her eyes as he slipped past them both and into the hallway's relative safety. His face burned with a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment. Great. Now he was the guy who needed girls to fight his battles. Just another fantastic addition to an already stellar day.
The side yard was mercifully quiet when David finally emerged into the autumn afternoon. Tony was already waiting at their usual spot, nose buried in his phone as he sprawled across one of the concrete benches. His lanky frame took up most of the space, one leg dangling off the edge while he scrolled through what looked like the official BoTA forums.
"Dude!" Tony looked up, grinning. "Did you see the patch notes for the new BoTA update? They're finally adding the Crystalline Warrior class! The mechanics look insane. Check this out - they've got this whole new system for gem socketation that completely changes how stat priorities work."
David dropped onto the bench beside his friend, taking in Tony's familiar presence - all gangly limbs and perpetually disheveled dark hair, thick-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose as he gestured animatedly at his phone screen. This was better. This made sense. Virtual worlds had rules you could understand, combat systems you could master. No Nevins throwing their privilege around, no pretty girls having to save you from your own inadequacies.
"So basically," Tony continued, his enthusiasm infectious despite David's mood, "you can socket different types of crystals into your armor, right? But it's not just static stats anymore. The crystals actually resonate with each other based on their elemental alignments. So if you match the right combinations, you get these crazy synergy effects. Like, socket three ruby crystals in a specific pattern and your character starts generating this damage reflection aura that scales with your primary stats."
"That could be pretty broken in PvP," David found himself saying, his earlier humiliation temporarily forgotten as he leaned in to look at Tony's screen. "Especially if you could stack it with the existing damage reflection talents."
"Right?" Tony's grin widened. "And that's just the basic stuff. The high-level sockets get wild. There's this one legendary crystal that supposedly turns all your physical damage into pure energy damage. Can you imagine combining that with the Berserker's rampage mechanics?"
"---and the new armor systems are supposed to be completely redesigned," Tony continued, finally coming up for air. "Want to head to Quick Mart? I could use some fuel for raid night. Plus, I need your theory-crafting brain to help me figure out the optimal crystal configurations."
"Sure." David shouldered his backpack, and they set off down Mason Street toward downtown. The afternoon sun warmed the red brick buildings of Millridge's historic district, where mom-and-pop shops lined both sides of the street in their usual picturesque arrangement. Tony kept up a steady stream of game discussion as they walked, breaking down the intricacies of the new systems with the kind of enthusiasm most people reserved for major life events.
"So then if you take the Azure Crystal's proc effect and combine it with the Storm Sapphire's passive..." Tony mimed an explosion with his hands, nearly knocking his glasses off in the process. "Total damage multiplication. Though I guess you'd have to sacrifice some survivability stats to make it work."
They passed Jensen's Antiques with its perpetually dusty windows, the ancient brass bell above the door the same one that had probably hung there since the Civil War, if Mr. Whitley's lectures were to be believed. David caught a glimpse of something glinting in the shadowy interior - probably just another overpriced "antique" that was really made last year in China. Though for a moment, it had almost looked like...
"Earth to David?" Tony waved a hand in front of his face. "You're doing that spacing out thing again. I was asking what you thought about the new raid requirements. They're bumping up the minimum gear score pretty significantly."
"Sorry," David shook his head, banishing thoughts of whatever he'd thought he'd seen in the shop window. "Just... rough day. Nevin was being Nevin again."
Tony's expression darkened slightly. "That guy's such a tool. Don't let him get to you. He's probably just jealous because you actually have real friends instead of a bunch of sycophants trying to get invited to his parties."
A group of seniors from their school passed by, headed toward the coffee shop where everyone hung out after classes. He recognized a few faces from his AP Chemistry class but kept his eyes forward. The less social interaction, the better. One of the girls - he thought her name might be Janet - seemed to be watching them with unusual intensity, but she quickly looked away when he glanced in her direction.
The Quick Mart sign came into view, its faded green and white lettering a familiar landmark. "I've got raid night in an hour," Tony said as they approached the store. "Need to stock up on energy drinks."
David checked his phone. His own shift didn't start until tomorrow. "Yeah, same."
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as they pushed through the glass doors, the familiar bell chime announcing their arrival. The store was quiet at this hour, caught in that lull between the after-school rush and the evening commute crowd. Mr. Patel nodded to them from behind the counter, barely looking up from his newspaper. The smell of stale coffee and microwave burritos hung in the air, mingling with the artificial sweetness wafting from the slushie machine.
They made their way past the racks of candy and chips, David noting how the morning's perfectly arranged displays had devolved into their usual afternoon chaos. A box of protein bars had spilled across the shelf, and someone had shoved a magazine back into the rack upside down. He resisted the urge to fix it. The store's cat, a fat orange tabby named General, watched them lazily from his perch atop the ice cream freezer.
Near the drink coolers, they found Melissa Altura staring intently at the energy drinks. She stood out against the bright commercial backdrop of the store, all gothic fashion and pale complexion, her long black hair falling like a curtain around her face. Even her posture seemed to create a bubble of isolation around her. Dark circles under her eyes suggested too many late-night study sessions, making her already pale skin look almost translucent under the harsh store lighting.
"Oh, hey David." Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. Something about her seemed... off. More than just her usual quiet demeanor. Her fingers twitched slightly at her sides, like she was trying to grab something that wasn't there.
"Hey." He managed, trying to sound normal. "You okay? You look kind of..."
"Fine." She cut him off, still staring at the energy drinks like they contained secret messages. "Just tired. Excuse me."
She reached for a can, then stopped, hand frozen mid-air. For several awkward seconds, she just stood there, not moving, not speaking. The fluorescent light above them flickered once, casting strange shadows across her face. David and Tony exchanged confused looks. Finally, she grabbed three different brands at random and turned toward the counter, but stopped again when she noticed them still watching.
"Did you need something else?" The words came out clipped and sharp, nothing like her usual quiet tone. Her eyes seemed darker somehow, almost unnaturally so. Without waiting for an answer, she brushed past them both, her movements stiff and mechanical. At the counter, she dumped the drinks in front of the startled cashier and dug out exact change without a word. Even General lifted his head to watch her leave, his tail twitching uneasily.
David felt his face growing hot. He probably shouldn't have said anything. The whole interaction left him feeling vaguely unsettled, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
"That was weird," Tony commented as the door chimed behind her. He was already turning back to the snack aisle. "She's usually quiet, but that was like, next level strange. So anyway, about the new crystal crafting system---"
David made noncommittal noises as his friend continued dissecting game mechanics. The truth was, he was already thinking about getting home to try out the update himself. It would be a good distraction from another socially awkward day at school. Sometimes he wondered if everyone else had gotten some secret manual on how to handle basic human interaction, while his copy had gotten lost in the mail.
They parted ways at the entrance to Millridge State Park, Tony heading home for his raid and David taking the long way around. The autumn air was getting cooler, fallen leaves crunching under his feet as he wandered past the old textile mills. Their red brick walls rose like canyon cliffs against the afternoon sky, windows dark and empty now except for the few sections that had been converted into fancy loft apartments.
The day's events kept replaying in his mind as he walked. His pathetic performance in history class. The way he'd frozen up when Nevin started in on him. Francine having to step in like he was some helpless kid who couldn't handle his own problems. Even that weird interaction with Melissa felt like another entry in his growing list of social failures.
He paused at the corner of Cotton Mill Road, the old industrial district stretching out before him. The abandoned loading docks and empty parking lots made the place feel like a ghost town this time of day. Perfect for avoiding people. His hand drifted to his phone, thumbing through the BoTA Companion App's theorycrafting section. Pages of detailed stat calculations and optimal talent paths filled his screen. Numbers and percentages were predictable, reliable. Every build had clear strengths and weaknesses, every talent choice could be quantified and tested. Follow the right guide, execute the right rotation, and success was guaranteed.
Not like today's disaster in history class. Or the way he'd choked during last night's raid. Or how he'd needed Francine to---
David shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned down the narrow path between the mills, where decades-old loading docks created weird echo chambers of his footsteps. The late afternoon shadows stretched long between the buildings, and the autumn wind whistled through old pipes and empty windows. It would make a cool setting for a game level, he thought. Some kind of urban exploration map where every corner might hide rare loot or dangerous encounters. Maybe an abandoned factory taken over by crystal elementals, their geometric forms casting prismatic light through broken windows...
He caught himself doing it again - retreating into game design fantasies instead of dealing with real life. But wasn't that better than dwelling on how utterly he'd failed at basic human interaction today? At least in games, he knew the rules. Clear objectives, defined mechanics, predictable outcomes. Not like trying to navigate the incomprehensible maze of high school social dynamics.
The path eventually opened onto Peach Grove Avenue, where the last of the season's fruit still clung to the ornamental trees lining the street. Twenty minutes until dinner. His mom would ask about his day, and he'd give his usual shrug and "fine." Then he could retreat to his room, log into BoTA, and try out that new Crystalline Warrior class Tony wouldn't shut up about.
Maybe in the game, he'd finally figure out how to be the hero, instead of the guy who needed saving from Nevin. At least there, he knew exactly what he needed to do to level up. Though as he walked the final blocks home, he couldn't quite shake the memory of Melissa's strange behavior at Quick Mart, or the way that antique shop window had seemed to glint with an impossible light. But those were probably just more products of his overactive imagination - another thing he needed to level up out of if he ever wanted to function in the real world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End Chapter
My latest work!
Inspired to work on by a wonderful gal who contacted me about creating Manga Artwork for my books!
As of the upload of this Chapter I will be using a AI image placeholder while I wait on my newest artist to craft a proper hand drawn digital picture. As soon as she completes the new art I’ll put it up instead!

I pretty much only like to use actual Hand Crafted Digital Art in my book covers and other artwork I use. My normal artist is ZeusFX From Olympus Art. However, he doesn’t do Manga works, and I wanted this story to have a Manga/Anime flare to it. I can’t wait to see what comes out for it!!!

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