NOVEL WEB Chapter 10: Chapter 10 - Breakfast with family
Ethan's eyes blinked open just before dawn, his body still buzzing faintly with residual mana from the night before. Pale light crept through the curtains, casting soft beams across his room. His gaze drifted to the corner, where his helmet and chestplate rested neatly atop his chair. For a brief second, he stared at them in silence.
He had done it. Cleared his first dungeon. Alone.
The thought sent a strange thrill through his chest. It still felt surreal—almost like a dream he hadn't fully woken up from. But the faint ache in his muscles reminded him it was all real. The Feral Rats. The Diseased Fangrat. The endless casting cycles. And the quiet satisfaction that came with progress.
But the grind never stopped.
Today, he'd dive again.
Ethan sat up with a soft groan and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. A grin crept across his face as an idea struck him. He was up before anyone else for once. Maybe he could do something small—something normal, human, and kind—before throwing himself into another mana-fueled gauntlet.
He slipped into a clean T-shirt and jeans, ran a hand through his messy hair, and grabbed his phone and wallet from the nightstand. With one last glance at his gear in the corner, he stepped quietly down the stairs, making sure not to wake anyone.
The café was silent—empty chairs, a spotless counter, and the scent of yesterday's pastries still faint in the air.
He stepped outside and inhaled deeply. The crisp morning air filled his lungs. The city of Potsdam was just beginning to stir, its skyline washed in soft gold. The usual rush hadn't started yet—just a few delivery vans, joggers, and sleepy shopkeepers flipping their signs to "Open."
As he walked toward the bakery, Ethan pulled up his System page. The familiar translucent blue screen blinked into view, filled with numbers that meant everything to him now.
[SYSTEM PAGE - ETHAN VALE]
Class: Mage
Talent: Mana Overflow
Class Rank: F
HP: 110 / 110
STA: 110 / 110
Stamina Regen: 110 Stamina / Hour
Mana: 1020 / 1020
Mana Regen: 1020 Mana / Hour
STR: 11
VIT: 11
AGI: 11
STA: 11
Mana: 94 → 102
Spell Power: 91 → 99
Spells: 1 / 6
Spell Memory:
F-Rank - Fireball
Mastery: 42.68% → 52.12
Mana Cost: 10 Mana
Cooldown: 2 seconds
Range: 20 Meters
Base Damage: (50 → 75) → 149 (+74 from spellpower)
Ethan whistled low. "Damn. I'm actually one exhaustion cycle away from hitting triple-digit Spell Power. And Fireball's about to rank up soon, probably another 5 days of grinding and it will rank up."
His Fireball now dealt nearly 150 damage. For most F-Rank Mages, it was rare to break 100. Some never did. But thanks to his Mana Overflow talent, his stats were skyrocketing with every grind session. Slow and steady? Not anymore. He was evolving at warp speed.
No wonder the dungeon felt so easy by the end. But that wouldn't last. Higher-rank challenges would come soon. He needed to be ready.
The bakery came into view—a charming little place with a red-striped awning and a window stacked with golden pastries. He pushed the door open, the bell jingling softly.
"Morning!" the elderly baker greeted, brushing flour off his apron. "You're up early, young man."
"Yeah," Ethan replied with a smile. "Big breakfast order today. I'll take a full family set—croissants, rolls, cinnamon twists, and anything fresh out of the oven. Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee."
The baker chuckled. "Feeding an army?"
"Just my family."
A short while later, Ethan left the bakery carrying two large paper bags, the scent of fresh bread and sugar wafting through the air. The receipt read: $102.74. Worth every cent.
By the time he reached the café again, the lights were still off inside. Perfect.
He nudged the door open with his foot, tiptoed in, and began setting everything on the counter: warm pastries, cups, napkins, the works.
"Surprise breakfast delivery," he whispered under his breath.
A moment later, he heard footsteps from upstairs. His mother was the first to appear, wrapped in her robe, hair tousled from sleep. She blinked at the sight.
"Ethan?" she asked, voice still groggy. "What's all this?"
"Morning, Mom," he said with a grin. "Breakfast's on me today."
His dad came next, followed shortly by Alice, rubbing sleep from her eyes. When the smell hit her, she perked up immediately.
"Is that... cinnamon twist?" she gasped.
Ethan pulled something from his jacket pocket and held it out to her. A softly glowing blue crystal, it looked like a lava lamp, with the blue mana swirling inside of it.
Her eyes widened. "Is that a mana crystal?!"
"Yup," he said. "F-Rank Boss drop. All yours."
She squealed and tackled him in a hug, nearly knocking the bags off the counter. "This is the coolest thing anyone's ever given me!"
His parents exchanged surprised glances.
"I thought you sold all your drops yesterday," his dad said.
"I did," Ethan replied, digging into a croissant. "Except the boss crystal. That one was for Alice."
His mom raised an eyebrow. "How much did you make, exactly?"
He sipped his coffee before answering. "$5,150."
There was a pause.
His dad blinked. "You made over five grand in one day?"
Ethan nodded casually. "F-rank dungeon. Cleared it in 9 hours. And then went directly to sell the mana crystals"
His mother set down her cup. "That's… incredible."
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a smaller envelope. "And here's three thousand. For you both. I know the café's been tight lately. Use this to take a break or restock. Whatever you need, and don't worry about me, I don't need it."
His mom covered her mouth, eyes glistening. His dad looked like he was trying not to cry in front of the cinnamon rolls.
"Son, we—"
Ethan waved a hand. "No need. I'll make another five thousand today."
Alice stared at him with awe. "You're gonna be massive, aren't you?"
He smirked. "Only if I don't blow myself up first."
…
With breakfast done and the mood light, Ethan changed into his gear upstairs. Chestplate snug, helmet secure, and backpack loaded with fresh water and rations.
He checked the time—plenty left in the day. A perfect repeat of yesterday. He grabbed his phone and shot Lena a text:
Ethan: Hey, how's your grind going? Heading back into Rotwood for another run.
He smiled, then tucked the phone away.
Downstairs, he waved to his family.
"Be back for dinner," he said.
His dad gave him a thumbs up. "Try not to bring home any giant rats."
"No promises!"
And with that, Ethan stepped outside once more.
The streets were brighter now, Potsdam fully awake. But for Ethan, the world beyond the surface still called louder. Dungeons. Monsters. Growth.