Part-202

  “James, how did the exams go?” she asked, her voice ge expet.

  James took a deep breath and nodded. “They went fine, Mom. I’m pretty fident I’ll be iop three this time.”

  Farzana’s face lit up with pride. “That’s wonderful to hear, James. You’ve been w hard, and I’m so proud of you. You know how much it means to me to see you doing well in your studies.”

  James smiled, appreciating her support. She had always enced him to strike a baween his academic pursuits and his other is like judo and, unknowingly to her, his secret ventures into the Lamp of Time’s dungeon. “Thanks, Mom,” he said warmly, before exg himself to head upstairs to his room.

  Onside, James colpsed onto his bed, the day’s events swirling in his mind. The uping judo petition, the summer at the dojo, and of course, the Lamp of Time dungeon, all weighed on him. Despite the distras of the outside world, his thoughts kept returning to the mysterious mp sitting on his desk. He had only cleared the midse of Level 1, which means there is more on Level 1. May be there is pce called boss room or whatever like a game?

  Hours passed, and James found himself staring at the mp, its faint glow being him. As eveniled, a soft chime echoed in his mind, and the familiar notification popped up in his vision.

  **[Notification: The oil in the Lamp of Time has been replenished. You may re-ehe dungeon.]**

  James sat up, his heartbeat quiing. The dungeon was calling him again, and this time, he felt more prepared. His battle with the ratlings had taught him a lot about his own strengths and weaknesses, and the idea of entering the phase of the dungeoed him.

  But before he could let his excitement carry him away, he knew he had to be smart about it. The ratlings had been difficult, but they were only the beginning. Whatever y beyond the midse would likely be much more dangerous. He would o think strategically if he wao survive the level.

  James reached for his phone a a quick text to Ryan.

  *“Hey, I’ll need your help sparring tomorrow. I’m w on some eiques and could use a partner.”*

  Ryan’s reply came almost immediately.

  *“Sure thing. Meet me at the dojo in the m. We’ll go all out.”*

  James grinned, feeling a surge of excitement. Tomorrow would be the start of something bigger. Between Mili’s dojo, the Judo Club’s petition, and the mysterious Lamp of Time, he was at the cusp of a transformative summer.

  As he set his phone down, James g the Lamp again, w what kind of monsters or trials awaited him in the phase of the dungeon. But this time, he felt more prepared—not just physically, but mentally. His experiences in the real world were beginning to blend with the skills he had learned in the dungeon albeit it was too short, but he was eager to see how they would all e together.