The secret door leading into the portal remained still for the duration of the evening, I couldn't help but fall asleep in the dead silence. And in my drifting slumber, the dragon made its appearance.
But not in the form of an abyssal beast, but my older version with glowing white eyes casting a smoky aura within it as it floats in this empty void. Tattered in battle scars, improperly groomed beard, and face skin wrinkled in time.
"About time you show up," I called yet I looked like a fool talking to a possessed older version of me who isn't even bothering on replying.
It just stood there, glaring. Yet his gaze wasn't focused on me, but rather something behind, and in my rear, I saw my world. Scattered lifeless in space while its core was all black.
"Such pity, isn't it?" I heard my older voice speak, catching me off guard. "One of the greatest essences in the universe, and now, reduced into desolation…"
"So… you CAN speak…"
Once again, it didn't respond and just gaze with its smoky eyes at the scenery of the ruined earth.
"Alright, how about just tell me what's going on? This is the world I knew" I claimed, pointing towards the ruined earth. "Yet, I woke up back in the past with this timeline yet to happen."
"Complaining, are we?" it asked.
"Who said I was!?" I jolted. "Look, I'm grateful you gave me a chance to live once more and save those who are important to me. But something isn't right here. Why did a creature like you go all the trouble to help me? What would you even gain from it?"
It was being too suspicious, yet it grins and watches my old hands from the body it possesses "Indeed, why so…"
"I cannot answer such questions as I, myself do not know. I am merely a fragment of the dragon, merged to be a part of you. His knowledge and memories died along with him in the process of this… new timeline…" It continued.
"Exactly my point! Why would it even want to save me at the price of its life? Something's really not right here."
"That is not what I do not know. What I only carry in my memory is the mission to help you protect these plains. But maybe the answers lie somewhere within those buried memories of yours" it replied.
"Great, more complicated things…" I sighed. "Hold on… help me? D-don't tell me you're th—!"
A sudden lull dulls my senses, followed by the blurring of scenery. But I swear I saw another grin from him "Next time, try to be a little more curious like the others."
The dreamscape faded as my former body distorts along with the space, changing the scene into my bedroom. I was awake, and the clock says it was still 2 past midnight.
"No way… is that really the system?" I questioned myself then my gaze shifted to the dark fat object a few meters from my bed, and in instinct, I summoned my blade "Who are you!?"
"F-forgive my intrusion but we urgently need your help. Please, I beg you." A fat knelt before me, and as the lamp of the side table lit, it expose the familiar face of the creature. "I beg you, please help us."
"What now? I thought I said only the representative could pass through the door?"
"T-that's the thing. She hasn't returned with the soldiers she brought after learning the location of our esteemed lady," it replied. "Please, I beg you, guardian slayer. Lend us your assistance in saving our esteemed lady!"
"So, it was really you… the one who made the path to our escape…" I muttered. "I am thankful enough for that but we already compensated for it by letting you stay within our base."
"P-please. Our lady is our only hope of continuing our fallen domain. We'll reward you with all the gold within our treasury, so please save her." It kept its knees on the ground as its eyes became watery and keep on groveling.
"Did someone say gold?" from outside the room, Josie peeks with her ears twitching.
"Whoa! You're still awake!?"
"Yeah, was just about to head downstairs to get some snacks and rest from studying but it looks like I heard something interesting." she grinned. "So, are you gonna take the request? How much is the reward!?"
"Why does it matter? Are you gonna volunteer?"
"Come on, you're not gonna expect me to go alone, are you?" She asked.
"You're seriously going!?"
"Why not? There's a reward!" Josie insisted. "And besides, I know how to fight too"
She started wiggling and dancing in a weird manner, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"So, are we doing this or not?" she asked before dragging me to the other side without even letting me finish a sentence as the large rat followed.
And before I knew it, I was standing in the plains of Calliope, searching the endless grassland for signs of life. Yet all alive we've only encountered were wild creatures who hunger for us.
"You sure this is the right direction?" Josie asked.
"Yes, the runner had come from this direction, and in his report before falling unconscious, the mistress rests in a rock house along with a group of her trusted soldiers." the large rat claimed while Josie lets out a groan.
"What's with the face, Josie? You asked for this."
"I know I know," she grunted then a smile broke into her face. "Look, I can see it! Over there!"
Over the lines where the grassland slowly transitions into a wasteland, a large crater holds a rock structure of a tower-like feature in its center. And two mice watch from its peak.
"Stop! Get back!" one of the rats shouted, then a giant mole rat emerge from the dried ground. Claws and fangs were jaggedly sharp as its rabid eye glared at us.
** Creature Information **
Corrupted Calliopian Mole
Level: 7
HP: 689/700 MP: 0/0
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"SCATTER!" and the mole dived once more, creeping underneath as it tries to pursue me. But its burrowing speed is too slow to catch up on my feet and it leaves a trail, exposing its every location. "Get the others out of the crater! I'll distract this thing!"
The giant mole rat kept alternating its attacks, raising its pointed claws from underneath and suddenly rising from the ground to gnaw its prey, killing those rat soldiers who tried to me and dragging them under.
And it continued until all those brave soldiers who tried to help had been dragged and the ground went silent.
No slight quakes, no small movement from the ground. Its presence just disappeared until the burrowing comes. Mild to a sudden crumbling of the ground, then claws plunge out just to miss piercing my chin as I evade.
"My turn, you rascal." I plunged the summoned spear into its unguarded chest, making it cry in agony as it retreated into the ground and leaving a trail of black rotting blood.
** You inflicted 90 damage **
Again, not a sound nor vibration could be felt. And even as I waited, only silence and stillness were there.
"Is it over?" I muttered but doubted it. It still had too many life points and I only dealt too little for it to perish.
"Cipher!" Josie called from the interior of the two-story stone tower and in her grasp, the rat lady we spoke bleeds on the marble floor with an open wound as the rest of the folks watch.
Concern and fear could be seen in their eyes but they were no doctors to treat such injuries. And it will be a matter of time before another of their kind perishes.
"What took you for so long!?" Josie scolded. I could see her panicking as she puts pressure on the wound.
"Helloo? I was fighting?"
"Oh, crap. I forgot…" she cussed, too focused on the patient. Yet she couldn't do a thing either, and just observes the patients in front of her while trying to stop the bleeding. "Never mind, I need your points."
"My what?"
"Your Abyssal points! Hurry!" She shouted yet I could understand what she was saying. I scratch my head as I don't know how I could do her request. I don't even know how many I had yet she insist on handing it over.
"What would you even do with it?"
"Just open the goddamn system already!" she scolded.
"Alright! Alright!" I panicked at the pressure of the scene. "Abyss!"
** Abyssal Dragon System **
Name: Cipher "No surname"
Rank: C
HP: 100/100 MP: 0/0
Str: 10/10 Agi: 10/10 Vit: 10/10 Int: 4/10 Magi: 0
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"Now what?"
"Touch the ghostly eyes within the flat jewel and then the trade points button." She claimed as if she knew what was there.
On the top middle section of the screen, the circular glossy gem of black holding the glowing eyes of the abyssal creature showed additional floating text surrounding it upon being touched.
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[Ability Tree] [Trade points] [Library]
[Locked] (Dragon eyes) [Locked]
[Locked] [Locked] [Locked]
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