Andrew awoke in a hurry as he gasped sharply in a panic. Looking around the room in a hurry he found that he was back in his own dorm room. The moonlight shined like rays as it bared down on the room before him. The news channel was still stirring in the background as he tried to regain his composure.
He looked around and tried to regain his memories of what he was doing before he was sent into that little mind prison that was actually quite helpful. But he didn't really need to as a horrid smell soon assaulted his nose violently causing him to gag.
"Huughh, That's right, my diner." He said to himself as he plugged his nose and turned off the stove under the giant metal pot.
He took note of the fact that all of the water and stock had evaporated into the air and all that was left was the charred bits of ingredients he had put in there before. He plugged his nose for a while before releasing it so he could pick up the pot.
"Ah" Andrew grunted in surprise as he picked up the large metal pot and he felt his arm sting harshly.
Looking down at it he could see the bandage wrapped tightly around the athletic arm, a tinge of red showing through.
"God dammit, not again." He muttered to himself as he focused on the more important matter of throwing this abomination of an attempt to make food into the garbage before immediately bagging it and throwing it down a small shoot located by the end of a large row of cabinets.
The smell burned his nostrils as he stood there looking around to try and get more information on how long he had been in that dream like state. The news station was still broadcasting prototypes of a way of personal travel that was coming along real nicely now and was said to be finished in a week for another round of testing.
On the bottom right Andrew got his answer and found the date laying on top of the clock that displayed the time.
Andrew groaned loudly as he looked at the large screen
"2 days? He wasn't kidding, time does pass way slower in there. But not as slow as i would like." Andrew slumped his shoulders forward and walked over to the island to get himself a drink of water.
After gulping down multiple large glasses of water he reached into his back pant pocket and found the same red amulet from just a couple moments ago.
He looked at it blankly, seemingly in disbelief that an object actually passed through with him and was now physically in his hands.
He twirled it around in his hands before setting it on the counter in front of him and walking around. He wasn't tired after being in a forced slumber for two days and he felt like he could take on the world.
The moonlight illuminated his view down onto the large cityscape, reflecting buildings and skyscrapers alike as he looked around. Buildings looked hollow and abandoned, grocery stores outside of campus were looted and destroyed with the doors taken off harshly. It seems that people were still in a state of worry and anxiety hung lightly in the air, even reaching Andrew who was distanced far away from them.
"Welp, looks like I have some work to do." Andrew said to himself as he turned around and opened the small wooden door separating his dorm room from the outside world. Passing the large bag of books that Andrew unknowingly stepped around like a person walking around a landmine.
Traversing the same lonely yellow halls never felt so relieving as he slowly examined the wallpaper as he walked slowly along, as if trying to engrave the pattern into his mind. The Elevator opened immediately as no one has moved it from the top floor since Andrew entered the soul domain. Its large silver plating reflected the orange lighting from above.
Andrew walked in and pressed the button to the bottom floor and watched as the door in front of him closed.
'If the amulet passed through I wonder if the weapons could have as well?' Andrew thought to himself as he slowly shook his head at the absurdity of the prospect.
Andrew wasn't too disappointed as he now knew what weapon he could use in the future that will allow him to have a step above his enemies as well as his mastery was immense. It felt as if he knew the ins and outs of how fighting with the two axes worked, how they co-existed with each other and how to use them as a single blade.
But little did he know that he was only taking the first step into mastery, as when his opponents also caught up to his level. He would only need to expand his knowledge and tactics with the axes.
To make matters worse, Andrew only fought against Folen, who used only swords.
The doors in front of him opened to unravel the unlit reception, its grand white engraving now shone a dim blue as he progressed forward out into the hollow campus. The large maple trees looked purple as the new reddening leaves reflected the pale moonlight.
Stones fell out of place as Andrew's feet walked over them in a slight hurried fashion. He wasn't worried or anything, he was just excited to grow stronger after witnessing some of the power that could be granted to him if he worked hard enough for it.
Approaching the same old dungeon again he opened the door as he got near and ignored the slight pain that was throbbing in his shoulder. If he wanted to get stronger, he had to do it now. Especially because of what Folen had said earlier, he might have not meant it as a warning but Andrew was really worried about the so-called world eaters that have appeared in every world with his own circumstances.
Even if they did show up Andrew would either have to dwell in the systems dungeon which turned out to be the so called "man-made" ones located directly outside of his own campus building for however long he needs too.
Or he would have to lock himself in his own room and watch his world slowly become a slaughter ho that is all he could call it after hearing what they are called. They must have such a vicious name for a reason, they can't be super friendly with that name.
Andrew looked around the dark illuminated room as a shelve of weapons which had been ignored by him for the past couple of times he had dove down into its dark abyss.
Spears, and poles alike lined up in a row along with multiple other rows of Swords and bows, thin and wide sharp and blunt was all there to provide the most diverse selection available. Andrew crawled through the vast amount of metal weapons present and finally found a large axe.
"Finally, maybe there are more of you" He said as he poked the large axe that was nearly as tall as he was.,
He craned his head to the side to peer down the long row of axes to find two small yet heavy axes that looked super bland compared to the ones he had grown all too used to. Shoving aside many others to go and pick them up he raised both of them to his waist and turned back to the place he came from. The two weighted objects swayed in his hands as he walked back.
His legs tingled with excitement and the pang of hunger that was covered by the adrenaline was soon gone as he now felt his eagerness rise even further. Tapping his feet excitedly as he walked back to the center of the small room only looking up when he arrived there.
The large screen of violent neon blue stood there unmoving as he looked at it with a fire of excitement
—----------
Andrew Smith, welcome back!
Floor (2,10)
continue?
—----------
"YES" Andrew said immediately without much thought and watched as the surrounding area slowly morphed into its same old stone walls. Dimly lit by the mysteriously appearing wooden torches that were mounted on the wall by some rough rope.
This time around Andrew watched his surroundings as no blue hues swirled down into view. No bandits, no guardsman,no swordsman or assassins. Just him and the empty silence.
"Well, that's a little anticlimactic" Andrew pouted as he lowered his axe blades from ready position.