Neo's tears flowed down his cheek as pain assaulted his entire being, his skin screamed in agony and his bones ached as if they were about to break into fragments. The only reason he had yet to scream was his fear of losing consciousness. Even now he only had enough strength left to make sure he wouldn't die if he indeed passed out. Without warning, another wave of pain washed through him like a tidal wave. Neo let out a feeble gasp as he felt his head switch between death like numbness and hell like pain.
What is…going…on!
As the pain continued on, he heard creaking sounds. It was similar to those you hear when a metallic structure collapses, the sound of bending and breaking metal. Thinking he was about to be crushed by something heavy to death, Neo felt his mind throb even more in pain before he forcefully put strength into his arms and prepared to try 'catching' whatever was going to fall on him. Gritting his teeth, he braced for the pain that he hoped would not come.
But reality rarely ever listened to one's pleas.
For a second, Neo's mind saw a flash of light, before a sound echoed in his ears.
"Mommy!!!"
A young girl's cry for her mother.
Neo's eyes opened wide and turned his head to see a young girl in tattered clothes. She was in tears while staring at the huge metallic beam that was about fall on them both. The loud creaking sound reverberated like laughter in his ears. It was like reality was laughing at him for being so weak and useless.
He imagined a voice saying to him in his mind: "You're going to let this little girl die because you don't want to feel pain? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-YOU'RE EMBARASSING!!"
Neo didn't accept it, he wouldn't let anyone die because of his weakness. He would take on the pain and suffering if it meant he could save someone. And so he did. He let out an inhuman cry that startled the young girl before lifting his feeble body from the floor and catching the metal beam in his hands, pushing it up with all the strength he had in his frail body.
Pain, Pain wrapped around his arms and shot into his bones. The metal beam was too heavy and the sharp edges on it cut into his hands and fingers. Blood fell to the floor and slowly pooled. The immense weight continued to press down on Neo, his eyes welled up in tears continuously.
Hurts…It…Hurts…I don't like it…I don't want to feel this…But…she'll die if I give in…
Neo thought to himself as he looked at the young girl that stood behind him. She continued to cry and call for her mother. The metal beam continued to make loud metallic screeches as it pressed him down. That's when Neo heard it.
"You have passed the test. You will be rewarded"
Test?
Neo almost let his arms down out of shock, but the pain from his wounded palms snapped him back to reality.
"Analysis Underway…Analysis Complete …Rewarding…Failed to bestow reward due to anomaly of 'Fate'"
Neo could hear his mind groan even more from the constant pain that was still assaulting him. He knew from reading books about medicine that humans had something called Adrenaline, which would begin to circulate through their blood which was pumped throughout the entire body. The Adrenaline was supposed to numb the pain from injuries and allow the individual to perform feats beyond their usual performance, like what Neo was doing right now by lifting up something that weighted a hundred more times his own. But he was confused, since the pain never lessened even when he felt his pulse accelerate.
"Fate decides whether the one 'sent' shall be rewarded and how they shall be rewarded. However, 'You' have been sent to 'suffer'…Despite that, the system shall still reward you."
Neo's eyes clouded over when he heard what the monotonous voice in his mind said.
Sent…to suffer?
"You have been rewarded the title: 'Enduring Savior', But due to your fate, it has been changed to 'Pain Bearer's Pleasure'"
What?
Neo's confusion didn't seem to faze the voice as it continued on explaining in an indifferent tone.
"You are impervious to any and all injuries for 15 minutes. This title activates once you have been attacked. However, in exchanged for your invulnerability you will still feel the pain from being cut, stabbed, shot, punched and etc. You will also be able to 'collect' the pain you experience."
Invulnerability in exchange for one's suffering…how…cruel.
Neo thought to himself as he continued to support the falling metal beam. The voice in his head continued.
"The pain you've collected can be re-experienced. You can 'share' it with others. The more pain you acquire, the longer your invulnerable state can last the next time it activates. The amount of pain you can collect depends on your endurance points. When you've collected the maximum amount of pain you can, the excess will build up and activate the buff state "Submerged in Suffering", this buff state multiplies your strength points by 2 as long as you are experiencing excess pain. The rewards have been distributed, Good luck to the one sent to suffer."
The monotonous voice finished speaking and no longer spoke. Neo opened his eyes and saw words floating in his vision.
[You have collected excess 'Pain', you are now 'Submerged in Suffering']
Neo felt strength fill his body. He pushed the metal beam up and stood up straight before pulling back his left hand, and then sent a solid punch to the metal beam. Pain once again erupted in his arms, but his hand remained intact even as the metal bent and shattered, raining down all around him.
His entire body was trembling as he breathed roughly. He turned around and looked at the young girl that was looking at him.
"Are you…Okay?" Neo asked, confused as to why his voice sounded hoarse.
The young girl nodded quietly.
"Good…go…od" Neo muttered one more time before he collapsed on his back and fainted. The last thing he heard was a young girl's voice.
A few hours later…
In an old bedroom covered in dust, a young boy slept quietly on a rickety bed. His pale face had traces of blood and dust. Both his hands were wrapped in cloth torn from old clothing, substituted for bandages. His frail body was covered in cuts and bruises, especially his arms. Beside the rickety bed was a basin of water mixed with blood and a bloodied cloth was draped on the rim of the basin.
The window hinges to the side of the room creaked as the cold breeze blew, but magically the warmth in the room remained even with the windows open. Suddenly the door in front of the bed opened with a slow creak and a young girl carrying a basket of strange-looking plants entered. She looked at the young boy who had his eyes closed. Her face was laced with an expression of worry. The young girl had been saved by the boy from a falling pillar after an explosion occurred near her usual foraging spot. She often visited the old structure for the plants and medicinal herbs that grew around and in it.
The explosion had taken her by surprise, rendering her incapable of saving herself. That's when the young boy desperately threw himself under the giant pillar and struggled to lift it. She saw how his arms and legs trembled. Despite that however, his back looked strong as if he was afraid of wavering in front of the young girl. With a mighty shout, he then pushed the pillar higher up and gave the young girl a surprise when he shattered the pillar.
After that, the young boy asked her if she was fine before ultimately collapsing. The girl was worried that he had died from over exerting himself, but to her surprise, the young boy was breathing and alive with only a few cuts that were already visibly healing. Thankful for his timely help, the young girl decided to carry him back to her shelter, where she cleaned him up and treated his wounds before she bandaged his healing arms.
After that she decided to gather herbs from elsewhere to prepare a medicine she had learned to make from her late mother. It was a medicine that she knew helped with the recovery of one's energy. It was one of the few things she remembered her mother by because her mother often made it when she got sick or fatigued after a hard days work.
After collecting enough herbs, she then walked back home to prepare the medicine. She carefully cleaned the herbs and then ground them up into paste before heating the pasty substance in a small pot. After letting the paste boil for a while, it became a liquid which she then continued to stir.
"AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Neo shrieked at the top of his lungs before pain engulfed his entire chest. He was having a nightmare, a terrible one. He dreamt that he had been crushed into meat paste by a gigantic falling pillar, along with a young girl he failed to save. He could still hear the vivid sound of flesh and bone being crushed, it sent a shiver that made his blood, run colder than ice.
Where am I?
Neo looked around, scanning his surroundings cautiously before slowly freeing his body from the warm comfort of the mattress. The old bed creaked from the little movement he made, which gave Neo the idea that it had been frequently slept on.
The room had little to no furniture, with only a small cabinet that stood in the corner and the drawer that also served as the bedside table. As he observed the old furniture, the misshapen window to the side slammed against the framing. The sound broke Neo out of his reverie causing him to glance towards it. That's when he noticed the basin filled with red liquid. The sight reminded him of the recent events.
The little girl…she brought me here? I hope I wasn't too heavy…who am I kidding though, I'm as frail as a twig. Even a single oxygen atom would be lighter than me.
After a series of self-inflicted insults. Neo noticed the absence of the young girl. In fact the house seemed empty, since there was not a sound in the surroundings. It was very quiet, like the passing of an angel had just occurred. Amidst the deep silence, a loud noise came from somewhere within the house.
Neo, who had somewhat recovered. Groggily got off the bed to investigate. After slowly standing up from the bed, he realized that it wasn't as difficult as he expected it to be. Taking note of this detail, he then walked towards the wooden door that faced the rickety bed. He gently pushed on it in order to remain as quiet as possible. The old door swung forward slowly revealing a wooden staircase that led to a small and cozy living room. The floorboards creaked quietly as Neo walked down to the ground floor of the house. The place was shabby, but it somehow felt cozy at the same time. Something about cabins just gave off that particular feeling, Neo thought to himself.
After taking a glance at the furniture in the living room, Neo looked to the door that was on the other end of the living room. It was half open and the gentle glow of flames danced on its surface.
Is she in there? Is she preparing supper?
Neo walked towards the open door, and peeked into the small space. In the room was a young girl facing a large hearth. Above that was a pot hanging over the fire. The flames crackled gently, and the contents of the pot was boiling already. Steam rose from the pot, and up into the chimney above. The young girl grabbed a wooden ladle hanging on the wall and used it to stir the bubbling mystery soup.
Neo observed the young girls profile, she had a small nose gently positioned in the midst of a round face. Her cheeks were also round and they had a perpetual blush to them. The lashes of her eyes were long and they fluttered whenever she blinked. Her auburn hair was held up in a bun with a metal pin. The orange glow of the fire gave her a somewhat fiery atmosphere that was contrast to her silent and focused expression.
She's cute…but I don't think you'd have to look that serious if you were just cooking. Then what is she making? That certainly doesn't look anything like stew.
Neo furrowed his brows. He subconsciously leaned against the door and lost his balance before toppling into the kitchen with a thud.
THUD
Aaaaaaaaaargh…
Neo lay on the floor, his face flat on the stone surface. The girl's hands stiffened as they stopped stirring the mixture in the pot. She slowly turned her head to glance behind her. That's when she saw the young boy. Laying face flat on the cold floor.
"Argh. My nose…"
The boy slowly pushed himself up from the ground before looking at the girl. The two of them stared at each other for a while. The silence was deafening and the mood immediately turned awkward. Only the sound of crackling fire could be heard. Neo was the first to crumble as he turned his head to look away.
"I wasn't spying on yo-"
"You obviously were"
"I SWEAR I-"
"Not convincing enough"
You didn't let me finish what I was gonna say!
Neo felt the nerves on his forehead tighten as his annoyance suddenly grew. The young girl was overly cautious.
I can understand where she's coming from, but that's just mean at this point. It's not like I can do anything to her, I'm just a kid…with magic powers….ok maybe I can see why.
"Get up, the floor is already filthy, you're making it filthier"
Neo obediently stood up from the floor before dusting himself with his hands, although the mean comment at the end made his forehead vein throb a bit. The young girl continued to stir the substance in the pot before transferring it into a glass bottle. She put a cork on the bottle before placing it beside another glass bottle full of the same liquid. They looked identical but the first bottle's liquid was crimson red in comparison to the deep red in the second newly transferred bottle.
Different mixtures? Or different quality? The differences in color must mean something right? I'd definitely pick the one with the brighter colour.
Neo analyzed the bottles quietly. The young girl noticed him staring at the bottles, and began to explain.
"Those are medicine. They can help you recover your energy and speed up your recovery. The lighter the color, the better the effect. The darker it is however, the longer it can last"
"So it's more the duration of the effects rather than the quality of the medicine. Were you making these…for me?"
The young girls stirring hand stopped momentarily before they continued once more. She gave a quiet nod before focusing on her task. Neo looked around the kitchen, observing his surroundings thoroughly. The dust on walls, the old wood of the cupboards and the cobwebs on the corners of the ceiling. The place was really old. It was most likely abandoned before she moved in.
"Do you live alone?"
Neo asked the question he had been most curious about. The young girl was very quiet, and talked very little. She seemed unused to having company within the house because despite her relaxed stance. Neo could feel the apprehension radiating off of her. It was like an instinct that Neo naturally had. He could just feel her nervousness.
"Yes"
Replied the young girl quietly. Her voice was small and of a high pitch. Neo thought it was quite similar to a squeaky toy, but also an ocarina.
"What's your name?"
This time the girl's hands suddenly gripped the ladle tightly before she turned around and glared at Neo. Her eyes, when touched with the glow of the fire, seemed to blaze. Her anger was evident. This sudden aggression surprised Neo. He didn't think he'd be scared of such a little girl. But the moment he met her fiery look, his back suddenly felt much colder than it should.
"Too many questions. Go back upstairs and rest, you'll take the medicine after I finish the entire batch"
Neo nodded and quietly retreated from the kitchen. The cold air he felt on his back finally disappeared when he closed the kitchen door. He wiped the bead of sweat forming on his forehead before climbing up the rickety stairs. Neo was confused why she got so mad when she asked for the young girls name. But when he thought about it some more. Maybe he was being too intrusive with his questions. He went upstairs and closed the door behind him before carefully sitting down on the rickety bed.
"Ahh…sigh…what is going on…where am I?"
Unable to sit down for too long, Neo stood up and looked out the window. It was an unfamiliar view, even the air felt different. The clouds felt off. It was like living in a world altered just enough to mimic the same world but also different enough without being noticed. But Neo was sharp and observant, he clearly felt the difference in his surroundings. He could feel it, the uncomfortable feeling of misplacement. Like going to a party where only your friend was invited but he insisted on bringing you as well. Not that Neo had ever been to a party. To him parties were exhausting and quite frankly, pointless. Parties according to Neo, were gatherings designed for dull people to come together and boast about what little things they have achieved in their boring lives.
It might be pessimistic but it still shows that Neo's experience with parties was obviously not good. It also showed his anti-socialistic behavior as well. Bullying can have varying effects but most prominent of those is self-isolation.
Neo stared at the clouds quietly. Stuck once more in a moment of contemplation, as ideas and thoughts swam around in his head. He continued to wander in his thoughts however, his pupils suddenly dilated as he noticed something very peculiar about his vision. He seemed to be constantly seeing an interface. Similar to those he once read in novels about reincarnations and transmigrations.
The 'interface' in his vision was of an orange color. It displayed his current status. In the lower mid-section of his vision, he could see a red bar that seemed to represent his body's physical condition. On the left-hand side he could he attributes such as Strength, speed, agility and etc. These seemed to indicate his current physical, and intellectual prowess. The numbers displayed however put him in a sour mood. His physical attributes were rock bottom with his strength stat not even going past 10 points in contrast to his intelligence points that were a whopping 50 points. Neo contemplated punching the stone wall beside the window to vent his anger but quickly held himself back for fear of injuring himself.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt as if the interface was making a face at him and mocking him.
Damned system interface, you don't have to rub it in my face that I'm scrawny.
Neo rubbed his face in frustration before leaning against the window sill. He stared quietly at the scenery, plunging into contemplation again as his agitation calmed.
Unbeknownst to him, a young girl with auburn was quietly spying on him through the crack in the wooden doorway. The expression on her face was unpleasant, as if she was hearing a buzzard of flies buzzing in her ears. Her eyebrows furrowed continuously as she stared at the young boy, as if she was trying to understand something in her head.
Neo felt the peculiarities of the young girl, but that was only the surface. The girl had many secrets. One of which, Neo would find in the future to be very invasive to him.