One of my acquaintances was a famous singer and songwriter. He had once said this to me: "Kazu, people think we live in one world. They are unaware that there are two worlds, one on the outer and one on the inside. The thing is, they both have to live in balance. I'm saying this to you as a friend; don't choose one that will cause you to forget the other, as I did."
I had met him in college, where he was already popular for his talent and charisma. He had a passion for music that was contagious and inspiring. He always invited me to his concerts and parties, where I met many celebrities and influencers.
After a few years, when we graduated, he gained more fame and money than he did in school. He became a global sensation, with millions of fans and awards. He seemed to have everything he ever wanted.
Then, one day, I received a letter from him, which was unusual because hardly anyone used mail anymore. In the letter, he indicated that he had given me his regards, properties, and some money. He also stated that he generously gave everything to all of his pals. It was a farewell letter.
He died.
Though I never considered him a friend, what he said had stayed with me forever.
I wondered if I had made the same mistake.
Kazu, out.
◇
Hidden by the dense foliage, I perch on a thick branch, high above the ground. A bizarre monster grazes below me, resembling a deer but with strange features. Its horns curve like hooks, ready to snag anything that comes too close. Its fur changes color like a chameleon, shifting from green to brown to gray as it moves through the grass, the trees, and the rocks. My mouth waters as I watch its every move, tensing my muscles for the perfect moment to leap.
Come on, little one, come closer. Don't be shy.
Countless monsters have fallen by my hand. Pathetic creatures, they can only kill me for a moment. However, when I restart, when I come back to life, they are no match for my swift strike. They never see it coming.
I call it restart. It sounds cool, right?
To my surprise, the monster notices me. It must have smelled me, heard me, or sensed me somehow. It raises its head and looks around, its eyes wide and alert. It snorts and stamps its hooves, ready to run or fight.
Then a sharp pain pierces my forehead. A dart? A bullet? I don't have time to find out. I plummet from the tree head first and die before I even hit the ground.
Then I restart.
What was that? I didn't even see it.
I flip in the air as I fall and land in a crouch, barely holding on to my balance. A jolt of pain shoots up my hips.
Damn.
I stab my heart with a crude knife made from a monster tiger's tooth. It's not very sharp, but it's my only weapon. The pain is like a thousand needles piercing my chest, but I grit my teeth and bear it. It's the only way to restart.
As soon as I restart, I sprint towards the deer. It's still there, staring at me with its piercing eyes. It doesn't seem scared or surprised. It seems… curious.
What the hell is this thing?!
Something smacks me in the face. I restart again, and duck my head immediately to the ground, almost kissing the dirt, to dodge something that flies past me. The deer looks startled and backs away from me.
It's too far; I can't throw the knife that far. I need to get closer, but how?
I zigzag to the side, dodging some of the projectiles that fly towards me. But one hits my shoulder, slowing me down. It looks like a needle, but bigger and sharper.
A thorn? It resembles a jagged spike but it's made of dirt. How does it do that?
Crap! Another one pierces my leg, tearing off a chunk of flesh. I'm about to stumble forward, so I try to twist and backflip to surprise the deer and gain some distance, but I fail and land on my back. Damn, I need more practice with this kind of stunt.
I grit my teeth and curse under my breath. This deer is not like any other monster I've faced before. It has some kind of power that I don't understand.
The deer doesn't miss this chance, as its horn is about to skewer my face as I prop myself up. It looks angry and hungry, ready to kill me and eat me. Maybe it thinks I'm a threat to its territory, or maybe it just likes the taste of human flesh. Either way, I'm not going to let it have me.
I sneer evilly, showing my teeth.
"Big mistake, deer," I say mockingly, as it comes closer and pierces my throat with its horn.
I restart and see its eyes widen in shock; it must be rare for it to have its horn chopped off like that. I smile cruelly and stab it deep in the heart with my knife.
Hahahaha, it's already dead, but I keep stabbing it mercilessly. The feeling of flesh being sliced - how fun and satisfying.
I stop abruptly, feeling something different. What is this? I wonder, as my knife hits something hard. It's not a bone. It's…
I slide my hand into the wound and feel the warm flesh that hasn't cooled yet. It reminds me that this creature was alive just moments ago.
Amazing. I pull out the hard object, leaving a trail of blood in the air.
It looks like a crystal and is as small as a baby's fist. Is it really red or just stained with blood?
I put it in my mouth to clean it with my saliva. After a while, I take out the crystal and spit out the blood. "Bleh," I say, making a face. It tastes awful. It's…
It's really red.
I wonder if this is some kind of magic stone, like the ones in RPG games. Maybe the earth thorn is a magic spell too.
What would happen if I ate this magic stone? I think curiously, holding the red crystal in my hand.
But then I notice the deer's horn and I get an idea. I look at the ground and pick up the tip of the horn that was chopped off when the deer stabbed me in the neck and I restarted. A few inches of it went through the back of my neck, causing the horn tip to fall. It looks sharp and dangerous, like a knife or a spearhead.
I hold the horn and the magic stone together in my hand. "Earth thorn!" I yell loudly, hoping to activate some kind of magic.
Nothing happens. "Hmm," I mutter, feeling disappointed. I really thought it would work.
I'm about to swallow the magic stone to see what happens, but then I look at the bloody deer and I wonder if words are not the trigger for the magic.
It's not like the deer said "Earth thorn!" So, how did it do it? With its mind?
I try to concentrate and imagine earth thorns coming out of the horn.
It doesn't work. "I feel stupid," I mutter.
I keep staring at the deer, wondering. Should I put the magic stone back inside the deer and include the horn?
Maybe the environment has an effect or maybe they will react differently inside its body. Maybe they will revive it or maybe they will transform it.
I carefully push the magic stone and the horn into the dead deer's chest.
Huh? I restart. How did I die?
Oh! I get it. That's interesting.
The deer looks like a porcupine, with earth spikes sticking out of its chest. They must have exploded when I pushed them in, creating a deadly blast that killed me instantly. They must have been unstable or volatile when combined and placed inside.
I didn't expect it to happen so fast.
Hard. It's very tough; it takes me minutes to dig and reach the flesh.
The earth spikes are hard and solid, making it difficult to cut through them. They are also sharp and pointy, making it dangerous to touch them.
Where? What happened to it? It's gone. Does that mean it reached its limit? Exhausted?
The magic stone is nowhere to be found, leaving no trace behind. It must have used up all its energy or power when it activated the magic, leaving nothing but these earth spikes.
Tsk. What a waste.
But it's not all bad; I learned something new.
I learned that the magic stone and the horn are fundamental in creating its magic. I figured this out by observing how the deer used its horn to cast the earth thorn spell and how the magic stone reacted when I tried to placed it back inside the body with the horn. I also learned that they have a limited amount of magic that can only be used a few times before they disappear.
Finding a magic stone shouldn't be too hard, since I seem to have a knack for finding trouble. Maybe there are more magic stones out there, waiting for me to discover them. Maybe they have different kinds of magic, like fire, water, wind, or light. Maybe they can give me more power or abilities, like the ability to control fire. Hohoho, that sounds cool.
◇
Days have gone by, but I haven't found any more magic stones. I've searched everywhere, but they seem to be nowhere. I've killed many monsters, but none of them had a magic stone inside them. Are they rare? That's too bad.
Meanwhile, I've tried various ways to improve my combat skills.
I've realized that I can't do any muscle training, which I expected. When I restart, all the muscles I've gained go back to normal. The only thing that gets better is familiarity, as I can now do some backflips with ease.
I've also attempted some magic training, but I have no clue how to start.
In anime, you have to feel it, right? That doesn't work; if I keep trying, I feel like I'll poop myself from the strain.
I guess the only way to get stronger is through fighting; though, I can't even copy the martial arts that I remembered.