"Damn!"
Bam!
The guy's left-hand fist hit the ground.
Blood is dripping all over his body.
"Why! Why is this happening to me!?"
He looks in front of him.
A heart-shaped bed, inside a circular rug with a magic circle embroidered in it, is in the middle of a dimly lit room, and in the middle of the expensive-looking bed.
A naked woman.
Skin made out of tree bark and white, black, and purple flower encircles her head, like a flower crown.
Her green-colored hair was majesticly scattered on the bed.
And her dead, silent eyes look at the ceiling.
She looks like a wooden doll on an erotic display.
The guy in his early-mid adulthood, slowly stood up.
"Argh!"
He painfully stood up.
His right leg and right arm are broken and he slowly moves towards the only door in the room.
The blood drip from his body but he didn't care.
"Damn! A one-time use skill… A fucking! One time use skill and I use it one that…"
He looks at the monster lying down in the bed.
"Nine years… Nine years… I was searching and searching about this skill… trying to pick the best way to use it… and I just used it on that monster."
Disappointment can be seen on his face.
"Argh…"
He dragged his body towards the door and opened it.
A plain white-themed room with a small stone podium in the middle and scattered around the room are various crates with different items on them.
Bones.
Leather.
Ores.
Metal.
Crystal.
And various weapons on a weapon rack on the side of the room.
"All this hard work, all of this… for what…"
The man kicks the red crystal lying on the ground.
"I am so unlucky… after The Descend, normal jobs slowly disappear, and the world now revolts on Champions and their abilities."
Canis looks at one of the crates and picks up some potions.
Using his teeth he removes the cover and splashes it on his right arm.
"Arghhh!!!"
Ting!
He throws the vial away.
Then he picks up another one and does the same on his right leg.
"Argghhh!"
Ting!
And lastly, he opens another one and drinks it.
Then he leans on the wall and looks at the 'treasure' around him.
Several crates of loots surrounds the room.
People can even call this place a warehouse because of the amount of loot it has.
"I did everything… everything… morals… I remove those… I don't want to be a 'nice guy' who follows the rules and takes advantage of… but why… why did I still end up here… I am not asking for a miracle… I just want my 'plan' to work…"
Canis didn't notice this.
But tears fall from his handsome face with a single deep scar across it.
All of his hard work disappeared in an instant, he felt that his world collapsed.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
*****
2014 December.
3 Years After The Descend
Canis Gaudin- 28 years old
Pwah! Pwah! Pwah!
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
Canis is inside the gym training with the punching bag.
A man came in front of him.
A black man, with a bald head and ripped body.
"Canis! You need to let your body rest too."
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
Canis is too focused on the routine.
"Resting is also needed to grow your body."
Canis shook his head and glanced at the Television in the gym.
"Heroes Of New Earth Guild leads the way to charge in a Green Rank Pillar… this will be the first time in history that we will raid a Green Rank Pillar."
Canis looks at the man.
"I cannot stop Marcus, you know that Awakening is related to your ability and current state right?"
"Do you believe that shit on TV and MeTube? Do you believe that shit load of crap?"
"There is no reason not to believe it…"
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
Canis continued.
"Look at the famous Champions right now, before their awakening they are all fit right… Look at those top mages, they are all top scholar of their generation… Did you see Owens?"
"Yeah, I know that Owens you are talking about, the famous runner right?"
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
"What ability did he get?"
Canis said while he threw several punches on the bag.
Marcus smiled and just nodded.
"Yeah, I know, I know, he gets Flash Dash and Air Breaker initially."
"See… All abilities are related to them somehow, related to who they are."
"So is this the reason you're doing this every day, pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion… so that you will have what? A fighting-related ability."
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
Sweat from Canis flew as he continued to throw those punches.
"Hehe… Phew… Phew… No harm in trying right… You will never know when you will be awakened so it is much better to prepare."
"Hmmm… you keep saying that, but you know that we have Awakening Center right… those will give you awakened abilities."
Canis shook his head.
"Marcus, didn't hear the news about that? Well, it's not actually news, but it is close to rumors?"
"Oh! Is there something about the Awakening Center that I didn't know about?"
"Anyone who will be forcibly awakened will have weak abilities compared to those who naturally awaken… well that was the rumor state thought."
"So are you going to believe it?"
"Again!!!"
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
"There's no harm in believing it, at the same time, the more time I have before awakening the more I can train."
Pag! Pag! Pag!
Bam! Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
The final blow pushes the punching bag further.
Canis walks towards the bench, picks up his white towel, and wipes away his sweat.
"By the way Canis, later the boys will go out… you know, to have a good time with some girls. Do you want to come?"
Marcus smiled and Canis could see the excitement in his eyes.
Canis was surprised at first and shook his head.
"No… sorry, but be careful alright you don't want to mess with those Champions… just go to a civilian exclusive club… dealing with Champions is troublesome."
Marc scratched the back of his head and felt confused.
"Are you not going? What did you eat? When it comes to having ladies, you are the one who leads us right to it. What happened to you?"
Canis throws the towel to Marcus' face and laughs.
"Fuck off… I don't want to get entangled with some Champions… going to the bar is just asking for trouble nowadays, just do home service like I do."
"Hahahaha! I thought you changed but I was wrong! Home Service! Hahaha! Thanks for the tip Boss!"
Marcus jokingly said.
"BOSS?"
Canis shook his head and smirked at his friend.
"Alright see you later… me and the boys will have a fun night! You will be missing out a lot!"
Canis watches his friend as he walks away from him.
*****
Knock! Knock!
The door opened and an old woman with long white hair opened the door.
"Oh! It's you, come in! come in!"
Canis can see how glad the woman was when she saw him.
"Hi Teresa, I'm just here to visit."
"Huhu… I know, I know they will be glad that someone came by to play with them."
The woman was slow to move, but she began to pick a glass of water from the counter and put it on the table in front of Canis.
Tap!
Teresa looked at the bag Canis was holding.
One is a duffle bag and the other is a big plastic bag.
"Oh!"
Canis immediately realizes that Teresa is looking at his bag.
"Here, feeds for them."
The old woman grabbed the plastic bag, and immediately her shoulder fell.
Canis wanted to help but Teresa waved her hand and nodded several times.
She picks up the plastic bag once more and carries it near the counter.
Bam!
Teresa looks at Canis with a smile.
"Now, now, If you are ready, you can come and play with them."
Canis stood up and followed Teresa along the hallway and into their backyard.
His eyes lit up.
He saw several dogs running around the area, and some of them already looked at the door and looked at him.
Canis immediately went inside.
Woof! Woof!
Woof!
Several dogs immediately run towards him.
Their tail is wagging aggressively.
"Woooah! Woah! Relax guys! I will play with all of you! Alright!"
"Hehehe~"
Teresa giggles as Canis gets swarmed by dogs.
Canis then looks from afar and notices that there are new dogs in this facility.
"Are they?"
Canis looks at Teresa with a very concerned-looking face.
"Yes… another batch came yesterday."
Teresa continued.
"Those dogs came from Champions that didn't return after the raid. Several more pets were neglected after their human died. Unfortunately, this facility cannot handle all of them, as you can see… the shelter is already full."
Canis looks at those abandoned pets with sadness in his eyes.
"More pets are getting abandoned since The Descend right?"
Teresa nodded.
With sadness in her eyes, he looks at Canis.
"But no one can blame their owner, being a Champion means you will risk yourself for money, and sometimes there are collaterals to their action… Leaving a family member behind, just like those kids."
"I know… Not just the shelter but the orphanage is increasing too."
Teresa slowly nods.
"Humans cannot resist the sweet nectar of those pillars."
Then Teresa continued.
"Well, that's not only that case… if those pillars are left unchecked then civilians like us will suffer from those 'Breaks'."
Sigh.
"You are right, This is the only thing I could do to help the family of those heroes."
Teresa said in her warm voice.
(Family ha.)
Canis thought.
He smiled and looked at the dogs around him.
He petted them constantly while talking with Teresa.
(Should I adopt one of them?)
Canis gently shook his head.
That thought always reappears on every visit to this kind of place.
(No… This is a big responsibility and I have a goal in mind right now.)
"Don't feel burdened."
Teresa said.
Canis looked at her and she smiled back.
"Bringing food and playing with them from time to time is already a big help. Please don't feel burdened."
(Food and shelter… No, what these dogs truly lack… what they truly miss is their family. Family that they can never return to…)
Canis smiled, but he still felt that he wanted to do something for these guys, Alas he couldn't think of something that he could truly do for them.
After spending several hours in the shelter.
Canis said goodbye and walked towards his home.
He moves towards the street and inside the park to cut through.
When the sky slowly turns dark.
"Eclipse?"
"Is there an Eclipse?"
People around him voice out their concerns.
"There wasn't any news about it?"
People stop what their doing and look at the sky.
(It looks like the moon is eating the sun up.)
Then when the moon completely covers up the sun.
A vibrant color gushes in the sky.
"Woooaaaaahh!!"
"Woooaahh!"
"What is that?"
People are surprised.
Canis's mouth opens wide.
"Beautiful…"
He whispered.
"Is that Aurora Borealis?"
Someone in the crowd said.
"Yeah!"
"Right Right!"
"Aurora…"
Canis didn't care, he wondered and focused on this beautiful scenery.
The darkening of the sky timed together with this colorful light.
But then…
Slowly, they saw a small light coming down from the sky.
It gently falls down on the ground and slowly disappears.
Some of those lights landed gently on Canis's shoulder.
Canis opens his palm and observes the snow-like golden light gently fall down in his palm and slowly disappear.
"What is this?"
The beautiful scenery became more beautiful and mythical because of this golden light.
"HUH!"
"WHAT!"
"WAIT!"
He heard several people voice out, and from the tone of their voices, they seemed surprised.
[Level Cap - 7]
(Huh? Level Cap 7?)
Canis eyes open wide.
(Awa…awakening? Is this the mysterious knowledge that everyone is talking about? But why… my level…)
He was still in his thoughts when this knowledge continued to flow to him.
[Ability…]
Canis eyes open wide.
(This is what I've been waiting for…)
[My Home]