Alex followed Alexius, who was now trotting ahead of him with lazy confidence, the cat's small paws making barely a sound against the rocky path. They had been walking for a while now, moving deeper into the mountainous region just outside the city. The air was cool and crisp, the towering trees lining their path creating long shadows as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.
"This better not be another wild goose chase," Alex muttered under his breath, watching as Alexius led the way with a smirk that, even in his cat form, managed to be infuriatingly smug.
"Trust me, kid," Alexius purred without even turning around, "You're going to like this one. It's hidden, untouched, and full of low-level creatures. Perfect for someone like you who still needs to work on his basic stats."
Alex frowned, casting a wary glance at the dense forest surrounding them. He had been training relentlessly since the system had been introduced to him, but this was different. This was an actual gate—an unstable rift that linked their world to another dimension. These gates often brought dangerous, unpredictable alien creatures into the world, and many of them hadn't been found yet. Which, according to Alexius, was exactly what they were looking for.
They finally reached a clearing. It was unremarkable at first glance—just another patch of uneven ground, surrounded by rocks and trees. But as Alexius came to a halt, he looked up at Alex with a gleam in his eyes. "There."
Alex's eyes narrowed as he focused on the space in front of them. It took him a moment, but then he saw it—a faint shimmer in the air, barely visible unless you knew exactly where to look. It was a gate, hidden away from the rest of the world, undetected by the Hunter Association's usual scanning methods.
"Lower-level dungeon," Alexius explained. "Creatures range from E to C rank. Not particularly dangerous for a pro, but enough to help you level up and get some real experience."
Alex took a deep breath. He felt a strange sense of anticipation building inside him. "What's inside?"
"E-rank ant-like creatures, D-rank wolves, and C-rank monsters," Alexius listed casually. "Should be good enough to give you a solid workout."
Alex nodded, a determined look settling on his face. He hadn't fully tested himself yet, but if this gate was as manageable as Alexius said, it would be the perfect opportunity to do so. He had to get stronger, and he had to do it fast.
He stepped forward, feeling a strange pull as the gate's energy responded to his presence. The shimmering space seemed to ripple, and with one last glance at Alexius—who simply stretched out lazily on a nearby rock, clearly planning to watch from the sidelines—Alex walked through the gate.
The air shifted immediately, growing heavier and thicker. The landscape inside was different, more rugged, and dangerous. Jagged rocks jutted out from the ground, and the dark sky above gave the place an eerie, twilight-like ambiance.
He didn't have long to take in the scenery before he heard the first rustling sounds. From behind a cluster of boulders, several ant-like creatures skittered into view. They were each about the size of a large dog, their hard exoskeletons gleaming in the low light as they scuttled toward him with surprising speed.
Alex quickly summoned his system display, seeing the familiar stats pop up in front of him. His hands clenched into fists, his heart steadying as he braced for the fight.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath, "let's see how far I've come."
With a sudden burst of movement, the first lunged at him, mandibles snapping. Alex sidestepped swiftly, his reflexes honed from his recent training. He slammed his fist into the creature's side, cracking its armor with the force of the blow.
"Not bad," he heard Alexius call from the distance. "But remember, there are more of them. Don't get cocky!"
More of the creatures began to emerge from the shadows, their numbers growing as they circled him. But Alex didn't flinch. His mind was sharp, his instincts sharper. He had faced worse in his previous life, and now, with the training system enhancing him, he was ready.
One by one, the creatures fell. Alex moved fluidly through the horde, his strikes precise and powerful. His stamina was tested as more waves of enemies came, but each time, he felt himself getting stronger and more confident.
After what felt like an eternity, the last of the ant-like creatures collapsed to the ground, defeated. Alex stood among the fallen, panting lightly but unscathed.
"Well, look at you," Alexius said, padding over to him with a satisfied smirk. "You might just survive this after all."
"Is that it?" Alex asked, wiping the sweat from his brow. But as soon as the words left his mouth, a low growl echoed from deeper within the dungeon.
From the shadows, larger figures began to emerge—D-rank wolves, their eyes glowing in the dim light, their fangs bared in a menacing snarl. Behind them, something even bigger lurked in the darkness.
Alex's heart raced as he realized the real challenge had only just begun.
"Looks like round two," Alexius said calmly, settling himself back down on his rock. "Good luck, kid."
Alex squared his shoulders and readied himself for the next fight, feeling the weight of his new reality pressing down on him. But this time, there was something else as well—an unfamiliar sense of excitement.
For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.
*****
Alex barely had a moment to catch his breath before the wolves charged at him. Their eyes glowed an eerie yellow in the dim light, and their movements were swift and coordinated. The largest of the pack lunged first, aiming for Alex's throat with its fangs bared.
He barely dodged, the wolf's teeth grazing his shoulder as he twisted away. Another wolf was on him in an instant, slashing at his abdomen with its claws. Pain shot through him as he felt the sharp claws tear through his flesh, the wound burning with each movement.
"Damn it," Alex hissed, stumbling back, clutching his side. Blood seeped through his shirt, and his breath came in ragged gasps.
The wolves circled him, sensing his momentary weakness. Alex tried to focus, but his body wasn't responding as it should. His limbs felt sluggish, and his strength wasn't what it had been in his previous life. He was a kid again—despite his memories, despite his experience, his body was still that of a ten-year-old.
"Move!" he commanded himself, but his muscles were slow to obey, his reflexes dulled by the unfamiliarity of this younger form. Another wolf lunged, and Alex barely managed to sidestep, swinging his fist with all the force he could muster. It connected with the wolf's snout, sending it staggering back, but the impact left his hand throbbing.
He gritted his teeth, fighting through the pain, and focused on the remaining wolves. They advanced cautiously, wary now but still ready to strike. Alex forced himself to push through the discomfort, recalling every bit of combat training he'd ever had.
"Come on," he muttered, steadying his breath. "You've been through worse."
The next attack came, and this time, he was ready. Alex ducked under the wolf's swipe, driving his elbow into its side before spinning to kick another that had tried to flank him. His movements were less fluid than he wanted, his strikes less powerful, but he compensated with precision and strategy.
One by one, he managed to take them down. The battle was grueling, each motion taxing his already exhausted body. By the time the last wolf fell, Alex was barely standing, his body trembling from exertion. He collapsed to his knees, panting heavily as the adrenaline began to wear off, the pain in his abdomen throbbing with each heartbeat.
"Damn... this body..." he groaned, pressing a hand to his wounded side. The cut wasn't deep, but it was enough to remind him of the limitations of his current form.
Alexius padded over, his eyes glinting with a mix of concern and curiosity. "You held up better than I expected," he said, his tone casual, but there was a hint of approval there.
"I barely made it," Alex retorted, frustration evident in his voice. "I keep trying to fight like I used to, but this body... it just doesn't keep up."
He leaned back against a rock, closing his eyes for a moment to steady his breathing. The wolves were dead, but the battle had taken more out of him than he'd anticipated. As he rested, flashes of unfamiliar memories flickered through his mind—vivid images of monstrous creatures, far different from the human enemies he had fought in his previous life. He saw himself, or rather, Alexius, battling these creatures with a skill and knowledge that felt both alien and oddly familiar.
"What's happening to me?" Alex murmured, opening his eyes to stare at the darkening sky above. "Why am I remembering these... monsters? I fought wars, but they were human wars. Not this."
Alexius, still in his cat form, hopped onto the rock beside him and looked at him thoughtfully. "It's the memories of the vessel," he explained calmly. "You're seeing fragments of my memories from the 397 regressions. I fought countless monsters in those lives. These memories are tied to the body you now inhabit. Sometimes, they'll bleed through."
Alex frowned, trying to process what Alexius had said. "So, these memories... they're yours?"
"In a way," Alexius replied, stretching out lazily. "They're a part of the vessel, the Alexius Harrison who lived through those 397 lives. When you took over his body, you inherited those memories, even if you weren't the one who lived them. They're like echoes, remnants of what he experienced."
Alex leaned his head back, staring at the sky as he tried to make sense of it all. The memories weren't his, but they felt real—too real. They were a constant reminder of the burden he now carried, the weight of a past that wasn't truly his.
"This... this is going to make everything more complicated, isn't it?" he said with a heavy sigh.
Alexius simply shrugged, his feline eyes narrowing as he gazed into the distance. "Complicated? Perhaps. But it also means you have the potential to become stronger, to tap into the knowledge and experience of those past lives. It's not just a burden, Alex. It's an opportunity."
Alex remained silent for a while, the pain in his side dulling as he rested. The words of the cat lingered in his mind, and despite everything, he knew Alexius was right. The memories, the training, the constant pressure—none of it was going to be easy. But if he was going to survive in this world, if he was going to protect those he cared about, he would have to embrace it all.
Alex wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished off the last of the ant-like creatures with a swift strike. The forest clearing was littered with the remains of the lower-ranked monsters they had been battling for what felt like hours. His body ached from the exertion, but he was growing stronger with each fight, slowly adapting to the limitations of his younger form.
Beside him, Alexius—still in his cat form—hopped up onto a fallen log, watching the scene with calm, golden eyes. There was something almost serene about the way the cat observed everything as if this relentless training and fighting were just another part of the journey.
As they moved on to the next area, where a pack of D-ranked wolves was rumored to be, a thought crossed Alex's mind, one that had been lingering for a while now. He glanced at Alexius, who trotted alongside him.
"Hey, Al," Alex began, his tone more serious than usual. "Don't you... regret it? Giving up everything just to fix the world?"