Chapter 15: Satisfying REWARDS
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[**You have pending rewards for accomplishing Tasks. Would you like to view them before returning?**]
Axel hesitated for a moment, considering the notification. He knew that once he returned to Earth, more urgent matters would take precedence. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but something told him that checking these rewards now might be more beneficial in the long run. With a determined nod, he accepted the prompt.
[**Rewards**]
The first reward appeared before his eyes.
[**Full Access to the Supreme God's System**]
The name alone carried immense weight, and Axel couldn't help but feel a surge of power just reading it. A system with such a grand title had to be extraordinary. The possibilities raced through his mind, the potential to grow stronger and to harness abilities beyond his wildest imagination. But he quickly pushed aside his excitement, knowing there were more rewards to review.
The next reward popped up.
[**Deceased Touch**]
[**Touch can deteriorate all living things.**]
Axel furrowed his brow in confusion. The ability was unlike anything he had encountered before. It was cryptic, its potential still unclear. He made a mental note to experiment with this one once he returned to Earth. The idea of wielding such a power was both thrilling and terrifying.
The third and final reward appeared.
[**King of the Dead**]
[**Command those that are dead.**]
Axel's initial reaction was one of skepticism. Command the dead? He couldn't quite wrap his head around how such a skill would be useful. The image of decaying corpses, rotting flesh, and the stench of death filled his mind, making the ability seem more like a curse than a gift. Still, he understood that not every reward was a game-changer; some would be situational at best. Shrugging it off, he focused on the positive—he now had the Supreme God's System, and that alone was a significant victory.
"Take me back," Axel instructed, ready to return to his world.
[**Returning to home planet**]
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Axel's vision blurred as his surroundings shifted. When his sight cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a familiar street, right in front of the mall where the portal had first appeared. The night sky above was dark, and the street was quiet, almost eerily so. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that his sudden reappearance hadn't caused a scene. He quickly mingled with the sparse crowd, pulling his hood over his head to avoid drawing attention.
As he walked, his thoughts returned to the Fatek aliens who had killed him. He had expected to return to their ship, forced to fight his way out, stranded in the cold vacuum of space. But instead, he was here, safe on Earth. His mind raced with questions. What had happened to the Fatek? Had they broken through the portal and wreaked havoc on his city? The peaceful streets around him suggested otherwise. It seemed that whatever threat they posed had been neutralized before it could escalate. Reinforcements, perhaps? He could only hope that someone had taken care of them before the situation got out of hand.
A pang of guilt hit Axel as he thought about his family. His mother, who would be heartbroken if she knew what had happened to him. His sister, Annie, who had always been so strong despite everything they'd been through. He had to find them, reassure them that he was alive and well. But first, he needed to clean up, blend in. His clothes were torn and bloodied from the battle on the Fatek ship, making him look more like a vagrant than the warrior he had become.
'I need a change of clothes,' he thought, making his way down the familiar streets on foot. Without any money and looking as disheveled as he did, he couldn't just walk into a store. And so, he headed towards his family home, a place he hadn't visited in what felt like an eternity.
As he approached the large, well-kept house, memories of his childhood flooded back. This was the home he had grown up in, a place filled with laughter, love, and the occasional argument. The wooden door, polished to a shine, stood as a testament to his family's wealth—a stark contrast to the wreck he had become. He paused at the doorstep, reaching for the hidden key that was always kept in the small flower vase beside the door. To his relief, it was still there.
'Some things never change,' Axel mused as he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The house was quiet, eerily so. The air was filled with the faint scent of lavender, and everything was impeccably clean. It was obvious that no one had been here for a while. His sister was likely still at college, and his mother was probably in the hospital, leaving him alone in the house. Axel made his way up the stairs, heading straight for his old room. It was just as he had left it—walls plastered with posters of musicians, models, and gaming tech scattered across the room.
Axel wasted no time stripping off his ruined clothes and stepping into the bathroom. The hot water was a welcome comfort, washing away the grime and blood that had clung to him. As he looked down at his body, he noticed something strange—his physique had changed. Where once there had been softness, there was now muscle, lean and defined. It was a stark reminder of how far he had come, how much he had changed.
After his shower, Axel dressed in a dark, long-sleeved turtleneck and a pair of black jeans. The clothes fit perfectly, hugging his new form in all the right places. He frowned at the jeans, which were uncomfortably tight in certain areas, but shrugged it off. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, and he knew he needed to eat.
"A man without food is like a gamer without a controller," Axel muttered to himself as he made his way back downstairs.
[**I thought no food meant death.**]
Axel rolled his eyes at the notification, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. Just as he reached the kitchen, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Axel?"
He froze, his heart skipping a beat. Turning slowly, he saw her—Annie, his little sister, standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face. She looked as if she had seen a ghost, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Annie!" Axel's voice cracked with emotion as he rushed towards her. She ran to him, throwing herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. He held her tight, feeling her small frame shake with the force of her emotions.
"Big brother... I-I thought you were dead! I saw you die!" Annie's voice was choked with tears, her hands clutching his shirt as if afraid he might disappear again.
Axel's heart broke at her words, the pain she must have endured weighing heavily on his conscience. He stroked her hair, trying to soothe her, even as his own tears threatened to spill over. "I'm here now, Annie. I'm not going anywhere."
Annie continued to cry, her tears soaking into his shirt. Axel felt a surge of guilt for putting her through so much pain. He wished he could take it all back, erase the memories of his death from her mind. But he couldn't. All he could do was be there for her now, to reassure her that he was alive, that everything would be alright.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry for making you suffer."
Annie didn't say anything, her sobs gradually subsiding as she clung to him. Axel held her close, vowing silently to protect her, no matter what.