The shadow wolf tried to bite my ankle, luckily I maneuvered my way out. Then pouring Mana in the leg; kicks the wolf - it explodes black dust. Some of it getting on my face yuck!
"Blew! The taste is horrible." Spitting out some of the dust that went to my mouth. Once I had leveled up to one fighting these wolves were getting easier especially with Mana Reinforcement it was a piece of cake. A neat thing I learnt is I can pour more Mana thus strengthening it more and can use Mana Reinforcement on objects not just my body part, had to use this on a rock while fighting five of these things.
Walking down these dungeon halls my once excitement and terror had gone down a bit. Everywhere practically looked the same. Aside from the occasional doors, all of them had the same interior.
There was another of these shadow wolves coming down the hall - growling in rage. Instantly I poured in Mana, readying my fist. When the wolf jumps on my face I strike. Hitting this monster with my Mana enchanted fist instantly killing it.
Dusting off all the black dust on my clothes I continued walking forward. It was getting frustrating from the previous experience. It was obvious time flows differently here - here time is much faster compared to outside the dungeon. I have to finish here quickly!
"Hey System, why the hell did you make time here flow much faster than outside?" The System's screen appears right in front of me.
[JUST AS A BABY TURTLE'S VERY FIRST BREATH IS NOTHING BUT DANGER, YOUR FIRST STEP IN UNLOCKING YOUR POTENTIAL WILL BE DANGEROUS. THE GREATEST ENEMY IS STAGNATION]
I felt one of my veins pop. "You know I'm not a turtle right?" I showed the System my back to make my point.
[FAILURE AND CHALLENGE ARE THE TWO GREATEST TEACHER ANYONE COULD HAVE]
Ugh never mind, sometimes talking to the System is like talking to a brick wall - like whenever I try to have a proper conversation with it; it'll devolve into lecturing me about lessons. It's so annoying god I hope the boss is near here.
I saw two massive giant green doors. It was four times bigger and wider too. Closely looking at the material it must've been made out of stone. "Hey System, is this the boss room?" I said.
[Affirmative, the boss you'll be fighting is a level 4 boss named 'Kumagna' the Spider Mist Demon. I recommend the utmost caution]
"It sounds scary, especially since it's a spider! Those hell spawns freak me out." I hold myself together shivering how gross and creepy looking they are. Because it's a boss the Spider must've been gigantic.
I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. "Come on Jackson, you can do it!" I stretch my arms, jumping around a bit to make my heart beat faster.
"Let's do this!" I push the two doors to reveal a majestic massive crystal cave - all around the cave were precious looking crystals shining. It lit the entire cave, they were growing everywhere at the side of the walls and the ceiling too.
Woah, it looked so beautiful. I walked in the room admiring the crystal but I noticed something strange. Where was the boss?
The loud thud of the doors slamming shut - I turned and saw it.
Just above the door where I had entered was the giant purple tarantula sticking on the walls - its eyes colored entirely green and where glowing, body releasing this mist from itself - this thing looked like a demon straight from hell. It made a clicking noise and jumped from the wall landing in front of me.
It's two most prominent green eyes staring right directly to my soul.
"Oh shit . . . " I whispered to myself. This thing made more aggressive clicking noise - slammed its giant thick leg into my body sending flying to a wall.
Crap! - once again the image of a sword getting unsheathed replayed in my mind. My Mana coursing in my - pouring all of it to my back.
[+6 in Defense]
I crashed into the wall, it made a giant explosion of dust - I laid there curling up in pain, oh god it hurt so badly but at least I wasn't bleeding right? - on the ground I saw droplets of blood, oh fuck I am really bleeding.
I touched my forehead where the blood was coming from, it sting when I touched it - well crap . . .
I got back up dusting off all the dust - gotta be more careful this thing will kill me. The Spider creature seemingly roared as it made more of those clicking sounds but more louder and aggressive - then charging right to me!
"Shoot!" Pouring Mana into my legs I I ran to a different place.
[3+ in Speed]
I slid across the cave - the entire cave seemingly shook as the Spider slammed into the wall. I look back to see the Spider getting up from the w
hole it created and jump towards me!
I kept running as I heard the creature landing behind me. "Fuck how am I suppose to beat this thing!"
[DO YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANT?]
"Yes please! Like I really need it now!" As I said that I heard the deafening roar of the Spider chasing me. I put more Mana in my legs to boost my speed further.
[+6 in Speed]
[VERY WELL THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME I'LL ASSISTANT YOU IN BOSS FIGHTS - THE WEAKNESS OF KUMAGNA IS ITS EYES, BLIND IT THEN IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY DIE]
Well great how am I supposed to blind it when - wait a minute. One of the crystals that were growing on the wall was gigantic, even more than the Spider! An Idea formed in my head.
I ran to it and once I'm there I reinforced my arms.
[+3 in Strength]
[+3 in Defense]
[+3 in Speed]
Pushing my finger into the crystal - it was surprisingly easy - it felt like clay. I climbed up the crystal, while half was to the top I heard the roars of the Spider - good it noticed me now.
Once I was on the top I looked back to see the Spider charging right at the crystal, slamming its forehead into it. This made the crystal shake and I almost fell off but luckily I was able to balance myself and thankfully the crystal didn't fall. Seeing how its plan didn't work it began to climb the crystal - good.
I broke a piece of the crystal, a very jagged and sharp piece. Pouring all my Mana into it increases its power and durability. I looked down seeing it almost reaching me - this was the final part of my plan. I jumped.
Landing on the Spider's giant face I slam the Mana reinforce crystal into its eye; the green colored eye pops akin to a balloon popping, its liquid inside splash all over me but I don't. I continue to stab the other eye as fast as I can.
The Spider roared once again charging to the wall - I couldn't escape and was crushed between these two forces. I cough out something, tasting the iron taste to blood running out of my mouth - oh shit.
The Spider backed off and fell to the ground, it look like it was exhausted like me - crap! Everything hurts - but this didn't stop me I use the wall as support standing up I limp over to the downed Spider.
I stared at this thing, it looked pathetic: It simply laid there making small squeaky clicking sounds. It once vibrant green eyes now desaturated and only one remains, it wasn't producing more of that most, it was gone all together.
I raise the sharp crystal piece and didn't stab it.
[WHY ARE YOU HESITATING PLAYER?]
"I don't know System it feels so wrong?" I said putting down the crystal piece and laying on the Spider.
[I DO NOT UNDERSTAND PLAYER WHY IS WRONG? YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING]
"It just feels wrong to kill an animal that's just following it's instincts. Heck! From it's point of view I'm basically intruding into its home." I rubbed my forehead to sooth the pain.
[KUMAGNA TRIED TO KILL YOU PLAYER, IT IS ONLY RIGHT YOU SHALL DO THE SAME. I DESIGN THE BOSS TO BE SPECIFICALLY KILLED]
"It doesn't even have free will, it's not this thing fault that it tried to kill me." I said. I didn't know what to do - looking at the almost died creature just make me fill sad.
[WHAT ABOUT YOUR REASON TO FIGHT? IS YOUR CONVENTION THAT WEAK YOU WON'T KILL THIS INSIGNIFICANT BUG?]
"I can't do it! Act of killing disgust me, I feel like I'm some kind of murderer." I said.
[THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?]
"I don't know, maybe I can complete the quest without killing it?" I said. Trying to think of away without killing this thing.
[IF YOU'RE TRULY INCAPABLE OF KILLING IT, THEN WHY WERE YOU ABLE TO KILL THE WOLVES?]
"I guess because they barely have any sentient, kinda like cockroaches." I said, I don't know why but killing this thing just seems wrong.
[PLAYER IS THE ACT OF KILLING EVIL TO YOU?]
"Well yeah my big sis said so." She had always said to me those who took innocent lives are the scum of the earth and we should protect all life.
[PLAYER IT'S NEITHER GOOD OR EVIL. JUST AS A PREDATOR HUNTS PREY FOR SPORTS, A MOTHER SHALL DEFEND HER BABIES FOR THEIR SAFETY. KILLING ISN'T WHAT DEFINE IT, YOU DO]
"I . . . I think . . . Maybe you're right and I'm being an idiot." I said feeling stupid.
[NO A LESSER MAN WOULD HAVE BLINDLY FOLLOW ANY ORDER WITHOUT QUESTION, IT IS A SIGN OF GROWTH IF YOU QUESTION AND ADAPT]
Standing up, I pointed the crystal piece at the Spider. "Goodbye . . . " Thrusting the crystal piece into its eye - oddly enough it didn't scream or struggle; It just laid there accepting its fate.
[!CONGRATULATIONS!]
The screen appeared right in front of me, on the bottom was a option called 'reward'. I pressed it and a bright line shine in front of me. "Crap that's bright!" Soon the light fade and I was able to see again - loads of ping suddenly goes off.
[PLAYER HAS RECEIVED THE ITEM 'JACKET OF AVALON']
[PLAYER HAS RECEIVED THE SKILL 'CRITICAL STRIKE']
[CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE LEVELED UP TO FOUR!]
[+9 points]
I'M LEVEL FOUR NOW AWESOME! . . . . ?
"What the heck?" I muttered to myself - there was this hoodie I was holding. It kinda look cool: it was primarily colored white but the upper part and the shoulders were colored black. There was two orange streaks near the shoulders.
"Is this my reward?" I said.
[AFFIRMATIVE ALONG WITH BOOSTING YOUR DEFENSE BY FIVE IT ABILITY IS TO SEE THE LEVEL OF OTHER LIFE FORMS]
"That's pretty useful." I took off my shirt and put on the hoodie, it felt comfortable and perfectly fit me - oh yeah I got a new skill.
Checking my inventory I saw the skill.
-Critical Strike-
"Hey System, how do I access this? Do I need to say the name or something?" I said - this skill sounds interesting.
[YOU CAN USE ANY SKILL JUST AS YOU USE MANA REINFORCEMENT]
"Oh ok." The image appeared in my mind - a sword being unsheathed.
Then I felt it - a surge of power coursing through my arms, it was amazing! Nothing like I had experienced before, I feel ten times as strong!
Opening my eyes I saw my right forearm was on fire; though it wasn't really on fire as my arm isn't burning to a crisp. Plus this flame was an azure blue colored - having a tint of purple mix in there.
"So freaking cool!" I squealed like a little girl but I didn't care, it's so cool! It was like having an actual anime power in real life, this blows Mana Reinforcement out of the water!
[10x Strength]
Wait, this multiples my strength by ten! So with my strength being three plus Mana reinforcement adding another three and then multiple by this my strength can potentially be sixty!
I punch the air a couple of times - getting a good feel of it; I feel powerful.
"Hey System, can I go back now?" I shouldn't stay here to long or else Lucian will be worried.
[AS YOU WISH PLAYER]
Then all around me cracks formed on the walls - even in the air too like the fabric of reality was starting to break; more and more of these cracks appeared until reality itself seemingly broke apart, shattering like glass - I was back at the park. It was night with the moon shining between the clouds, there was no one around, just me.
"I Better get back or else Lucian will be really mad," I jug back to Lucian's house hoping she won't be too mad!
_____________________________
"You ready?" Lucian said stretching her arms and legs - she wasn't wearing her typical white coat outfit but instead gym clothes. A tight crop top giving little to the imagination and yoga pants.
"Yeah ready as I'll ever be." I was wearing just a plain black shirt and gray pants. I had put the jacket of Avalon in the closet for now, I don't really need it now. I couldn't help myself but stare at Lucian's gorgeous curve figure, I feel my insides heating up just seeing her.
"Ok Jackson, today we'll have a sparring session, I wanna see how skilled you are."
"Well to be honest Lucian I've never won a fight against someone, so I might totally suck" a small nervous chuckle escaped my mouth - technically speaking I won against the dungeon monster but I really won by sheer power and luck, not with fighting skill which I suck at . Lucian gave me a bright smile. "Don't worry so much, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time. Believe it!" She gave me a cheerful thumbs up.
"I wish I could have some of your enthusiasm."
"Well ok, enough chit chat let's fight!" She put her arms up ready to throw hands.
Well ok I ran immediately at her throwing a right hook at her face, She dodge instantly and was about to uppercut me! I close my eyes waiting for the hit . . . Yet nothing happened, what?
"Tip one I suggest you shouldn't try any obvious attacks and don't always be near the opponent, be sure to have some distance so they wouldn't do what I did." Lucian backed away from me.
"Got it." I nodded and backed away too. I Put up my arms Readying myself.
"Let's start round two!"
Instead of attacking immediately I waited for her to come, she must've read my intention because she ran up to me giving me a left hook to the face - I dodge it and throw another punch at her. She dodge it by leaning on the right! I throw my right arm at her.
In a split second I saw her eyes widened before she ducked underneath my right arm - grabbing my arm she then was about to knee my stomach! I close my eyes hoping she won't be too painful. I didn't feel my stomach exploding or air escaping from my mouth, peeking. I saw Lucian's knee was an inch away from my stomach. Thank god . . . .
"Good job Jackson, that caught me by surprise." She said, then patting my head.
I fell to the ground exhausted.
"You ok? Wanna go again or take a break." She said, I shook my head again.
"No, I wanna train more!"
"Well ok come on!" She said.
An hour or so we kept going at her for an hour or so training, by training I mean getting my ass handed to me. Every time I attacked her she always blocked it, dodge, or counter it. But I didn't give up and continued to stand and fight. Fall on the floor mat beyond exhausted - all over my body was covered in pain and sweat. Oh god I'm wasted . . .
" . . . I'm done. I need a break . . . " I said, air escaping from my mouth.
"Ok, we'll end today's training session." Lucian said sitting down- right next to me compared to me, who looks like a total mess. She looked all fine and wasn't even sweating.
"So how did I do? Probably bad." I let out a nervous laugh, expecting her to berate me like my parents . . .
"Honestly you did great!" She said, giving me a cheerful smile. What!
"H-how? You handed my ass to me."
"Jackson I don't expect you to be a master at fighting, you're just learning it's normal to be this bad. But from what I saw your stance is pretty good and despite you having no muscle; you were pretty strong and fast," She said.
"Thanks a lot Lucian," Guess the reason why I was strong was because of my strength stats being high. Speaking of it, I had increase my stats in Speed by six, my defense for two, and strength by one. I had neglected to increase my strength stat because with Critical Strike and Mana Reinforcement I'm already strong, therefore, increasing my speed, and defense were my priority.
"Oh right have you choose what Arcane School you'll be attending?"
"Well out of the four, I guess Arcane Academy," I said.
"Arcane Academy huh, that's convenient because I'm also attending there," She said.
"Wait really?"
"Yep I'm a third year," She said, "And the current President of the student body!" She puffed her chest in pride.
I applaud for her, "Nice this means you can help me."
"You bet I'll spoil you like a princess hehehe," She let out a sily laught.
"That's embarrassing," Though I wouldn't mind it.
"Well then let's train really hard since the examination to get in Arcane Academy is really hard." She stand up bouncing really energetic.
"Well alright." In the coming fight I lost immediately.
__________________________________
[Name: Jackson Maverick]
Level: 4
Title: Incel|Loser
[STATS]
Points: 0
Strength: 4
Speed: 10
Defense: 5
Mana: 5
Calamity Point : 100
[SKILLS]
---
---
---
-Critical Strike-
-Mana Reinforcement-
[QUEST]
[SHOP]
__________________________________