It felt like an eternity of walking through streets and roads until I finally stopped at the top of a grassy hill and took a break. My legs were aching to the point they almost felt numb, I was honestly surprised I Strained myself so hard to do things when I was younger. I wonder why I came here so urgently, does this have something to do with that image I saw? After spectating for this long I still don't get anything that's happening.

I took a nervous breath in and spoke aloud.

"Set save point."

I awaited an answer...

'Save point set.'

I immediately braced myself for the pain that shot through my body in an instant, even as a spectator, the pain was unbearable, but I managed to stay grounded.

'This time I'm prepared.' The younger me spoke within his mind. As he did though, another image formed in my mind showing a bloody man in torn up noble clothes holding me in the air by my neck and forcing the breath away from me. For some reason, I had a intuitive feeling that man would soon show up at the bottom of this hill.

The cool breeze was calming in this moment though, but it felt more like the calm before a raging storm was going to approach so I enjoyed it internally as much as I could.

Trees in this distance began to fall at a rapid pace, he was moving towards the hill, I knew it. As the trees began to fall closer and closer to the bottom of the hill I was able to spot the man causing the deforestation, My intuitive feeling was correct.

"It truly is sad when someone merges with their fate, I'm not really one to talk though am I..." The words came out in a sinister tone, one that normally wouldn't suit a ten year old at all.

The breeze started to pick up, lifting my hair in ink black strands, 'It really is a good day to die,' I took a sharp breath in as the last trees standing in the man's way fell down spilling into the bottom of the hill, the grass around the man as he walked shriveled up and withered as he walked forward forming a thousand fears in my internal heart. A ghostly black aura floated from off his body accompanying his terrifying ability.

"Kid, if you know who I am then it would be wise to get out of my way." He looked up towards me with a determined look in his eyes similar to mine.

"I know who you are, but I'd rather give you the chance to announce yourself first."

"Very well then, I am Vengeance, I no longer have my fake name as I have accepted my fate in this cruel world." He finally got to the top of the hill were I stood, standing a mere moments away, the ground sizzled around him menacingly.

"And I... Am Strain!"

The red tendrils started to flood out of my body into the air as I pulled out a dagger and slashed a clean wound across his chest. After attacking him I leaped back and prepared myself.

'Set save point!'

'Save point set.'

The pain seared through my body causing me to cough up blood, this time the pain was far worse than before, every cell in my body could feel the overflow of pain in an instant. But, even while experiencing some of the worst pain I've ever felt in an instant I stood focused, my mind had only one objective in this moment, Strain.

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Vengeance took a quick step forward and though I tried to dodge the sudden movement his hand brushed my left arm. My eyes widened in shock as a flaming pain added to the overflow of sensations jetting through my body. I quickly realized that the arm he had briefly touched was almost entirely gone, a sparking heat running through my open wound. And I finally realized what his ability truly was. His hands and arms emitted an unnatural heat that only effects living things around him. The areas around the trees he touched like rocks seemed to have been completely unphased by his power. even from a distance grass is burned and charred if his hands are near it. So, the name of the game, is to not get hit.

I realized that the thought I just had felt like it was merged with the thoughts of the younger me. It gave me a similar feeling to when the images from before were forced onto me, it seemed I still had no control over my body though. It seems like the younger me has encountered Vengeance before, probably in a previous life, which gave him pieces of information he put together just barely.

Vengeance was bleeding profusely out of the wound I inflicted. He glared towards me with a gleaming hatred clearly forming within him.

"It seems I underestimated you... I won't hold back now!" He burst towards me reaching his arm out to grab me.

I wasn't prepared enough in the moment...

A hot searing pain is the last thing I felt before my vision went dark...

...

I opened my eyes returning to my last save point.

Once again the incomparable pain from before coursed through my body causing me to cough up blood and use every last bit of my will power to stay focused. 'If I just avoid his arms then I can finish this fight fast.' My thoughts strangely blended together with my younger self's again.

Vengeance took a quick step forward but this time I was prepared. I swiftly moved to the left away from his hand and plunged my dagger into his side as a counter attack. He yelled out in pain and tried to reach for me, I yanked my dagger out of his side and barely managed to dodge his sudden movement.

His flaming gaze intensified, I was prepared for another grab but this time he went for a kick. He struck directly in my stomach making me lose my breath and knocking me to the floor. He reached down towards me and once more, I couldn't react.

Hot pain...

...

I opened my eyes and returned to my last save point more determined than ever.

Again, the pain was unbearable... I dodged his initial step forward and grab with intense precision moving to his side and stabbing him, I quickly then yanked my dagger out of his body and perfectly dodged his next reach towards me. He moved toward me and I could see the anger built up within his eyes clear as day, he went for a kick just like I thought and I moved to the right this time giving me time to get rid of one of the threats.

With a clean motion his arm was sliced clean off... It fell to the ground slowly as Vengeance realized what I had done. His aura expanded in an instant as he swiped to hit me with his other arm.

"You've lost your composure." I stared him deep in the eyes as his arm was thrust forward and he grabbed my neck with a tight hold.

However, in this moment, a new ability to cope with the new circumstance was formed within me. The tendrils of my aura flooded out of my body as my face changed into a sinister grin.

'New ability gained: Absorb:

If you reach a certain threshold of pain over multiple lives or in a single moment you can absorb the energy of whatever caused you that pain and release it in a spontaneous explosion you aren't affected by.'

Vengeance watched in horror and confusion as his ability's energy was absorbed into my aura and I put a hand up in front of his face and before he could react a crimson red explosion spontaneously combusted out of my hand vaporizing his body within seconds of being hit with the blast.

The pain finally subsided, I fell to my knees and closed my eyes to enjoy the calm after the storm.

'Set save point.'

'Save point set,'

I internally prepared myself for the pain to come but nothing happened. I wonder why I hid this from myself, why would I want to forge-

"That was quite impressive, Strain."