Even now, I can't remember what her name was, Alan thought sadly. An image of his mothers smiling face flashed through his mind. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, hanging over sharp, yet caring features. As far as he was able to recall, she had only ever been known as Mom. Even at the very end.

“HAH HAH HAAAAAH!“ The beast roared in laughter the gore it threw pelted the stunned boy, splattering him in bits of flesh and bone. The beast continued to bellow its laughter, drowning out the shrieks that the young Alan was unable to keep from releasing. The Cyclops continued it's horrific, burbling laughter as it stomped on Clarice again and again, until all that was left of her was a thick meaty paste spread out among shreds of her stained clothing.

And just like that, everything was taken from me…and I did nothing to stop it. Alan thought, feeling suddenly detached from the situation. Though the memories were harsh, and he could feel they had undoubtedly reopened old emotional scars, this scenario was something his subconscious had come to terms with long ago. He just hadn't been consciously aware of the coping process. Remembering his past was jarring to say the least, but a part of him had always known the truth.

Or, if he had been aware, he was still lacking access to wherever those specific memories were hidden away. But the angry child hiding in the shadows of his psyche, bellowing its rage at the world and everything in it was suddenly making much more sense.

Alan's thoughts were ended prematurely when his younger self sprinted to the far side of the room and ripped down the cluster of tarps acting as the wall. With tears streaming down his face, the boy took a final glance over his shoulder. For just a moment, he seemed to hesitate. But in the end, he clenched his sides, hugging himself as he screamed out a hate-filled wail.

It was too much for a child to handle. The boy fell silent as something within his mind was broken. With a blank expression, he turned and fled from the demise of his family.

Without missing a beat the Cyclops lowered down onto its stomach and began to crawl forward, arm over arm. It briefly paused to rummage around in the woman's remains where they landed, after being so carelessly tossed against the wall. After shoving a few of the largest chunks of Alan's Mom into it's gluttonous face, it continued squeezing itself further down the tunnel. The Cyclops was already in pursuit of its next meal.

Is everything that I know a lie?! Alan's mind began to race. He had so many questions spinning around in his spectral mind, that he started to feel dizzy. Does Rexus know? Has he been hiding the truth from me as well? Or have we BOTH been kept in the dark about the truth? Why did Alex keep this to himself? Why would he?? What does he have to gain from keeping me in the dark like this?

It felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him, and everything he thought he knew had been stolen while he fought to regain his footing. And instead of being the scatterbrained guardian he claimed to be, his uncle had instead chosen to continue the cycle of theft by stealing his past. Even now, Alan could sense his memories were scattered. And there were many that remained inaccessible.

But he knew without a doubt that everything he'd just witnessed was real. The reoccurring dreams that had been disturbing his sleep so much as of late were memories of his past. His subconscious had been trying to get him to recognize the truth.

Though he didn't have a a full grasp on the entire situation, Alan knew one thing for sure. He was beyond fed up with things being taken from him.

Alex, you conniving old bastard! You've got a lot of explaining to do when I get home. And if I'm not satisfied with what you tell me, I'm going to rip off your arms AND BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH THEM!!! If you won't give me answers, I will do whatever it takes to ensure you never take anything from me again.

The scene around Alan began to fade. The walls vanished first, followed by the floor. For just an instant he saw the small table hovering in the midst of a vast expanse of nothingness, and then, it too was gone. When all that remained was the void, Alan's consciousness floated in place, trying to come to terms with what he'd remembered.

His thoughts were scattered and he felt confused. He was sad, he was angry, but most of all, he was lonely. Never before had he felt so alone. He now knew without a doubt that he had no true family left. Though he still considered Rexus his brother, and loved him dearly, it just didn't feel the same anymore. There were too many variables to consider.

What if Rexus didn't feel the same way when he found out the truth? What if he no longer considered Alan a brother. Or worse yet, what if Rexus already knew what the truth was? Had he been playing along with some sick fantasy of Uncle Alex? That didn't seem likely, but he couldn't be sure of anything until confronting them.

Before he could think himself into a frenzy, Alan braced his mind, and let his distressing thoughts wash over him. He couldn't escape them, so he accepted them for what they were, categorized them, and put them away. He knew he only had half of the story, probably even less than that. Jumping to conclusions wasn't going to do anything other than make things worse, so Alan did his best to set it aside for the time being. There would be plenty of time to discover the full truth about himself after the Tutorial.

If I even live that long. He thought dejectedly.

“I'm sick of being so weak”, Alan declared hopelessly. Venting his self-hatred to the void amidst a seething flood of emotions. “I don't want to lose anything else…I'm sick and tired of being too weak to do anything. Even now, I left Su'ong all on her own against the Wyrm. And Rexus is only the Gods know where, most assuredly doing something reckless. Yet there's nothing I can do…I don't even know for certain if they're still alive.“

He was taken aback when the void spoke back. And in his Uncle Alex' voice no less.

“So here's an idea. Get stronger Alan.“ His Uncle stated from somewhere unseen, hidden within the vastness of the void. You already KNOW what you must do boy. Yet still you hesitate. The only way to assure your survival is to get so fucking strong that the Gods themselves must think twice about crossing your path. If you want to protect what matters most to you, you must be prepared to do whatever that might require of you. If the world is determined to take everything away from you, then take from it what it most cherishes!! When the world refuses to bend, THEN YOU BREAK IT INTO A HUNDRED THOUSAND PIECES AND SCATTER THE REMNANTS AMONG THE COSMOS!

“Alex?! What are you doing here? Actually, where IS here? What the fuck is going on man? Alan demanded, but either his uncle couldn't hear him, or he chose not to answer.

You say you don't want to lose anything else? Lofty goals, boy. So you plan to be a defender of the down-trodden do you?..how quaint. To truly be a protector, you must also be willing to destroy. You must not hesitate. Hesitation is for the WEAK. Regrets are for the OLD, AND THE FRAIL OF MIND. REMORSE IS FOR THE DEAD, ALAN. If you are going to be the shield behind which your allies may gather, and prosper, it will oftentimes be necessary for you to become the executioner as well. You have stepped upon the path of deathless sadness my boy. It is a path of loss, and betrayal.

You have chosen to be the wall behind which the weak may cower. Even the strongest of barriers will crack when placed under enough pressure. It is an arduous path indeed. For no matter who or what you are, it simply isn't possible to protect everything yourself Alan. This is something you have long since come to learn, I'm sure. You will have to decide when to bend to the fickle whims of Fate, to lay low and lick your wounds. It will also be squarely upon your shoulders to decide when is the time to stand firm in the face of certain annihilation. To spit in the face of your enemies, and refuse to back down. You must learn to be ruthless, while maintaining your compassion.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

You may forgive, but you can never forget my boy! For what it's worth, I'm am truly sorry Alan. Though you may never forgive me, I did what I felt was necessary, and I stand by my actions. I hope that you will eventually come to see that it had to be done...that I honestly had no other options available to me on such short notice. You are close to waking, I am nearly out of time. I will do my best to explain my actions to you in person when you return. And you WILL return. You must. Now that you have broken through the strongest of my seals, this will be the last time we talk until you make your way back home. The System doesn't suffer fools Alan, and neither do I! So straighten your spine, dust yourself off, and get back in there!

When his uncle's speech ended, Alan was left alone with his bleak thoughts. It could've been moments, or decades for all he knew. As he floated through the pitch black void, he used the time to put his thoughts together as best he was able.

He was sure he had a long hard road ahead of him, and odds were it wouldn't go as he wanted. But he had also come to realize that in a lot of ways his uncle had been correct. Or, at least mostly accurate. He DID want to be someone who could defend the weak. His sole goal in life had always been to protect his brother and rebuild his village. Suddenly that felt like a hollow shell of his true wishes.

What use was an empty town? No, he needed to find somewhere to belong. He longed for a new start. Even if that meant leaving his home-world and finding a new world altogether. But he lacked the strength, and knowledge of how to do so. He didn't even know where to start. Would Rexus be willing to abandon everything he'd ever known to rush off on what could very well turn out to be a fools errand? The surface of Terra was largely unexplored from what little information he'd been able to get out of his uncle. It usually took the system less than a minute to catch on to the dissemination of what it considered 'need to know' information.

And apparently Humans didn't need to know, because the system would step in and garble Alex' words up into unintelligible nonsense mid-sentence. And he was sometimes stuck like that for days. Sitting in his 'experimentation station' and yelling out random nonsensical obscenities until his punishment ended.

He knew he had a lot to learn before he could ever risk roaming the surface of his home world, let alone doing so while keeping Rexus' nonsense in check. He understood it wasn't an easy path he'd chosen, but he felt his resolve hardening. He would walk it to the best of his abilities. Among all the uncertainties, he found one thing to be absolute. He would never again stand transfixed by fear, and watch as someone he cared for died. Regardless of the cost. Regardless of the situation. As he uttered his silent vow, his determination grew into a blazing inferno.

I will NOT let anything else be taken from me while I still stand. I will do everything in my power to protect what matters most to me, and to destroy anything or anyone who would raise up arms against me or mine. And if that means taking on the System itself, so be it.

A pinprick of light appeared far off in the distance, and Alan had an unmistakable sense that the time had come to move on. If he was still alive, this would mean a reunion with his body, and the chaos of the Sandstone Palace Dungeon.

And if he had already died, and this had all been his brain living out one strange final fantasy, well…at least there wouldn't be anything more to worry about.

***

Alan woke up only moments after being slammed to the floor. Though his senses were slow at making a return. The first thing he noticed was a rumbling vibration coming from below. Next was the return of his hearing. He was suddenly inundated with the deafening sounds of the thunderous clashing of bodies. He heard the breaking of stone, and roars filled with anguish and hatred.

Sight and smell re-announced themselves in the form of a harsh glare and the scent of damp stone and mildew. The blood in his mouth signaled the return of taste.

Alan struggled to sit up, but he stopped when he could feel his broken ribs grating together as he moved. Well, I guess I'm not dead after all, Alan realized as he pulled his final Health Potion from inventory. He fought to keep his hands from shaking, and brought the small vial to his dry lips. He slurped down the contents, and tried to look around.

To his right was the cavern wall, and to his left, a wall of solid stone cupped him protectively. Recognizing Su'ong's still-active handiwork, he breathed a quick sigh of relief. Knowing she was still alive removed a massive weight from his chest he hadn't even known he was burdened with. He took a deep, calming breath, and pulled up his Party tab.

Alan quickly glossed over Su'ong's Statistics, and saw her health pool was hovering just over 40%. While it could've definitely been worse, what worried Alan most was her Energy Pools.

Not only was the [Vortex Shield] Alan cast on her nowhere to be seen, but Su'ong was suffering from an obscene lack of stamina. Worse than that, her Mana pool had long-since been drained. With no way to activate any further Skills or Spells, she was forced into an all-out dogfight with the Wyrm. He fought through a wave of pain-induced nausea as he scrambled to his feet, and peered over the wall Su'ong had placed in his defense.

Even now, she was willing to put herself at a further disadvantage to keep Alan safe. She continued to force her tapped out Mana pool to keep the barrier active. She was breathing deeply, her lower half wrapped tightly around her foe. Alan grit his teeth in anger when he saw she was bleeding from multiple wounds. Jagged tears lined her arms and back. All that remained of her willowy white blouse was tattered shreds of cloth, dyed the same bluish-green color of her blood.

For some reason the destruction of her clothing bothered him nearly as much as her injuries.

That shirt looked REALLY nice on her too. Alan thought, secretly mourning the loss of her revealing top as she wriggled up and positioned herself behind the Wyrms head. Su'ong had a large rock in each hand, which she used to begin hammering away at the beast's enormous red eyeball. Her fatigued strikes slowed with each swing of the heavy stones.

She's not going to last much longer at this rate, Alan realized. She's barely holding on. I refuse to let her die. I fucking refuse to be left alone in this place all over again.

Seeing his new companion in such a sad state caused something inside of him to stretch tight like a rubber band and finally snap. In that moment, he came to the conclusion that his resolve wasn't worth anything if he couldn't even protect the snake-woman literally fighting in his defense.

He remembered very intimately how being utterly powerless and outmatched had made him feel when his mom and sister died, and how that had very possibly broken his young mind. A part of him still felt weak and pathetic.

I'm done. I'm done running from fear...the way it eats me up inside…it's like a fucking cancer. I'll have no further part of it. If needs must, then I'll USE it. I'll feed all that wasted energy into my Emotional Stockpile. Why cling to a life of fear and sadness when I can just as easily fight for a future where I have friends I can depend on. Maybe even loved ones. His resolve solidified in the core of his being, becoming the beginnings of something tangible.

Remarkable! Due to your finally having shown a bit of a backbone, you have gained the (Common) Skill [Bravery]!

(C)[Bravery] Lvl 1- This Passive Skill adds a temporary boost to Attack power, and a 2% Stat bonus when the odds are stacked against you.

Boost to Attack power, and percentage of Stat bonus increase with Skill Level.

“Wow. The System really is a dick…” Alan growled as he read the description of his newest Skill. With nothing to be done about it, he shoved aside his misgivings with the obviously sarcastic Skill.

Sure, I'll probably die before ever reaching my goals, but if that's the outcome, at least it will be said that I fought for what I cared about and died for what I stood for. Because as things currently stand...I haven't ever done anything for anyone other than myself. I'm a selfish coward.

He burped up a chunk of coagulated blood and grimaced as his ribs finished knitting themselves back together. Locking his gaze on Su'ong, he replenished her [Vortex Shield]. Confident that the barrier would be enough keep her safe, if only for a minute, he then activated [Dual-Casting] and summoned a pair of [Blessing of the Wind]s.

I'll be long since dead and gone before I let you kill my only friend, Alan swore.

<”How ya holding up?“> He casually asked through Party chat as his Spells charged up.

<”Alan?! You're awake! It's about damned time. While you were resting those pretty little eyes of yours, I've been left with the task of getting the shit beat out of me by this…thing”> She paused for a moment, as if hesitant to finish her thought.

<”And Alan…I mean that quite literally I'm afraid, so...Pay attention to where you're stepping…”> She said in an embarrassed whisper.