The silence following Jack and Flora’s departure was deafening. It was overwhelming.

Did I do the right thing?

But what else was he supposed to do after seeing them on the streets? Ignore them after everything he went through? David was sure he was mistaken when he saw them from the third floor, but that wasn’t the case. David…had to visit them. He had to see how they would react…and respond accordingly.

Maybe I could have done some things differently…but what does it matter now?

David wasn’t perfect. He would probably never be.

His eyes momentarily trailed to the cans of food and beverages before turning to the headless Infected. A bad headache crept up the back of his mind, but David tried suppressing it.

“Using a Tier-1 Skill Rune has been an…interesting experience,” He murmured.

It cost much more holy power than expected, draining his Holy Sea again, and had been mentally taxing, but the power output was much better than expected. Even if [Holy Touch] wasn’t an ‘offense’ Skill Rune, it enhanced David’s power.

Nonetheless, the headache assaulting him after using [Holy Touch] for a quarter of a second was quite severe. How was he supposed to use [Holy touch] in battle if he couldn’t keep it active for a full second without dying from a fried brain? That didn’t make any sense. There had to be a better way to use [Holy Touch].

If not, David might as well not use [Holy Touch] at all. Not in battle, at least. It was an unknown variable. A threat to his life if used at the wrong moment.

What can I do?

He cocked his head to the side and went through the last notifications as the headache got worse.

That might be worth a try.

David nodded slowly and moved his intent to use his Attribute Point.

[One Attribute Point has been used to enhance the User’s Mind.]

Low(Basic) → Low(+)(Basic)

The headache vanished almost instantly, leaving David satisfied. Somewhat.

“I had to enhance Mind to remove the strain on my mind. That makes sense…somewhat. Using a Skill Rune of a higher Tier means I can wield more potent power. That – probably – puts a heavy toll on my mind and body, depending on the Skill Rune’s effect,” David murmured to himself, “I expected [Holy Touch] to put a toll on the Holy Sea, or my body when its power surged to my hand, but not my mind.”

David ignored the headless Infected, the arrows sprawled next to the couch, or Jack’s backpack lying there ownerless. He removed his backpack, put it next to the other backpack, and sat on the sofa.

So…what do we have here? My Holy Sea is larger than before because my Soul stat increased. The Holy Sea recovers holy power faster than before as well. However, to use my Skill Runes, I do not only need enough holy power, but also need…concentration? Mental power?...what is it called?

David recalled how exhausted he had been after using his Skill Runes the first few times. It got better as he used [Cleanse] and [Cure Wounds] more often, but the strain was always there. It never disappeared.

Flora’s condition after using [Mana Bullet] several times in a row was never pleasant either.

That was enough proof to validate one theory; Using Skill Runes required an adequate Mind stat.

The more potent the Skill Rune, the more mentally challenging it is to activate the Skill Rune. Does that mean I would have died if I’d fused and used [Draining Touch]?

An image of his head bursting apart crept up in his mind. David shuddered and shook his head.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Whoever is responsible for replacing [Draining Touch] with [Holy Touch]... Thanks, buddy!”

After increasing Mind, David noticed several things. His senses were more focused on the details in the vicinity, but it might also be his mind finally learning how to sort everything his senses were taking in. David had also a much easier time remembering events of the past. His memory was never bad, but it improved considerably with Mind’s enhancement.

How long can I use [Holy Touch] before the skill-splitting headache torments me again?

That was worth testing, but David didn’t have enough holy power to experiment. That being said, he got up again. Since his Holy Sea naturally replenished energy, David chose to spend his time more efficiently.

The first thing he did was to secure the perimeters. He thoroughly checked every corner on both floors and was glad to find no Infected or survivors in the house. Once the house was clear, David moved to the entrance. He walked outside first, but there were no unwelcome guests or surprises like the other Infected.

He moved some furniture around, blocking the entrance with the refrigerator, a wardrobe, and the couch. It wasn’t enough to block several uncommon Infected, Kobolds, or the like, but it would make enough noise to warn David even as he climbed the flight of stairs to the second floor with the backpacks.

David walked back and forth a few times to collect all the cans and other goods before he nestled in the bedroom. A large window connected him to the backyard, which had to be enough in case of an emergency.

It took a while to finish everything, but David opened a Coke and a can of ravioli to quench his thirst and fill his stomach.

What am I going to do now? My parents are too far away to reach by foot. I could try to short-circuit a car or motorcycle, but driving around will attract Infected, Kobolds, or worse. The creatures coated in lighting from earlier were fast…too fast if you have to drive through an earthquake-ridden region.

David was deep in thought, his fork poking into the can of ravioli. It was cold and not as pleasant as the food from the last few years, maybe even decades, but it was food and filled him.

William and Basti should be fine. These bastards were probably waiting for something like that. Felix…I don’t know about him. As for everyone else, they’re probably dead.

Even if it sounded harsh and heartless, David didn’t have high hopes for most of his friends. Most of them were friends of convenience in the first place. They liked his money, his parents’ money, to be precise. David never bothered pushing them away, hoping being around them would fill his heart with excitement, but that wasn’t it.

David understood that. Now.

I can see Felix picking the Mage Class. He’s smart and won’t suffer as much from mental exhaustion as other Mages. He did some martial arts too, so maybe he will be fine.

Thinking about his friends did not necessarily help David, but it prepared him for the inevitable. Maybe all of his friends were dead already. Even if his friends were still alive, they wouldn’t have stayed at home. David would have a hard time finding them.

I let our fates decide whether we will meet again. If they’ve survived, we will meet again sometime. I’m certain!

That thought put aside, David still had no plan. Or did he?

After thoroughly considering his options, David put the empty cans aside. He then rechecked his Holy Sea to confirm that he had enough holy power and activated [Holy Touch].

David closed his eyes tightly and focused on the mind space. He watched as tendrils of holy energy channeled into the Skill Rune of [Holy Touch], empowering the Skill.

One second…

His holy power evaporated much faster than it would have if he’d used his other Skill Runes, but David kept it going.

Two seconds…

A light headache formed in the back of his head. It crept to the front and grew more intense.

Three…barely three seconds.

David slumped onto the bed, forced to stop due to holy power scarcity and the distinct fear of his brain melting.

He had no idea what happened on the outside, but what he saw while [Holy Touch] was actively used was enough to put a smile on his face.

A plan formed in his head.

A plan filled with pain and torture.

But even more important: It was a plan filled with excitement.

The first day of the integration into the Pantheon was filled with chaos, death, and destruction. David learned a lot, not only about the new system and the changes happening to the world, but also more about himself. The desires rooted deep inside him were finally unraveled, but he was just getting started.

It was only the first of many layers to discover who he truly was and what he wanted.

David understood that. He also comprehended the meaning of taking a step back to understand the bigger picture better.

That was precisely what he did. He took a step back and got started with his plan.