My eyes fluttered open, I lay in my bed dazed as to what happened. My mind was numb as the silence washed over me. I looked around and realized I was in my armor, I ran my hand through hair...or at least I tried to. I looked at my arm in confusion before the final part of the battle came crashing back into my mind. My arm isn't there, all that's there is empty space, I stare off into space. How was supposed to fight? I'm a cripple, I've useless. Tears fall to the stone floor, I wasn't even strong. That was one enemy. What if there were 2 or more? What if next time "The King" sends someone stronger? I would be powerless to do anything. 

"Alex?" I look up with tears still flowing from my eyes. I say nothing as I stare at the air. 

"I'm sorry Alex I'm sorry" Why was she apologizing? I open my mouth to speak, my voice sounds dehydrated and course. 

"Stop apologizing" My tears stop, my mind was still numb from well everything.

  "It's my fault its all my fault, I couldn't do anything. all I could do was watch. All I could do was watch as that monster ripped your arm off. I could only watch as..as he almost killed you."  I say nothing as I pick up myself and carry myself to the door. My bones were still broken and hurt like hell but nothing could hurt more than hearing someone you care about cry. No torture could match up to the sound of your loved ones in pain. My heart got stuck with a pang of sadness, while I was only in pain it was purely physical, Victoria had to endure watching me fight to the death. All while she could do nothing. I carry myself to her gem. 

  "Stop crying you stupid girl, My sole purpose is to protect, to guard. If I do my job then I'm bound to get hurt. So stop crying, it would shatter my heart to see you get injured, or worse killed" I shoved the demons of Depression down. If I was going to comfort her then weakness was not allowed. 

  "It's not your fault that I was weak. It wasn't and never will be your fault. My injuries come from my weakness if I'm not strong enough to protect you and my body, then ill sacrifice my body for you to be safe" 

"It's my fault, if I could have helped you, you wouldn't have become a cripple" My eyes harden as I say my next sentence.

  "Yes, I'm now a cripple, I won't ever be as strong as I could be. My strength is now limited, but all that means is that I just need to train harder. I need power, no I want power. I want enough power to protect, I want enough power to be safe, I want enough power to never need more power." She stops crying and starts calling down. I force a smile onto my face, "It's going to be ok", a lump forms in my throat, I desperately wanted to believe that. That everything was going to be fine, that all my troubles would disappear. hahaha My head swings around, Am I hearing things? I really need to stop passing out. Its messing with my head. 

  "B...but" Even as a dungeon core, she's still a girl at heart...Soul? Whatever. 

Stolen novel; please report.

  "No buts, if I'm weak now, ill just become stronger." I need to become stronger. My power is nothing compared to things of that caliber. My eyes wander the spotless throne room, they'll thing out of place was the Warhammer that Glork used. I walk over and pick it up...or at least I tried to pick it up. It was insanely heavy, it was heavier than the corpse of a Great Dragon. I use all of my strength to drag the hammer across the floor to one of the pillars of obsidian. 

  "d...do you want some help?" at least she's not actively sobbing, "Sure but it's already out of the way" A section of the pillar opens and the hammer floats inside. a clear sheet of glass goes over the hole. It sits inside, on display for all those who walk past. 

  "Wait a minute, could you have just picked up the hammer and not have watched me struggle?!?!" I ask with disbelief in my voice. The only answer I get is her giggle. 

  "Wasnt there a training book or something? Let's open it," I search the room, expecting it to be split open in some corner. But no, its in the same spot, spotless and with a sharp golden shine. I walk over and pick up the book.

You have found a Training book(Adept) Would you like to start Training? Yes/No

"Yes," the book transforms into an old man in metal armor one meter away from me.

"So, you're the new student eh?" Somehow, this old man has managed to already piss me off.

"Yeah, who are you?" 

"I'm your teacher dimwit. Don't you know what a training book does?" Don't be mad at the old man, don't be mad at the old man, don't be mad at the old man

"No, I've never heard of a training book before"

"What kinda shitty backwater world am I in? Is it Yunag? Tell me its not Yunag." 

"No, this planet is called Feytern" Where the hell is Yunag?

"Feytern...Feytern? Hmmmmm, never heard of it. Alright whatever, kid, let's get to training" 

"Ok listen, old man, I'm 23 cycles old, I'm an adult. So stop calling me a kid."

"hahahahahaha," The old man was slapping his kneel with tears coming out his eye, "A child thinks he can tell me what to do hahaha, kid if you wanna stop being called a kid then make me think you ain't one." This fucking old man,

"Alright, come on kid, lets fight. I need to know just how much work you need." 

"Let's fight then old man" My anger had reached a point that I had forgotten about my lost arm and my other injuries. "Summon sword" My sword flies to me as I get into my fighting stance.

"WAIT A MINUTE HOLD IT" Whoops, forgot victoria was here. "Alex you are injured and crippled, even if he's old he'll beat you" Before I could form my defense, the damnable old man starts talking 

"Lassie it's fine, I won't kill your boyfriend over here. We're just gonna spar for a little"

"He's not my boyfriend" "How can you hear her?" I raise one eyebrow at The blue gem and I swear it turns faintly red. 

"She bought the book you dimwit, come on let's fight ill keep one arm behind my back to give you an advantage." 

I raise my sword again, "I'm going to make you eat your words, old man."