It felt like a really long fall, though, looking back on it, it lasted only a few moments. Those moments lasted for eternity though, so I was probably a bit delirious.
Once the fall ended, a cold feeling enveloped my body (worse than an ice bath, if that’s possible) and I hit the ground knowing that I should have definitely have broken my spine from a fall that far, though, as I groggily looked at my Status, I hadn’t lost a single point of Health.
“Ung,” I groaned, sitting up.
I shook my head and opened my eyes to meet the eyes of a very large, furry, and pissed off creature. For a few moments, terror filled my body as the bear and I looked at one another.
Uh… This is not what I nearly expected, I thought. Um, good bear?
It was like I felt it nearly ignore me when Leah fell from the sky onto its head. My eyes widened as Leah rolled towards me, groaning.
“Ow… what did I just-” She started as she sat up. Then she saw the bear. “Oh shit.”
Naturally, the bear attacked. I threw myself at Leah, knocking her back as the bear launched itself like a rocket, just minus the actual rocket booster, or whatever it’s called. It smashed into something behind us, but we didn’t sit there to see what. We booked it as fast as we could, scrambling to our feet in a panic.
“WHERE ARE WE AT?!” Leah screeched, throwing herself to the side again as the bear charged us once again. “AND WHY-”
I didn’t get to hear her finish that as I felt myself get blasted by what felt like a gatling gun from behind. I shot forward, screaming in a very unmanly way and crashed into what I assumed was a tree.
I panicked, looking at my health.
Health : 127/150
Confusion rocked my mind as I saw this.
What? How am I not dead? That felt like bullets were smashing into me-
You have entered the Abyssal Woods
Since you are an Abyss type being, you gain the following buffs:
+ 100% Health Regen
+ 50% Mana Regen
- 50% Damage taken
+ 50% Damage Dealt
Ah. That explains it. What it doesn’t explain is what an Abyss Type is. WAIT! LEAH EXISTS!
Panicking again at my inattentiveness, I looked around rapidly for Leah. I saw her a moment before the bear crashed directly into her. If I got buffs since I was an Abyss type… wouldn’t she get debuffed?
This thought process ended up correct as I heard what I assumed was something in her breaking. Fury burned through my mind and, without another thought, I raced over to the bear at speeds I never thought possible and grabbed the beast by the teeth. Its attention focused on me and just as it was about to bite me in annoyance, I ripped out its longest teeth. It roared in pain and threw me back, but I ignored it, along with the blood now covering my face, racing back and stabbing it with its own teeth. When it tried to bite me, I quickly moved out of the way and let it smash into yet another tree in its pain induced rage.
I jumped onto its back and stabbed the teeth down into its eyes. It roared and tried to buck me off of it but I held on, pushing the horns down further into its eyes. After charging into multiple trees, it began to slow before falling to the ground with one final twitch.
Without resting for even a moment, I ignored the notification and sprinted to Leah. Seeing her condition, I gulped. It was clear both her arms were broken along with one of her legs.
“Crap, crap, crap!” I muttered. “Calm down, Jason. This will be fine! Just have to get her out of the forest…”
I then used my [All Seeing Eye of the Abyss] on her, focusing on seeing her Health. Miraculously, it worked.
Leah Bane
Health : 13/130
Ailments : Broken Arm (x2), Punctured Lung, Shattered Rib (x3), Fractured Skull, Broken Leg, Internal Bleeding, Bleeding, Abyssal Woods
Using my ultimate powers of deduction, I guessed that none of that was good. So how the hell was I supposed to get her out of this forest without doing even more damage? After going through a few thoughts, I just grabbed her by the least damaged part of her body and dragged her out of the forest, hoping that she would lose the Abyssal Woods Debuff.
When it disappeared, I let out a relieved sigh. “It’s gone. Thank Jesus.”
After 10 minutes of worrying and little progress on her wounds, I got the bright idea of trying to move her bones in the right place. I Eyed (Yeah, that’s just far simpler than saying, [All Seeing Eye of the Abyss]... I just said it) her.
Leah Bane
Health : 19/130
Ailments : Broken Arm (x2), Punctured Lung, Shattered Rib (x3), Fractured Skull, Broken Leg, Internal Bleeding, Bleeding
Gulping, I held onto one of her very crooked arms, channeling all of my knowledge of Medical Studies, and moved it, trying to ignore the sickening crunch and groans of my friend, unconscious Leah. Once I finally did it, I took a deep breath and went to the next. After finishing both arms, I looked at her leg and let out a terrified whimper at its state. Nearly bent ninety degrees the wrong way, it was a horror show that I never wanted to see again. I held her leg gingerly and pushed.
“Nope, nope, nope, nope,” I chanted over the cracks and pops, shivering with tears running down my face. “I hate this, I hate it, I hate it, I hate-”
I kept it going until it looked somewhat normal. I fell down next to her and curled up, trying to piece together my mental state.
***
Leah could barely think through the pain. When she fainted, she was thrown back to when her parents abandoned her and her sister. Well, less abandoned and more of going on a long trip they didn’t plan on coming back from. It was kind of a shock, showing her the reality of the situation.
She was alone with her sister, who was barely eighteen, as a seven year old, terrified of being alone. Her empty house with no voices, no parties, no parents. Not anymore. She thought she was going to be alone for the rest of her life. She may have acted all bubbly and sweet at school, but that was to hide her terror. For a year, she did this.
Then she met Jason. He was a transfer student with a bad attitude and a guy who made dark jokes at the age of nine. Messy dark hair, striking blue eyes that seemed to look into your soul, pale skin with strokes of dirt… the makeup of someone who was bullied day after day.
One day, he noticed her and the first thing he said was, “What are you so scared of?”
At first, Leah was confused. How could he tell she was scared of anything? Seeing his current state, he should be the one scared of something. But he wasn’t. It was like he was used to it.
“What do you mean ‘scared’?” she’d asked with a haughty tone. “You’re the one who looks like you were just dragged to school from the back of a car!”
He gave her a strange look before looking down at himself. “Really? I just had to punch someone in the face cause he was being stupid and bullying some girl. I don’t like bullies.”
Her face must have been filled with shock since he’d grinned widely. “What? I look like I’m the bullied one? You should see him.” He laughed darkly. “Won’t be bullying anyone anymore.”
“Wha- what did you do to him?”
He gestured to the door, and Leah turned to see a boy waddling in like he’d just been kicked in the-
Leah burst out laughing, something she’d hadn’t done in forever. Jason, who smirked at the boy, looked over to her.
After that, she’d become his friend, if not a bit forcefully. She’d practically dragged him to her house, introduced him to her sister (to his unending annoyance, found him adorable, especially when he was annoyed), and promptly ran around until they’d fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Fast Forward to a year ago, they’d both been accepted as the last applicants to a prestigious school in California, a place they’d both wanted to go. Due to being uncomfortable around anyone except Jason, something he found endlessly hilarious, she’d gotten her dad to pay for custom bunking so she could stay with him. Jason had been a bit skeptical but, eventually, she got him to accept it.
Now, they were in a forest that debuffed her with Leah nearly dead. It was funny in a way. Jason had done too much for her already and still helped her despite that. She wondered how much longer he would help.
***
After gathering myself for a few moments, I sat back up and Eyed Leah again.
Leah Bane
Health : 72/130
Ailments : Broken Arm, Shattered Rib (x2), Broken Leg, Bleeding
Sighing, I sat next to her for the next hour as she healed visibly. Within thirty minutes, she was fully healed yet she was still asleep. Letting her sleep, I checked my notification.
You have killed Void Bear - Level 15 | Tier 1!
You have Leveled Up (x8)!
+ 16 Free Stats
You have reached Level 5!
Choose a new skill-
! Error !
Due to Racial Passive, your Level 5 Skill has been automatically chosen!
New Skill!
Abyss Touch - Level 1 | Tier 0
Draw on the latent Abyss Element in your body and push it into raw materials to Transmute or destroy them. You can also use this skill on sentient beings for an infection-like attack that can only be removed by another Abyssal, including you, or specialized instruments. This will convert their mana into a damaging substance that their body rejects.
Cost : Transmute - Dependent on Tier of object. Infection - 10 Mana to start
Damage : 10 Abyss Damage/Min. Damage increases by 100% every two minutes.
New Title!
One Tier Ahead!
You killed a beast a full Tier higher than you! How you did this is a mystery!
+ 5% Damage Dealt per Level a enemy is above yours
“I… don’t like that,” I muttered. “If it chooses all my skills, I don’t think I’ll-”
I was interrupted by Leah groaning and rolling over next to me. I looked over to her, hopeful. Then I gave the girl a flat look. She’d rolled onto her stomach and was drooling onto the gray grass, clearly comfortable. I sighed.
~~~
Carrying Leah on my back was not the best idea, in hindsight. She was heavy. I don’t see how she was so heavy, seeing as she was shorter than me and clearly thinner, but whatever to that.
“God, why are you so heavy, sleeping beauty without the beauty,” I growled. “Also, why in the world were we dropped onto the head of a bear? Speaking of that bear, what the hell is the Abyssal Planes?” I asked no one, not expecting a response.
The Abyssal Planes
The Planes of the Abyss, serving as the barrier between the Overworlds and the Void. The Abyssal Planes are the home of the Abyssals, who were “locked” away there. However, some idiot, as every sentient species in the Overworlds would call them, opened a hole to the Abyss, unlocking the Abyssal Planes, so they aren’t really locked away anymore.
“Oookaaaay,” I drawled, a bit confused. “Why does that sound like something I would say?”
“Stop talking,” Leah muttered from my back, still asleep. “I’m trying to eat…” She fell back asleep, grumbling about cheesecake.
I heeded her instructions and continued on walking, wondering how much longer I’d have to strain myself carrying her. After another hour, my arms felt like jelly and I struggled to continue. Finally, I sat down and laid Leah onto the grass, letting her curl up next to me.
As I rested, I tried to find something to do, weather playing around with blades of grass or swinging around a stick. Still bored, I checked my Status.
Status
Name : Jason Andromeda
Level 9
Race : Voidborn Abyssal
Health : 150/150 (15 Health/Min)
Mana : 150/150 (15 Mana/Min)
Class : None
Stats
Strength : 15 (Base : 10 Effectiveness : 150%)
Dexterity : 15 (Base : 10 Effectiveness : 150%)
Endurace : 15 (Base : 10 Effectiveness : 150%)
Vitality : 15 (Base : 10 Effectiveness : 150%)
Mana : 15 (Base : 10 Effectiveness : 150%)
Intelligence : 15 (Base : 10 Effectiveness : 150%)
Free Points : 16
Titles : The Top of Humanity…?, Abyss Enhanced, One Tier Ahead!
Skills : All Seeing Eye of the Abyss - Level 1 | Tier 0, Abyss Touch - Level 1 | Tier 0
Free Points… Oh, I thought, realizing the most obvious thing. I could’ve just put some into Strength and Endurance to carry her longer.
I reflected on my inattentiveness and decided that I wasn’t inattentive. I was just waiting. Yeah, definitely waiting. I thought about it for a few moments before shrugging. Assuming that Strength and Dexterity did nothing for my Health and Mana, I put two points into each and three into the rest, mentally willing the points to them. I frowned as it set the Endurance, Vitality, Mana, and Intelligence to 20. I was pretty sure it should be 19.5… unless it rounded it? Actually, that made sense. Having Stats in decimals would be pretty confusing. Like, imagine 33.45 Dexterity! Who would understand that?
Shaking my head, I looked back down to Leah and shook her until she woke up.
“Lemme sleep,” she grumbled, throwing my hand off her.
I sat there for a few moments as she froze, clearly noticing something was off. Then she shot up, nearly flying to her feet.
“Wait! Are you okay?! There was a bear and it hit you! Then everything went black and-!” She started, very loudly.
“Calm down, it’s dead, along with us. I was able to get it before I died,” I said, with the most serious look I could possibly manage. “Did you know dying hurts? A lot.”
Leah gave me a horrified look before falling to the ground. My left eyelid twitched with the effort of not laughing. Unfortunately, Leah noticed this and gave me a suspicious look.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “If I were dead, wouldn’t I be in the place I died?”
“Uh-”
“SERIOUSLY!?” Leah stomped over to me and smacked my head, fuming. “You made me actually believe we died! What is wrong with you?!”
I finally snapped and burst out in laughter. “Your face… was… priceless!” I wheezed between laughs.
“You ass!”
She smacked the back of my head again.
~~~
“Where are we going?” Leah whined. “I don’t wanna keep walking.”
“I found out how to Level up,” I said. “We’re looking for something for you to kill.”
“WHAT?! I’ve never killed anything before!” She yelped, giving me a confused look. “And how do you know it’s the only way?”
“Didn’t you break the back of that rat that got into our room that one time? Before Mia could get it?”
She sputtered for a moment before glaring at me. “SO?! That doesn’t count!”
“Yes it does.”
“No it doesn’t.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
We continued this for a while until we came across a clearing. We stopped at the edge and observed. There was a pond of what looked like inverted water with some sort of plants in it. There were a few things that looked like white fluffy rabbits with four to six inch long horns that hopped around smugly, clearly claiming the pond.
“Aww, they’re so cute!” Leah cooed, taking a step forward.
I grabbed her and pulled her back as I eyed a rabbit, which I’m going to assume are called Unirabbits.
Unirabbit (Void Attuned) - Level 4 | Tier 0
A rabbit with a horn. Not much else special about them. Unlike normal rabbits, they are hostile to anything that isn’t part of their herd. Can be tamed.
Eyeing a few more, I noticed the highest Level among them was a Level 18, who had the longest horn, as one would expect.
“I’d Ey- [Identify] them if I were you. According to the… omnipresent thing that threw us here, they’re hostile.”
“Eh?” she said. A few moments later: “Oh. Too bad; I wanted to tame one.”
I wisely did not tell her that they could be tamed.
“Yeah. Let’s go kill ‘em.”
Leah gave me a side-eye, frowning. “No. Let’s leave them alone.”
“Eh?” I turned to her, confused. “Why?”
“They’re defenseless! I don’t wanna-”
Ignoring the last part of her sentence and throwing the bear fang that I’d pulled out of my pocket at the Level 18 rabbit, I gave Leah a smug look. It hit the beast in the horn and it wheeled over to glare at us. I pat Leah on the shoulder as she gave me a horrified look.
“Here ya go,” I said, handing her the other fang. “Good luck, my friend.”
“You-!”
The rabbit pounced like a cat, racing towards Leah and shrieking some unholy battle cry.
~~~
Ten minutes and a whole lot of cursing at me later, Leah was also at Level 9, though not as happy as me.
“I hate you so much. Though, I see what you mean by them being hostile now; they were pretty vicious.”
“I know, right!? So you definitely should keep-”
Then Leah slapped me, thoroughly shutting me up. I blinked, realizing that slap nearly did twenty damage.
“Never force me to do something like that again,” Leah hissed. “Do you understand me?”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Definitely Haha.”.
***
For a moment, Mia stood still, glaring at the dumb animal as it looked at her, terrified. Letting out a huge sigh, she snapped up the tiny bear, her hunger not satiated in the least. After swallowing the last of her meal, she began to contemplate.
Her parents were nice enough, even if they didn’t like her much. She guessed that being in the Level 700s would do that. She was born at half of their Level, Level 327. It… was okay, though she always had the feeling she was missing something. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but it was definitely something important. After thinking about it for a bit, she shook her head, a headache beginning to form. She was eight years old, far too young to be thinking about her future.
But… What if she found a proper Bond one day? Strangely enough, she thought it may come sooner than she thought. She looked up to the eyesore that those stupid dark people called a “city”.
She let out a yip as she realized that she could probably get rid of that eyesore. Maybe she’d have fun for once.
A stark contrast to the last four years. Being a Dragon was hard.
***
(Note : This story seems to be getting a bit off track. Don’t worry, it’ll make sense by the next chapter… possibly.)
***
I sighed, rubbing my ear.
“What do you think’s gonna happen when we get to Level 10?” I asked Leah, trying not to remember the pain of having my ear pulled again. “Maybe we’ll get a Class?”
Leah grunted in confirmation. “Maybe. But my feet hurt like hell!”
I looked forward, wholeheartedly agreeing with her.