Have you ever thought you were done with something?

Like working out at the gym, running on a track, playing your favourite game or perhaps when you were out partying or drinking.

You’re done, the gas in your tank is empty, your muscles are screaming, you want to throw up, you want to close your eyes and wait until it’s well into tomorrow… then you feel a second wind.

The runners high, the last ounces of rage within you burn for one more round, you somehow find the strength to keep going because nobody can stop you now. You’re having a good time.

You shred your own shell to pieces and emerge into the beauty of dawn breaking.

Your heart awakens with the fire of life and it will consume everything until nothing is left.

That was what I was going through right now. I kept throwing fireballs and slicing my way through every slime that dared to get in my way.

I changed my mindset somewhat for this coming level. Instead of letting the slimes burn my skin to boost defense, I’d try to blast them midair and then cut them before they even touch me.

I run deeper into the cave as quickly as I could like a child exploring a place they really shouldn’t be in.

Like a fan at a concert or a gamer on release day. I sprinted towards danger without a care in the world and was loving every second of it.

I could feel it. I was stronger and faster than I had ever been in my entire life.

Even in the prime of my youth I was never this… efficient. I stole the lives of these slimes one after another, each kill swifter than the last. I’d lost track of time plenty of times before, let alone today but right now it wasn’t even a concept to me. I was in the zone.

That feeling of being one step away from victory.

Magnified thousands of times, layering over you and ready to explode for eternity.

I was turning into a living supernova. No, scratch that a Big Bang. Just an endless wave of destruction and creation.

I was dancing with death in my shadow and it was one hell of a partner.

Only when my legs had fully stopped moving and I collapsed did I hit my limit.

My body lost, not my soul. Knowing that was so damn liberating.

I was able to angle myself as I was falling, my back landing against the smooth paved ground.

At that moment, with such perfect timing, a blue screen appeared.

LEVEL UP!

Health Points has risen drastically.

Mana Points has risen significantly.

Strength has risen drastically.

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Magic has risen significantly.

Dexterity has risen significantly.

Speed has risen drastically

Defense has risen significantly.

Resistance has risen.

Maki Hibiki Lv6

HP: ???

MP: ???

STR: ???

MAG: ???

DEX: ???

SPD: ???

DEF: ???

RES: ???

Skills:

1H Swords Lv5

1H Skill Lv5

Slash Lv8

I stared up at the grey ceiling above... if I ever meet the previous people who were in this cave I’ll thank them for hours for putting these torches and making sure the floor wasn’t a bunch of sharp rocks and spikes.

I couldn’t hear anything but my own exhausted yet elated exhales.

The moment I got a breath that didn’t feel forced I decided to push it.

“YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!”

I regretted it almost immediately and started coughing but in between the pain and inconvenience, I was shooting a smile with all my might. I start to tear up and the warmth of my cries of joy pat me a well done.

Maybe it was because of the effort I put into all of this… the reward was so much more immediate and proportional than some standard paycheck at the end of the month.

It was tangible, real, permanent and all for me. I earned it with my blood, sweat, and tears.

There was an actual incentive to push myself to the limit. I was getting as much as I was putting in.

Do you know how that feels? It is the sweet taste of victory hard-earned.

There’s no point to just winning, you have to win against something worthy and you’ve got to do it, fair and square or at least what you define as such.

I just lay there for a couple of minutes. I’m sure it can only go downhill from here.

There’s no way I could keep it up like this forever. No, even if I could, I'd surely get bored at some point, right?

Yet, that didn’t mean I couldn’t revel and enjoy this singular moment in the present.

The future looms over us all and the past sometimes comes back to haunt us but the here and now is what matters the most. Working a job where every day is almost the same as every other really drained my soul. Humans need a way to blow off steam.

If you never have any time for yourself you’ll go insane. It can just be one night in a week but it has to be something.

No doubt I’ll need something similar to that soon… but maybe it won’t be too bad doing this.

Unlike a job, this is just me doing it all for me. Going in every day into a hell of my own accord for my own benefit. Not for someone else. Not for the mirage of a company or the dream of wealth.

It was simple. The pure and primal pursuit of power.

I eventually get up and head back up the entrance. It took me a good forty minutes to reach the top again from where I had bulldozed my way. When I got there I saw dark shades by the mouth.

It was nighttime. I had been slaying slimes for hours. I plopped myself in front of the entrance and looked to the night sky above. The heavens above being so clear…

I hadn’t seen a night sky, glittering with diamonds as majestic as these since my childhood.

This whole world felt... clean. My body was still not in any real shape to fight but the beauty of the lights above stirred something in me. I lift up the now significantly more worn sword to my face and looked at what reflection it could make.

I was drenched in sweat. My hair was disheveled. My skin, however, looked pretty good.

Maybe the slimes acid had only melted the outer layer of dead skin?

I smiled and the smile that greeted me back had a sort of gleeful innocence to it. It was just one day free of my old life's monotony but it was enough to mend my heart just a little bit.

I decide to play around just a bit.

“Fireball.”

I conjure the ember within my left palm and then stare at it for a second, seeing its glory reflected in the blade. Then I position it over the base of my sword's hilt and watch it slowly cover the length of metal in a dazzling array of bright colours which shone like sunlight.

I stand up and swing the sword and the flames dance along with it.

I don’t have enough energy to go hunting again today but before I go to bed, there’s no harm in shadow boxing - well I guess shadow slashing.

Right now I doubt the fire is adding much if any power but maybe when I’m stronger… I find myself grinning.

It’ll be a sight to see.