[Your Time Has Run Out]
Joe's bones contorted and snapped one after the other. His body crumbled to the ground—the wound on his stomach unraveling. Blood pooled beneath him and his eyes blurred. He could make out Shelly's frantic voice coming towards him admist the harsh ringing in his head.
Joe was certain, he had met his end.
[13 Years Ago.]
In a dark cold space, a six year old Joe sat alone. Only his quiet sobs disturbed the peaceful shadows.
Footsteps bounced off the walls before Joe's door swung open. A flashing light surged into the room chasing away the shadows. It brought warmth and a sense of life in an otherwise dull environment. Only small grey walls and a messy tiled floor made up Joe's room.
His back was against the wall directly facing the door. His knees were raised up to his chest, his arms rested on top of them and his watery eyes were glued on the one who had invaded his space.
The invader, was his mother.
She smiled warmly with the back drop of the light emphasizing her appearance. Her black dress was tight and fitted her curved body perfectly. Her hands shone with elegant silver bracelets strapped on her wrists.
Joe's eyes however were more focused on her face. Her cheeks were discolored and swollen. Red, gaping scars assaulted every part of her skin. Her once ocean blue left eye was swollen shut.
Something must've have happened. Again.
Joe could only clench his weak fists after seeing his mother like that. His mother's warm smile failed to console him, instead it chipped away at his heart slowly.
His mother strode towards him, her heels producing a sharp clang as they bounced off the fragile tiles. Each step she took was measured and controlled. It carried an air of authority and confidence.
Joe couldn't understand it, how could she smile with those wounds? Wasn't she hurting?
His mother sat beside him, her hand reached out to ruffle his hair, “Why's my little champion crying out here by himself?” Her smile grew bigger.
“I'm not crying!” Joe shouted, as he scrubbed any sign of tears from his face.
His mother chuckled, “you're a bad liar you know that?’ her open eye was lively as she looked at her son.
“I'm not.” by this time, Joe had erased all the evidence.
Joe's mother just grabbed his face and placed it against her chest. Her body was warm, comfortable. She stroked his hair like a baby doll, “it's going to be okay Joe. I promise. “
After hearing those words, Joe just broke down. His tears came pouring out, and his cries were stifflied by her mother's embraced. Joe just unleashed it all, the pent up emotions that he was bubbling finally burst.
Her mother continued to stroke his hair, encouraging him to just release it all.
It took a good 4 minutes before Joe could make any words, “it's… father… he did it again. He hurt Chloe!” Joe's voice was breaking, his tears getting in the way of a coherent sentence. “I couldn't anything! I couldn't help her!” his tears intensified.
Joe's mother took a moment before she lifted his head, her hands cupped his cheeks as she looked at him dead in the eye. Her face was still vibrant, despite Joe's hopeless gaze. “if you're the one crying, whose going to look after Chloe? You're the big brother Joe, how will your sister feel if you're the one crying?” her words were soft, yet they cut deep into Joe's heart.
She wiped Joe's tears with her fingers before she looked up at the ceiling. Her eye was distant, lost in thought. Seconds passed before she faced her son again. “I'm a bad parent. I've failed both you and your sister. Nothing I say will ever make up for for that.”
She looked at Joe with a saddened expression, “but can you please promise me something Joe? I know it's a lot to put on your shoulders, but could you protect Chloe for me?”
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Joe's eyes immediately hardened, “I'll do it! I promise I'll protect her. I won't let her get hurt again.”
Joe's mother pulled her son close for another hug before whispering, “thank you.”
[Present Moment]
Joe's eyes fluttered to life. Slowly, he dragged himself to sit upright with one hand still clutching his temple.
The image of his mother was etched into his mind. Tears flowed down his face without delay, “I'm sorry… I'm so sorry mom… I couldn't protect Chloe In the end.”
Joe just poured it all out like he did back then. The only difference this time, was that his mother was not there to comfort him. He was alone.
It took several minutes before he finally regained some sort of composure. He wiped away his tears and the snot that ran down his nose. His eyes darted infront of him, confirming he was still in the Black Forest. That's when it struck him. There was a fight. A fight with the Dungeon Boss. What happened?
Joe was met with nothing but silence, no such battle was taking place. His gaze fell to his body and he was specheless. The blood and the gaping hole on his stomach was gone. What was left behind was the tattered remains of his vest and jacket—his wounds nowhere to be seen.
His arms and every part if his body seemed in perfect condition. It was as if the battle had never taken place. That's when Shelly's sleeping form became apparent to him. She lay just infront him, Joe was so panicked he had missed her completely. She slept like a baby, one hand clutched her staff while her green her fell down her cheeks. Her breathing was soft and effortless.
Joe could see however that she was nearly out of mana. Her once healthy mana signature was now a dim light that threatened to flicker out. But as she slept, the flame slowly regained its life. With each passing second, her Mana recovered slowly. Was this how humans regained their lost mana? It certainly looked that way.
Shelly was recovering but Joe's heart was heavy, the reason Shelly's mana was so depleted was because of him. She must've spent a lot of mana to heal his body like she did.
A sharp smell invaded Joe's attention, it had been there since he woke up but only now did he pay full attention to it. It came from behind him. Joe pulled himself up and turned around to face the source of the smell.
It was the Great Woflin's body. What remained of it anyway. Its two sliced up halves were the sole reason for the stench. It's Mana Core still produced a vibrant light despite its pitiful condition.
Joe slowly approached it, he knelt on one knee and activated [Predator]. Like the reliable skill it was, [Predator] devoured both halves of the Great Wolfin leaving nothing behind. Joe was somewhat surprised, he didn't expect [Predator] to be able to devour a creature that big. Yet it was successful and without any sign of difficulty, did [Predator] not have size limit? Joe could only wonder as he rose to his feet.
[+2000 Mana Pool Points]
[Current Mana Pool: 2090]
Joe still couldn't belive how low his mana was. It was In double digits before he absorbed the Great Wolfin's. Using [Outsider’s Enhancement X3] had almost completely ran him dry.
He belived Shelly must've also recovered some of his mana while she healed him because he was dangerously close to running out. Based on how Syr spoke, Mana is deeply tied to one's life. If he had run out—he'd probably be dead.
Joe got a huge energy boost after his mana was refilled, further emphasizing its importance to his well-being. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to survive, much stronger.
He turned around and before he took a step…
[+1 (Lvl 20) Mana Beast Core Has Been Added To Your Inventory]
Syr dropped another notification. This notification was expected, but it also sparked something in his mind.
[Would You Like Me To Inform You Of Your Progress?]
“Sure” Joe decided to hold on to this idea in his mind. He was now sole focused on the updates.
[You Have Leveled Up!]
[You Have Leveled Up!]
[You Have Leveled Up!]
[You Have Leveled Up!]
[You Have Leveled Up!]
[You Have Leveled Up!]
[Current Level:20]
Joe's eyes widened at the flood of Level Ups he received. “That's a lot..” he muttered.
To his surprise, Syr was still not done.
[You Have Slain The (Lvl 20) Dungeon Boss ‘The Great Wolfin']
[Main Quest Complete!]
▪︎ Reward: 15,000 Gold Pieces.
[Total Gold Pieces: 20,000]
[Achievement Unlocked: First Boss]
▪︎ Condition: Slay Your First Dungeon Boss
▪︎ Reward: +5 Additional Attribute Points
[You Have Cleared The Sub-Dungeon ‘The Black Forest’]
▪︎ Reward: Dungeon Item - The White Fang
[The Dungeon Item (The White Fang) Has Been Added To Your Inventory]
[Outsider’s Enhancement Has Reached (Lvl 10])
[The Black Blade Has Reached (Lvl 15])
[The Black Blade Has Unlocked A New Skill. (Charge)]
[The Black Blade Has Unlocked 1/ 5 Seals.]
[Updated Attributes.]
▪︎ Mana Pool: 2,090/ 2,120
• Skill: 31> 43 (+2 Class Boost Attribute Points)
• Strength: 30>42
• Speed: 32>44
• Defense: 26>30
• Mental Strength: 28>32
• Additional Attribute Points: 11
Joe could barely belive his eyes. So these were the rewards for conquering a Dungeon. His heart fluttered with joy, the smile on his face irreplaceable.
He was growing stronger.