Jor woke up.
The pitter-patter of his sister's feet resounded throughout the house like a miniature earthquake. Her screams, excitable and infectious, sounded like a harpy. And more importantly, a frustrated mother chased after her child with futility and hopelessness of a chubby officer trying to stop a purse snatcher. A household in war, never a moment when a loud noise woke up the neighbors in the middle of the night.
Jor woke up to something he hadn't heard in nearly... a century. More.
The door burst open, his giggling sister banged on his door, "Get up!, Get up!" and quickly ran off. His mother yelling, "You have school, soon. Breakfast's ready! And take your sister with you!"
They were alive. Alive and healthy and living their lives. Jor felt the panic rise in his chest, his breath coming out in harsh gasps. It took him nearly a minute to calm, then took to his feet and rushed out the door and down the stairs to the kitchen.
Jor barely reacted, stunned, when his mother quickly pecked him on his head, and rushed out the door with a, "Stay safe!"
He hadn't felt a mother's kiss since for... he couldn't remember. Tears threatened to run down his cheeks, and only his sister's mischievous gaze stopped him from tearing up like a child.
Kassandra was wrapped up in bundles of winter clothes, and nearly wrapped herself up with a scarf. She looked up, a silly wide grin plastered on her face, her legs swinging back-and-forth. "Ready to go, bro?"
Ever since Kass joined the Ghosts of the Wolves guild, spending any time with her was practically non-existent for half-a-century. Unfortunately, when the Wolves attempted to raid a particular dangerous dungeon, the entire raid was wiped out to the last, including his sister.
To see her now, happily devouring her breakfast cereal was torturous.
Once they finished his breakfast, Jor held her tiny hand as he led her out the house and to her school. It was only a neighborhood away, and quite safe and far away from city life. This part of the area only held families and retirees.
Winter hit hard, but the wind was still, adding to a picturesque scene around them they could enjoy. Even if snow-packed ground was a foot tall, Jor couldn't stifle his smile when Kass sunk like a rock as she tried to navigate the treacherous snowy path.
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"Be careful, sis."
It was the year 2021, and in a year's time, the world was going to change. Society breaks down, anarchy ensures, and monsters roam the world. Eventually, strength becomes known, and cities are built on the backbones of a once-grand civilization. It took nearly a century, but eventually, life came back to normal as it was prior to the change. And while there are constant dangers of being hunted by monsters, there have always been high leveled monsters of humanity's own, capable of protecting their homes.
Kass, for example, had been one of those monsters. Jor glanced at the tiny girl, who will one day rise to the top, only to fall against some unknown beast. Looking at her now, it was hard to place her as that ferocious woman that seemed so immovable.
Almost an afterthought, Jorn checked his stats. A dark-blue screen popped open.
Jor Seeley - Level 1
Class - Wizard
Title - N/A
MP: 200
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 20
Durability: 15
Intellect: 35
Luck: 10
Constitution: 10
Active Spells - Arcane Lance Lv.1, Arcane Obliteration Lv.1, Perfect Sphere Lv.1, Teleportation Lv.1 (Legendary), Summon Familiar Lv.1.
Passive Skills - Mana Hunger Lv.1, Timeless Restoration (Epic) Lv.1
Jor nearly tripped, almost dragging his sister into the snow. Luckily, he caught himself, and set Kass upright, despite her startled squawk. He ignored her indignant, "Hey!"
Aside from the fact that he lost nearly eighty-percent of his abilities, skills, and spells, and pretty much everything he's ever owned in the collection of decades of pain-staking artifacts and other miscellaneous items, it was astonishing he still had whatever was left even after attaining level-thirty stat. All the hard work, the effort of sweat and blood and the years he's put into training and surviving, was lost like a wisp in the wind. Just like that. Hell, he didn't even have something as basic as a Meditation skill. Not to mention the additional points he's received just from just training! Training!
That... Jor calmed himself, breathing in and out.
Still, that didn't answer how he was able to have any sort of stats if the end of the world wasn't supposed to happen a year from now. So, how? And why?
"Hey, bro, are you looking at your status screen?" Jor paused and glanced at his adorable little sister.
"Why are you asking?"
"I managed to get a level in a fighter class!" Kass giggled. "I'm finally level 2!"