[Ren Hilton's POV]
Year: 1738
Date: 3rd
Month: Embera
Time: 4:00 AM
"Huh?" I felt quite confused as I watched Aron hastily leaving the room.
"What happened?" I spoke as I tried to adjust my posture. I couldn't recall much about what had transpired, but I was certain I had been on the brink of death. Though, I didn't believe I had succumbed to it, but the wound I felt was undeniably deep.
Silence permeated the room, casting an awkward atmosphere.
"Umm... Smokeball?" I called out tentatively, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under the cat's unrelenting gaze. He had been staring at me for quite a while, and it was starting to feel strange.
I waved my hand in front of Smokeball's eyes, but he continued to stare at me without blinking. It was as if he had something important to convey but couldn't find the words.
"Are you going to say anything? Don't make me—" I began to speak before Smokeball's voice resonated in my mind.
'You were going to die, Ren,' his voice was calm, even serene. 'I thought you were dead,' he continued.
"..." I couldn't deny what he said; it was true that I had been brutally stabbed, and I remembered feeling helpless in the face of danger.
'Weak, you were weak... you are weak,' he stated matter-of-factly, acting unusually.
"I know—" I tried to respond, but he interrupted.
'No... you don't. You don't understand how weak you are and how inflated your ego is. Maybe I forgot to mention, you are nothing but a brat with power, but—' Smokeball kept stringing sentences together, one after the other.
"That ain't enough," I finished his sentence for him, feeling a sense of resignation. "It... just ain't enough power, I lost," I admitted, looking at him.
Blaze's voice held a hint of sadness as he spoke, 'I thought I lost... again.'
I didn't dwell on what he said as I glanced back at the window behind me, pulling the curtain aside. It hurt to move; what kind of weapon was that?
I had already strengthened my body to a level where a normal sword shouldn't be able to penetrate my skin, at least not that easily. Somehow, when his weapon pierced my skin, it took me a second to realize that something had hit me.
His technique, too, was exceptional. He got behind my back so easily without me noticing him for even a second.
"System," I muttered that name I mostly avoid.
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STATUS WINDOW
(Notification muted)
[Ren Chris Hilton]
Age: 16
Race: Purebred Phoenix
[Level 2: Flame Adept]
[4 Star Mage In Human Terms.]
Current Progress.
Intelligence: 8.9/10
Strength: 50/100
Mana: 70/100
[Next Level: Scorchmaster]
[2000/15000 Exp]
(Level up unavailable!)
Elemental Attributes: Fire
Advancements of Elements: Lightning
Unlock New Advancement: (Open)
Contracted Beast: One
Spirits: None
Skills: [26 skills.]
Learn New Skills: (Open)
Store: (Open)
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The blue slate appeared, and nothing changed from what I had previously seen.
"Haaa...." I let out a long sigh as I closed the panel and rubbed my eyes.
Everything is chaotic, even if I try my best not to react much, I am...shook a bit.
That was way too fast, can't even consider it a fight....
"Blaze, tell me what happened after I passed out," I said, as I'd first like to hear what happened before I lost consciousness.
[After a few minutes.]
"So, you were defeated too?" I asked, to which Blaze didn't answer. He's a lot quieter than usual.
The person was using some kind of magic to conceal their face, and the shop owner was familiar with Aron. But Aron didn't seem to know that the shop owner was using a fake identity. He... for some reason, let me live and asked Aron to take me here to a healer, to which Aron... agreed?
A lot of things don't add up here.
"Yeah," Blaze gave a short answer.
I tried to sit up, feeling the discomfort from the wound. I looked down, and my waist was wrapped up in a white cloth bandage with various herbs.
"Ren," Blaze spoke up.
"Hmm?" I glanced at him, the sensation of helplessness setting in.
'What now?' He questioned.
What now? Only two words, a seemingly simple question, yet it felt overwhelmingly complex. For someone who knows what they need to do, it might be an easy query. But for me? It felt like there was always something obstructing my path, no matter what I attempted.
"Aghh," I grumbled in frustration, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts, but none of them led to a clear answer. Sometimes, it felt like I was nothing but a toy.
Knock*
A gentle knock on the door interrupted our conversation, and I turned my attention towards it. The healer stood there, her presence welcome.
"Can I come in?" She inquired.
"Yeah, why not," I replied calmly, inviting her into the room.
She entered the room with a pot of steaming something, her warm smile radiating kindness. "I thought maybe this will help you recover," she chuckled, her freckles at the corner of her eyes deepening as she smiled.
"I appreciate it," I thanked her as I watched her carefully place the soup on the side table. She then pulled a nearby stool and sat down.
To my surprise, she picked up a wooden spoon and dipped it into the pot, holding the contents in front of my mouth. "I can eat it myself," I smiled, trying to decline her assistance.
"Eat it," she raised an eyebrow, her tone gentle yet firm, urging me to take the food.
I hesitated for a moment, then decided to comply. I took a small sip of the soup, and to my delight, it tasted absolutely delicious.
"Is it good?" She asked with a warm smile, her eyes filled with anticipation, as she placed the whole pot back on the side table. I wished I could have another bite, but I was already satisfied.
"Yeah," I replied with a contented sigh.
"Are you an Imperial Academy student?" She inquired, her curiosity evident. I simply nodded in response, wondering if she was going to pry further into my situation.
"Great! Haha, I remember when I was young; I was a student there too... those were the golden days of my life," she reminisced, her eyes gleaming with nostalgia.
I listened quietly, realizing that compared to her, my life was currently in a state of chaos.
"Do you have a lot on your mind?" She asked suddenly, her gaze thoughtful.
"Well, I guess," I replied with a faint smile.
"Is it good?" She asked with a warm smile, her eyes filled with anticipation, as she placed the whole pot back on the side table. I wished I could have another bite, but I was already satisfied.
"Yeah," I replied with a contented sigh.
"Are you an Imperial Academy student?" She inquired, her curiosity evident. I simply nodded in response, wondering if she was going to pry further into my situation.
"Great! Haha, I remember when I was young; I was a student there too... those were the golden days of my life," she reminisced, her eyes gleaming with nostalgia.
I listened quietly, realizing that compared to her, my life was currently in a state of chaos.
"Do you have a lot on your mind?" She asked suddenly, her gaze thoughtful.
"Well, I guess," I replied with a faint smile.
"Hmm, being young is surely hard. But do you know what?" Her gaze drifted towards the window as the first rays of daylight streamed in. She held a small orb of healing magic in her palm, playing with it.
"Everything is not supposed to be great all the time. Sometimes you have to step back and think... where everything went wrong," she said as if speaking to herself. The illuminated ball danced on her palm.
"And then everything falls into place. You just have to do one thing at a time," she continued, her wisdom resonating with me.
I silently picked up the pot of soup and indulged in a hearty meal. I was indeed hungry.
"Anyways, it's just meaningless rambling from an old hag. Don't take it to heart," she chuckled as she got up, her knees cracking slightly. Her words left a lasting impression on me, even if she dismissed them as mere chatter.
After her parting words, the healer left the room, leaving me alone to digest her wisdom.
"And now what?" Once again, I was subjected to the same question from the same person.
As I finished the last spoonful of soup, I stood up, picking up my torn robe, and draped it over my body. "Now what? Maybe it's time to stop lazing around... I didn't want to do that, but I guess everyone wants me dead now," I said as I lifted Blaze off the bed.
"Don't sulk now, Smokeball. I ain't dead yet; your master is alive and kicking," I declared as I left the healer's house in the dawn.
"I wasn't sulking!!! You princess!!!" Blaze finally spoke something.
"Don't sulk now, Smokeball. I'm very much alive and ready for whatever comes next," I reassured my enigmatic companion as we departed the healer's house in the soft, predawn light.
"I wasn't sulking!!! You princess!!!" Blaze's retort finally broke his silence, carrying a hint of humor amidst the tension of the morning.
[A/N: Aghh these repeated paragraphs!]
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