Chapter 13 - A Small Recovery Period

When I open my eyes, I'm back in my office again.

I groan loudly, dropping my head onto my desk. "Why do I keep coming back here in my dreams," I murmur before standing to go find…

Wait, who was I going to find?

"Kathy? No, Katie..?"

It felt like it was right there, but for some reason, I can't grasp the name. Instead, I try to focus on their face. But… I can't. It was like my mind was hazed over, and important details were being blocked by something.

Suddenly, a short, fat bald man peeks his head around the corner. "Hey there, knucklehead!" He says, flashing a wide, toothy grin that disappears just as fast. "I need those reports—"

"Sorry, who are you?"

The man stares at me for a minute before his facial features start to disappear into a black void. Finally, there's nothing left except a dark hole for his face. I watch in slight horror as he turns, walking off calmly.

"Did I just forget him out of existence??"

'FOCUS.'

Right, right. I need to go look for… Charlos? No, that's way off.

Shaking my head clear, I speed-walk over towards the corner of the floor, heading for a group of cubicles. I walk past the first, second…

I pause by the third. 'Is this it?'

I peek inside. A beautiful woman with long, flowing white hair that seems to reflect light itself sits with legs crossed in the office chair, reading a book. No, wait… it was a comic.

"Oh, sorry," I mumble as she looks up, but she simply gives me a smile. I didn't know who I was looking for, but it wasn't her. Her golden eyes look inquisitively at me, a hint of curiosity in them. 'But I feel like I know her…'

"Do not worry yourself about it, dear boy," she says, with a voice that holds a tone promising she was likely much wiser than her age suggested.

"It is just one more down. You will soon escape this nightmare, I promise."

I couldn't really understand her words, and for a moment I continue to stare at her as if entranced. Suddenly I return to my senses and lower my eyes. "Right, thanks."

"Anytime, Klum."

I give the woman a small smile and a nod before walking one more cubicle down. I peek hesitantly around the corner, as if the person inside would attack me as soon as they see me.

A girl no more than 5 feet tall sits in the office chair, her feet unable to reach the ground as her fingers click keys on a board with letters on it, and staring at something that looks like my Life Statscreen. She reaches up to brush some of her light brown hair away from her face, and the hand was so skinny I am afraid the weight of the hair might break it.

"Ah…" I want to speak, but I have no idea what to say. The girl perks up, turning to see who was at her cubicle.

A dark void meets my eyes, and the second it does I find it incredibly hard to breathe.

"Luke, you're here," a monotonous voice echoes out of the empty hole, addressing me with an intense pressure.

Sweat begins to bead on my forehead as I grab my chest to try and lift the weight off my lungs. "Who… is Luke?" I wheeze. The lady tilts her head, and the disappointment she exudes nearly brings me to my knees. She stands, walking slowly over to me, until she stands in front of me looking up at my face.

"What is my name?" The voice asks, waiting patiently.

"I… don't… know," I manage to squeeze out. The only breathing I can manage was incredibly shallow.

She reaches up, setting a bony hand gently on my shoulder. Instantly, I fall to my knees as they lose all strength. The black hole looks coldly down on me before repeating itself firmly.

"What, is, my, name?"

"I… don't…"

I can't finish the sentence. All the air rushes out of my lungs, and I desperately try to pull more back in, to no avail. The darkness begins to spread, filling my vision until it was all I could see. 'It's going to swallow me,' I think blanky.

"What. Is. My. Name?"


"Christy!" I shout loudly as I bolt upright. Something cold, wet and sticky registers on my left hand, and I looked over to see a pool of blood had stained my pants, sleeve, and even my Arm guard. The clothes were something I had woken up in and had no change out for, so they were already pretty dirty, but now they were going to be crusty, too.

My memories return to me in a flood, and as I slowly gain full cognition I hold my head in my one clean hand. "Ugh, this headache… What the hell?"

I slowly begin to remember the events that had transpired before I passed out. Looking over, I confirm that the now mostly-dried pool of blood was from the Ogre's head. It had smelled like it was rotting before it had even died, so I had no real estimate of how long I had been knocked out. My best guess was the sun, which had gone from in the sky to almost beginning to set.

But, I didn't know how to read hours using the sun, so I wouldn't even try to estimate.

First things first, I opened my Life Statscreen to officially see my new Level Up.

Ding!

[EXP: 144/50]
[EXP: 143/51]
[EXP: 142…

Just like last time, the numbers transfer over until the right side had doubled. I let out a low whistle. "That thing nearly killed me, but I almost leveled up twice because of it."

I decide the first thing I would do was check my vitals, to check if I was still in danger of dying.

[Health: 24/40]
[Mana: 38/38]
[Stamina: 30/40]

I breathe out a sigh of relief. For now, I was in the clear. It wasn't anything perfect, and I definitely wouldn't survive another Ogre, but it was good enough for now.

"Next order of business: Stats."

I scroll down a bit, and soon a frown grows onto my lips. "What…"

[Free Stat(s): 3]
[Due to the user's immense growth and a request of the World Lines, Stat Point gains have been reduced.]

I had gotten less Stats, just because of the achievements I never asked to get? "Figures," I sigh. 'Guess I'll just have to get as many of those as I can.'

"And what the hell are the World Lines, anyway?"

I had once asked the tutorial the same question, but the tutorial had refused to respond then, and it wasn't like I could ask it now.

In an attempt to forget about my growing questions about this world, I take a look at my stats, my frown growing more. With less Stat Points, I wouldn't be able to passively grow my Dexterity and ensure my survival at the same time. After several minutes of debating, I put one stat into Dexterity, and left the other two alone. No one said I had to use my points right away, so it might be best to hold onto them until I needed a specific one. That would best help me respond to situations, as long as I can survive for three seconds.

Looking at the ugly head again, I finally note that its giant fangs had disappeared. "Ah, that's right." I pull up my inventory to see four new additions; two swords, and two daggers.

Nodding approvingly, I decide to look at the new skill I had learned again before I appraise the weapons. Scrolling down in my Life Statscreen, I tap on the new skill, Underdog, to read about it.

"12%, huh," I muse. "And it can evolve. I wonder if that causes the percentage to go up once I do. This skill could be overpowered for me now, even if I come across another Ogre."

I grin. I had barely beat the child Ogre, and I was sure if I hadn't let my guard down, I could've survived in much better condition. With Underdog, I may be able to even beat a teenage one.

The thought makes me giggle, until I realize that I myself had been reset to a teenager.

[Age: 17]

That still baffled me a bit. Usually with reincarnation, you start all the way from scratch. Like, coming out of the womb scratch. Yet, I had just suddenly woken up.

"And the tree I woke up against," I ponder, remembering the burnt and cracked tree. "It's clear lightning struck it, but how come my clothes or skin weren't burnt?"

I gasp suddenly. "No way. Was I brought here on a bolt of lightning? Does that, like, make me a son of Zeus or something?!"

Frantically, an attempt to stand is made, but my foot catches on my ankle. I fall face first towards the puddle of blood, and with no better alternative I caught myself on my hands and knees, splashing droplets of blood and chunks of ogre all over the front of me.

My fed up expression holds a pressure more intense than a certain black hole in my nightmares. My wrists hang limply in front of me; I look like I'm pretending to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and I did not care if I did.

Before I could do anything else, I start marching through the forest, following the sun, as I am now dead-set on finding a body of water one way or another.