10 System
The autumn rain, sometimes a source of sadness, sometimes a joy for those who love it, dripped down on Leon. As he lay on the muddy forest floor in the pitch-black darkness, the rain brought only loneliness and sorrow.
Peacefully sleeping on the moist and sticky ground as though he had never gone through a hell of a lot in just half a day.
Mary tried to raise Leon as a tough-minded child, which she managed to some extent. Now, Leon could calm himself down in almost every scenario, other than scenarios including her, of course.
However, he still regained his composure just because she showed her power to him by defeating the God's Guard. Also kept on assuring that she would be fine as long as he wasn't with him.
Even with his toughened mind, he couldn't suppress the tears that streamed down his face during the journey to the forest.
The air carried the pleasant scent of wet trees and flowers, providing the only solace in the surroundings.Coldness, the rustling of leaves, the wind weaving through the trees, and raindrops descending from above slowly roused Leon from his sleep.
Headache of a short while prior lived in the deepest parts of his head.
"Uuggh…"
Powerless hands drenched from mud—same as his entire front tried to struggle to raise his tired body. Yet, these weren't the matters that made him open his eyes abruptly, as if he had just awakened from a nightmare.
"Mother!"
Relentlessly looked here and there, hoping to wake up from a nightmare, but reality remained unchanged.
His surroundings were shrouded in darkness, with only faint light penetrating from the sky above, intensified feeling of nightmare. The wind offered no comforting whispers, only an empty echo.
Fwuussh!
"S-So cold…" Mumbled, Leon, before his tongue felt the mud on his lips.
"Pew! Pew! Damn it! So, it was real!"
Being all alone in the forest was a nightmare to most people, just like Leon. However, the boy embracing himself to protect his own body from the cold had no fear this time.
If someone were to shine a flashlight into his eyes, they would see not a frightened boy but a beast ready to pounce on its prey.
Taking a deep breath, Leon, his lips tasting the cold, shivered from the core
Wiped his lips to save them from the mud, only to have them eat more. Added filth increased his frustration level. Even the presence of someone walking down the street would have triggered his rage at this point.
He was no different from a walking volcano, an Aqrabian right now.
Despite his anger, he managed to wipe his hands on his clothes and clean the mud from his lips. However, the wind reappeared, triggering another burst of frustration from Leon.
Fwuussh!
"F*ck you guards! F*ck you Gods! You b*stards ruined my life!"
In his right mind, he would have known that shouting in a forest, especially at night, was a bad idea. One can never know what the bottomless darkness of woods holds in their all-encompassing embrace, after all.
"Mother should be alive," nodded to himself, "Yes, yes, she is strong. She also killed that a*shole. So, she should be on her way to get help or something," kept on nodding to himself, as though trying to convince his own mind.
This self-assurance continued until he gradually sank to his knees on the muddy ground.
"I'll do just as she said. I'll go to that damn Stone City, get stronger, and find her. But…" The image of guards appeared in his mind, "Just like Mother said, they are enemies who should be killed!"
His emotions fluctuated between sadness and anger, preparing a cocktail of emotions
'Status! Status! Status… Status... Sta… tus… Sta... tus… Status! Status!'
The exact word, a total of eight times, appeared in Leon's head as a pair of two.
The first and last pairs were imbued with anger. As if they were tearing through the heavens, demolishing anything in their path. The third and fourth voices were gentle, conveying understanding and companionship.
Fifth and sixth echoes echoed slowly, bored, utterly bored, as though they had been watching the flow of time since it embarked on its endless journey only to tire the owners of voice out with its eternal cycle.
"What the hell!?"
The experience was both fearsome and agonizing for Leon, who instinctively held his head. As though a thousand needles pierced through his skull to reach to his mind just to transmit their sound, a pain that he had never felt before galloped over his body.
Fearsome voices, akin to whispers, suddenly echoed in his mind right in the middle of the forest at night.
Check his surroundings in fear was his right.
Yet there wasn't a single soul nearby. And even if there was, he had no racial trait to see through the darkness.
His due of trembling shifted from cold to fear, a genuine thrill coursing through his soul. Crouching on the ground, he used his hands to cover his head as if it were a blanket. The scenarios playing in his mind painted the forest as a place harboring unseen malevolence.
Mustered his courage in hope, "I-If someone is here, tell me, a-alright?"
Fwuussh!
His plea was met only by the relentless wind.
Not a single sound, not even that of an animal, reached his ears, fueling his imagination with horror.
To Leon, maniacs lurked in the shadows, watching him. This notion, enough to drive some to madness, backfired for him.
"Hmph!"
The pain in his head was still kicking, but his own snort overpowered that. Slowly got up while spreading the mud on the ground here and there. Yet, for some reason, only in a particular area.
His snort tried to create a deterrence through continuous repeat. And then his animal instincts kicked in.
If I were to die, I'd die while fighting.
Reading epic novels from a young age, her mother's bravery and her teachings from the young age surfaced as fighting spirit.
Lifted his fists, vigilant eyes locked on the abyss of darkness, relentlessly revolving his eyes to catch his prey, "Come at me, motherf*ckers!"
'Status! Status! Status… Status... Sta… tus… Sta... tus… Status! Status!'
"Aaaahh!"
The same words in the exact same tones echoed through his head, but in a much harsher way, making him face the ground yet again. He was barely holding himself from rolling over the ground, screaming his soul out to the woods and leaves.
As his scream subsided, his wet face became the rain itself, sweat cascading down to his heavy breathing mouth.
"Wha… hraah… what the hell… you guys want…?"
'Say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say."
The same eight voices in the same eight gentle tones relayed a different word into his mind. This time, all of them were merciful and didn't make him suffer any more than he had already been through.
"Say… what? Status?"
The moment he uttered the last word, status, a transparent blue screen appeared before him.
White text on a blue background——something familiar from the novels and comics he enjoyed.
This was precisely what he and everyone else who enjoyed them wished to have.
[Name: Leon Rastia]
[STR: 0 (+3) STA: 0 (+6) ]
[AGL: 0 (+7) INT: 0 (+1) ]
[Unassigned Stat Points: 5]
[Magic: ----]
"Holy shi*t!"
The sudden joy overwhelmed the lingering pain and strengthened him to get to his feet once again.
"Isn't this a system!?"
He really was drinking the cocktail of feelings today. Now, his surprise changed into excitement.
His eyes that lost their color came back to the way they were before; in fact, they were shining more intensely they never had before. He truly was feeling the ecstasy of joy right now.
"Is this real!? Hold on, hold on. This can't be real…"
Intensely stared at the same screen for a while.
Then, looked at the screen's back, "It doesn't brighten the surroundings. So, it shouldn't be real," nodded to himself just for a second, "Hold on, maybe it can be real just for that reason."
A few seconds passed like that, "Alright, I will use some stat points to check if it's real."
"So, since I'm quite messed up right now and have a long way to go until Stone City. I will need some stamina. However, what's up with those zeros and pluses? I don't think I have an item on me or something…"
His thoughts were scattered, reflecting the chaotic nature of the day.
'Stronger! Stronger! Stronger… Stronger… Strong… er… Strong… er… Stronger! Stronger!'
"Aaaahh! Shiit…"
And his day ended with another voice attack, felt the warmth of the dirty, muddy ground once again.
