Kaelalin skidded to a halt, staring at the charred, grinning idiot who still clutched the remains of a maraca in his unused hand.
“You’re insane,” she said flatly.
“Worked, didn’t it?” Simon said with a bloody cough.
“In all the frozen wastes.” she muttered, taking in his charred body. “How the fuck are you still alive?”
Simon wheezed a laugh that sounded more like choking. “Trade secret I’m afraid.” he released his channeled skill and thumbs up fell. His arm flopped down, bending in ways it really shouldn’t.
Kaelalin sucked air through her teeth. She bent down to him and quickly went through her pouches. Red vials appeared in her hands and she hurriedly brought them to Simon’s lips.
Simon shook his head, pain spiking through his neck from the movement. “Argh! No, I already drank uh… all of mine.” He grimaced.
Kaelalin froze, the vials trembling in her hands. “All of them?”
Simon managed a crooked grin. “Nine’s not too many, right?”
Kaelalin just shook her head. “Yes, Simon. Nine is too many. You are lucky you didn’t explode.”
“Explode? Damn. That would have been way less painful…” His eyes turned up to her. “Also, You said read the labels. There were no labels on the healing potions I will have you know.”
Kaelalin's mouth dropped and she stared at him. Then her expression changed as she chuckled and sat down next to him.
“No, I didn’t. My mistake.” She sighed. “Just so you know. You don’t normally have to tell people. When you drink a second one too early, you can feel the wrongness of the energy.”
Her gaze scanned over Simon’s ruined body. “In your case, it seems the vital energy from the potions had more than enough places to go.”
Simon chortled, red liquid bubbling from his mouth. “Understatement of the century.”
Kaelalin just shook her head in disbelief. She leaned in, and uncorked a vial. With practiced ease she began applying the red liquid to the worst burns and bruises covering Simon’s form.
“I… Just… How are you still smiling?” She asked after a few moments of application.
Simon hissed as the potion regrew his burned nerves. But his grin didn’t falter.
“I leveled.” His grin cracked even wider. “A lot.”
His eyes flicked to the notice he had yet to dismiss.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> You have slain the Golden Reliquary of Anguish.
> Experience has been earned.
> Level Up!
> Level Up!
> Level Up!
> Level Up!
> Level Up!
——————————
With a mental nod, Simon finally dismissed the notice. He was greeted with another chime as the next prompt appeared.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> YOU HAVE LEVELED
> Level: 3 -> 8
> You have gained:
- 50 Stat Points.
- 5 Skill points.
>Skill Points Allocated:
>> Theodia’s Instrumental Summon has consumed available skill points
Harmony is offered. Growth is earned. Limits are unknown.
——————————
For once, Simon wasn’t even mad at Theodia’s skill. Sure, it was a pain in the ass that it kept chewing up his skill points. However, it had grown on him. Hopefully, it would knock off its rebellious ways soon… but for now, Simon was content with it.
“Oh?” Kaelalin spoke, interrupting his thoughts. “How many levels?”
“Five.” Simon replied.
“Not bad. May want to consider putting some of those points into vitality.” Kaelalin said, gesturing to his ruined body.
Simon laughed, “What, and ruin my rugged charm?” his smug look lasted less than a second before he winced. Searing pain arced through his body from his newly grown nerves.
Kaelalin arched an eyebrow, her lips pulled into a faint smirk
“Rugged charm?” she finally said, voice dry as Arizona. “Simon, you look like something that fell out of a furnace.”
Simon let out a rasping wheeze. “So… Guess you could say I’m pretty hot, huh?”
Kaelalin pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head slowly. “Unbelievable.” She looked back down at him then sighed as she uncorked another vial. She moved to another area and dribbled the red liquid on dark areas of flesh.
“You’re such an idiot.”
Simon hissed as the potion burned its way into his skin, muscles twitching. “Has anyone ever told you your bedside manner is awful?”
Kaelalin’s hands froze. She narrowed her eyes, then deliberately tipped a little extra potion onto an angry burn. The liquid hissed as it sank in, and Simon’s whole body jerked.
“Ow fuck! What was that for?” Simon grimaced
Kaelalin’s lips twitched in the faintest smirk. “Not really the time to be discussing our beds, don’t you think?” she paused, tilting her head as if reassessing him. “You’re kind of cute, but not my type. Bold of you to bring it up when your body looks like this.”
Simon blinked, mouth opening, then closing again. For once, no words came out. He just stared at her, utterly flabbergasted.
Kaelalin gave a satisfied nod and dabbed more potion onto his shoulder as if nothing had happened. “With courage like that, I’m sure you will find someone.”
“…That’s not what I meant.” Simon whispered, mind a mess. “Ugh, it’s… I just… You know what, never mind. Fuck it.” He let out a rough laugh, then glanced back at her.
“So… what is your type?”
Kaelalin didn’t even look up from applying the potion. “Dumbasses are out.”
Simon thought for a moment, then let a sly grin creep onto his face. “So you and–OWCH!”
Kaelalin pressed harder on the burn with deliberate precision, her expression perfectly calm. “Whoops. My hand must’ve slipped.” She finally glanced at him, smirk tugging at her lips. “Don’t you have some notices to look at?”
Simon sighed. She was probably right. With a nudge, the next notice appeared.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> REQUIREMENTS MET.
> Through ingenuity and unrelenting will, you have discovered a skill.
> Skill: Anima Control ( Rare )
> Description: The soul is the vessel of self. You have forced yours to act where your flesh could not. By exerting direct control, you may use anima to empower yourself. Prolonged use may cause harm to your soul.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
> Use: Direct Anima from your soul to affect the material world.
> Cooldown: None
> REQUIREMENTS MET.
> Through countless battles you have endured relentless pain without yielding. Through your efforts you have forged a skill.
> Skill: Pain Resistance (Common) - Passive
> Description: Pain is the body’s warning, but you’ve chosen to ignore it. Some would see this as unwise, but you deem it necessary. Through endurance and strength of will you have weakened the shackles that pain holds over you.
> Effect: You are resistant to physical pain, allowing you to shrug off injuries and other effects. Scales with level and willpower.
——————————
Simon shook his head.
It would have been nice to have that before this fight. Figures.
He moved to the next notice.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> YOUR SKILLS HAVE GROWN
>> Theodia’s Instrumental Summon (Inferior)
> Level: 0.18 -> 1
> Points: 8 / ?
> Instruments now persist for seven minutes.
> Cooldown has been reduced to 50 seconds.
>> Unshakeable Resilience (Unique)
> Level: 0.4 -> 3
> Threshold Stabilization has been enhanced. The chance of staying conscious under injury greatly improved. Minor wounds stabilize automatically; moderate wounds can be endured longer.
>> Weaponized Repetition (Unique)
> Level: 0.24 -> 1
> Repetition builds resonance faster, fewer cycles are needed before effects manifest.
>> Pain Resistance (Common)
> Level: 0 -> 1
> The shackles of pain lessen.
——————————
“Oh shit.” Simon muttered. Kaelalin glanced up from her work on his legs and gave him a questioning look.
“Nothing, just going through notices.” Simon said. She gave a nod and went back to applying her fourth vial to him.
The next notice appeared with a dark red tint.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> WARNING - SKILLS HAVE BEEN BLOCKED
> Skill: Aura Mastery ( Inferior )
> Skill: Powerful Strike ( Common )
> Skill: Combat Instincts ( Uncommon )
> Source: Curse - Varrax the Unyielding
> Explanation: These skills fall under the martial domain. The curse has prevented you from learning these skills.
> Features Gained: Brand of Refusal x 4
> Total: 5 / ?
——————————
Simon seethed as his eyes kept rereading the blood red prompt. He felt rage build in his core as his eyes focused on the name. Varrax the Unyielding.
What an asshole.
The deluge of prompts seemed to have ended. Now the only thing left to do was to assign his free points.
He glanced at his status and pondered.
Obviously, vitality had its appeal. Given his track record, he seemed destined to spend more time as a punching bag than anything else.
On the other hand, strength had its appeal. If he hit harder, maybe things would go down faster and he wouldn’t end up as a charred mess quite so often. Then again, that was assuming Varrax’s curse would even let him swing a punch the way he wanted. Asshole god.
Dexterity would be nice. He pictured himself actually dodging something for once instead of eating every attack like an idiot. The mental image of him just taking the golems charge almost made him laugh. Almost. That shit had hurt.
He shuddered as he remembered his fervor dream. Yeah. That had been awful.
Simon really wished he could dump stats into luck. That’s what he really needed.
He couldn’t help himself. He tried.
—- SYSTEM NOTICE—-
> THIS STAT IS SEALED
> Reason: Requires class alignment to unlock level enhancements. Enhancement extent depends on class. Sealed state does not restrict other ways of acquisition.
——————————
“Stupid system.” he grumbled.
Simon closed his eyes as he thought. With every second, the pain from his body amplified as Kaelalin healed his burned nerves. Each nerve she reconnected lit him up like he had been plugged into an outlet.
Vitality made the most sense. Every flare of agony hammered the point home. Survive first, worry about everything else later.
Fifty points felt like an ocean compared to where he started, but under the weight of divine curses, horrifying monsters, and bullshit circumstances, it still didn’t seem to be enough.
A cold realization fell over him. Maybe it wasn’t enough. But he was sure of one thing. Every moment he spent in bed healing, was time he wasn’t growing.
But I’m going to fall behind if I have to spend every other day in a hospital bed.
He chose.
—- STATUS —-
> Stat Points assigned.
- Vitality: 17 -> 50
- Strength: 27 -> 30
- Willpower: 20-> 30
- Endurance: 18 -> 20
- Dexterity: 23 -> 25
——————————
The prompt faded, and Simon’s breath caught. Light exploded from him as energies coursed through his body. Kaelalin jumped back with a yelp.
Simon’s mind shattered and his vision went white. Heat surged through his chest like molten iron being poured into a cracked mold. His heart thundered, each beat heavy and deliberate, rattling his ribs like a war drum.
Then came the pain.
Vitality roared through his veins like liquid steel. His broken body shuddered, then locked up as if caught in a vice. Bone marrow burned white-hot, ribs groaning as fractures sealed, spine pulling straighter as if a smith was hammering him out on an anvil. Torn muscle fibers knit with a wet, crawling sensation, snapping taut like fresh bowstrings. His lungs convulsed, forcing the stale, blood-laced air out in a violent cough before dragging in a clear, clean breath that almost choked him with how sharp it felt.
Beneath the pain his heart pounded a new rhythm, strong and steady. His flesh buzzed and the feelings continued for several painful seconds.
Then everything went quiet as the energy finished.
Simon opened his eyes and blinked. He looked down at his hand, then flexed it. Charred skin had been replaced with smooth unscarred flesh.
His head turned painlessly toward Kaelalin.
“You ass, you made me waste potions,” she said flatly, though her eyes betrayed a glint as she looked at him.
Simon gave a shaky grin and flexed again, marveling at the absence of pain. “Take it out of my reserve?”
“With interest of course.” She replied, her voice deadpan. Then she chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you are okay. How many points did you just use?”
Simon was about to reply, when an unexpected chime rang out.
—- System Notice —-
> ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED
> Name: Dumper - ( 1 )
> Description: Doubled a double digit stat in one go. Who needs Harmony when you can just pour everything into one aspect? Bold strategy, let’s see how long it lasts.
> Reward: +1 Skill point.
>> Theodia’s Instrumental Summon has consumed available skill points
—-—-—-—-
Simon’s eyes narrowed.
“What?” Kaelalin pressed.
“Does the system ever sass you?” Simon said, exasperated. “Because I’m starting to think its got an attitude.”
Kaelalin grinned. “Or maybe it’s just reflecting yours.”
Simon stood up and put a hand to his chest. “I thought I was done being hurt for the day.”
Kaelalin snorted. “Sure, Simon.” Her eyes flicked down, then back up with a smirk. “Though you might want to find new clothes before we keep wandering this cursed place. Unless you want to fight the next thing we find naked.”
Simon glanced down. His eyes widened. Every shred of fabric was gone, nothing left but smooth skin and a faint layer of ash.
Panic flared, and before he could stop himself, Simon’s hand twitched.
Pop!
His hand moved to cover himself with his newly summoned friend. Then he looked at it.
The gleaming metal of a triangle glared back at him, a metal bar dangling from a leather strap.
Simon blinked once. Twice. “…Really?” he muttered.
The triangle gave a meek little ding as the bar swung and tapped against its side.
Simon winced, glancing up at Kaelalin. The Frost-kin struggled to keep a straight face, meeting his gaze with a serious expression.
Then she lost it, her shoulders shaking as laughter burst free. She turned away and headed for the tunnel to the entrance.
“I’ll go..” she said between laughs. “Find you something to wear.”
Her laughter echoed as she moved down the tunnel.
Simon stared daggers at the triangle, then glanced toward the molten pools.
What if…
He shook his head. That would be monumentally stupid.
With a heavy sigh, he lowered himself onto a flat slab of metal, trying to ignore how utterly ridiculous his life had become.
A second later, he shot back up with a hiss.
“Son of a–!” He clutched at his backside, glaring at the glowing surface.
The ever helpful triangle gave off a delightful ding!
“GOD DAMNIT!”
—— ? ——
Simon looked over himself, grateful for the spare tunic and trousers that hung loose on his frame. The boots were a little too big, but it was better than not having them.
“Alright,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “Let’s go finish this hell hole.”
Kaelalin checked the straps on her gear and gave him a sidelong glance. “Try not to get yourself incinerated again. I only have one more set of clothing for you.”
“I’ll try my best.” Simon said, ignoring the heat in his ears. “Got that System Anchor?”
Kaelalin hoisted her pack, then patted a pouch on her side. “Right here.”
Simon nodded. Together, they turned and headed deeper into the sub-realm.
—— ? ——
— AUTHOR NOTICE —
~TheBusyBard
Harmony is offered, growth is earned, Limits are unknown.
——————————