My life flashes in front of my eyes and a bunch of childhood memories I never thought I will remember again are vividly awakened.

  “That was quick.”

  I whisper to myself, while gazing up at the well known structure, now with more detail and illumination.

  Strangely, when I died lifting the Hummer it was day and here was night.

  Now it’s reversed.

  Deeply inhaling the fresh air filled with dust I sneeze immediately.

  My eyes are smiling and my enthusiasm skyrockets.

  Quickly sitting up from the lying position I hesitate no further. Spin to the right and spin to the left; I stretch my back and open my system windows.

  First the stats.

  Beautiful round number of my level starting with seven and my Endurance line highlighted in gold. The number stays at 32, not 333 as I’ve seen while using the power.

  “Focus!”

  To confirm my guess how all this works now, I activate my first custom made power Focus, shifting a bit of muscle mass in my clenching fist.

  “Good!”

  I say out loud with a grin, confirming what I thought of; the golden highlight swiftly transitions to the Strength line, revealing the well known green oxidized text on the bottom, which causes my doubling amulet.

  Finally, it was about time that at least these core things are making sense to me.

  *Pat*

  My rubber soles tap the marble underneath me as I hop back to my feet.

  “Inventory.” I say enthusiastically.

  A window exchanges a window and I look at my possessions.

  The food, the cutlery, the massive chair, hammer and my dagger, bulletproof vest, a gun and pieces of armor I cannot wait to get my hands on finally.

  With the limited knowledge I have of this place, I know that time here is not frozen, and I suspect it might even move faster.

  God knows what is or has just happened at the scene. I’m not concerned about apes tearing apart my party but rather the mysterious woman. Before my last breath she was about to smack Harald into oblivion.

  That woman is definitely not aware of immortality, or maybe she is not even a system user at all.

  A lot of questions and too little time, I need to hop up first and ask for some guidance then; I rather not break my thumbs in the process, those are much needed for snapping.

  My eyebrows furrow and my expression changes to worried as before the first leap upwards I briefly check for the remaining eight entrances.

  Up from the quarry; Good, I managed to climb up by jumping and locking my hammer on the side of the opening before while it was on the brink of separation of the head from the handle.

  The first arch was tricky but I somehow managed, now with the Hardening I could possibly strengthen my fingers for better grip.

  On the contrary I’ve already used my daily Well of power 333 boost, so if that’s even possible to use here I need to try it next time before jumping.

  “That one will definitely do. Even from the ground here.” I point my nose up the second archway I’m heading now.

  But, since I’ve died already three times and got here only once I should definitely not waste this turn.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  *Fwoosh*

  Not thinking twice, my hammer in both of my arms, I spring myself up after a short buildup of Focus.

  *Dong*

  The hammer almost perfectly fits into the previous crack, hooking itself.

  My left arm is almost slipping off the handle, as it starts to sweat right away due to being heated from Focus and due to pretty warm air in this place overall. At nighttime it was okayish, now it's logically pretty hot here. But that was somehow expected, the architecture of this place screams the desert.

  “Harden!”

  While focusing on the fingers on my right hand a shockwave runs through my forearm as it gets paralyzed for a brief moment.

  *Tap*

  *Crack*

  I swiftly swing my right arm up, gripping the sandstone edge of the tall wall, the brittle thinnest part of the edge cracks under my fingers, crumbling the smooth surface, making more room for my fingers to hook.

  I throw the hammer up and grab the edge with my left.

  With a slight grunt I pull myself up, shifting all my body weight on the right Hardened hand.

  “Great, first one is done.” I tell myself while dusting off my hands.

  Now I won’t be calculating or slacking around afraid of the second jump.

  Squatting, letting hardening go I release Focus to my calves and repeat.

  *Fwoosh*

  My worn out sneakers compress the soles as I launch myself up once again now aiming for the left side of the archways lined with red bricks.

  My hammer hooks on the exact same spot as before, over the brick I cracked the last time.

  As I was expecting to be relieved and not stressed doing this maneuver because finally my hammer head to bug horn fused connection is probably the strongest part of my hammer, impossible to let me down.

  But now I’m afraid I will lose the grip because of the darn brick, which seems to be about to fall out.

  *Tschk!*

  I grunt and struggle, yet I know there is an ace in my sleeve which I didn’t have the last time.

  Hardened fingers on my right arm grab tightly the edge of the doorstep, crumbling the sandstone, where was my head resting the last time I was saying goodbye to everything, being ready to be forever lost and forgotten.

  Pulling myself up I barely make it as the brick is indeed yanked out by my hammer head, falling down the quarry. The thud echoes from the ancient brick hitting the polished marble; all I can imagine is a crack which would produce a skull falling from the same height on the same surface.

  “Phew.”

  “Good, good. I was expecting worse.”

  No sign of a corpse, only the well dried out liquid that was left here the last time.

  As I drag my sneaker over the dark brown layer that is blood and acid mixture it goes easily off. If I had a broom right now I could easily swipe this place to the original state.

  Even from the distance of an archway I can tell that the basin is dry and empty.

  Resting my hammer over one of the four walls I walk towards the archway and grab the red bricks lining the opening and lean out of the window.

  “One, two, three, four, five.”

  Archways scattered on the opposite wall of a tall sandstone structure in a random pattern yet aesthetically pleasing, one above the other.

  That means four are on my side, totalling nine. Leaning out from the archway my head turned upwards I’m blinded by the sun and my head spins as I gaze down to the quarry.

  “Ugh.” I exhale and close my eyes, swing back in the room and press my forehead with my hand.

  The closest entrance is about above the room I’m in right now.

  Putting my arms behind my back I start to walk in a circle.

  One or two rounds and an idea sparks, zero hesitation and I summon the beast.

  *Snap*

  *Poof*

  As always, followed by a dust cloud a semi-transparent white cat appears out of the thin air.

  Not wasting any time I start asking right away.

  “Hey buddy!” I try to pat his head and greet him friendly.

  “I know, I know, we will visit the statue of your master as soon as it’s feasible and upgrade, don’t worry.”

  “I just need a little help from you right now.”

  “Meow.” He responds and I for a moment think if he was indeed speaking before or not and it was only my imagination.

  “The second basin, is it above or not?” I ask with a worried expression, knowing the time flies.

  *Swoosh*

  Without a single word the cat strides up and through the ceiling.

  I exhale and feel relieved.

  Before I even walk towards my hammer the spirit is back.

  “Yes. Meow.”

  “Just, err like that? Somewhere here, let's say?” I point my finger up over the basin in this room.

  “Meow.”

  “Like right above? Are you serious?” I ask, my eyebrows raised upwards.

  “Meow.”

  “Okay, good. Well, thanks.” I lower my sight.

  “And, is this ceiling penetrable, let’s say by my hammer over there?” I continue, revealing my plan.

  “Might be.” He answers right away.

  Exhaling with almost a laugh, I have mixed emotions, I feel guilty for being an asshole to this sentient yet somehow still simple being and on the other hand I feel that a strong bond could be crafted in between us.

  “Thank you! Thanks a lot. Pocco.” I smile at him, trying to pat his back, saying his name after a small pause.

  The fur materializes at the spots I touch and a handful of floating twinkling dust comes out as I do.

  “Our time is almost up I believe, thanks again and say hi to the second being using the Well besides me.”

  I continue optimistically, thinking that I’m a part of a secret club.

  “There is a third.”

  *Poof*