บท 10: Gains...
~Omniscient Pov~
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"Argh~"
Yohan awoke to the sound of muffled voices... His vision was blurry, and his head throbbed as he slowly regained consciousness. He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of where he was. But, the sterile smell of antiseptic hit his nose—'a hospital room?' He thought.
His limbs felt extremely heavy, like they'd been weighed down by some kind of invisible chain, but as his senses sharpened, he noticed someone sitting beside him. It was Ciest, her face etched with a mixture of worry and frustration.
"You're awake!" she said, her voice soft, audible yet firm, "Haha... You really don't know how to take it easy, do you?"
Yohan tried to speak, but his throat was dry, so he just gave a weak smile. He shifted slightly in the bed, feeling the soreness all over his body, especially his arms and legs.
"I had to save someone..." he rasped, his voice barely audible.
Ciest sighed, shaking her head. "You're reckless. You could've died out there." She paused, eyes narrowing. "And what were you thinking, going up against a juvenile Skrawl alone?"
Yohan grinned weakly. "I didn't have much of a choice. Plus... I won, didn't I?"
She leaned back, crossing her arms, clearly not impressed. "Barely. If it weren't for that woman you rescued calling for help, you could've been lying there a lot longer."
He looked around himself for a moment... "H-How long have I been out?" Yohan asked, slowly sitting up despite the protest from his body.
"A day so far. The medics said you'd be fine after some rest; but you need to stop overusing your energy like that. You're going to burn yourself out one day, and no one will be around to save you."
Yohan nodded, though inwardly he knew he couldn't promise that. Situations like that one... they just happened. He couldn't stand by and do nothing, especially not when a life was at stake. He glanced over at Ciest, her concern still clear on her face, but something else was lingering too...
"You saw it, didn't you?" Yohan asked quietly, a video of that must have gotten leaked... "The fight."
Ciest hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I did. And for what it's worth... I was very impressed. You're far stronger than I thought, Yohan. But strength alone isn't enough."
He nodded, not wanting to back talk his older friend...
"Where's my mother?" Yohan asked, his voice still weak but steady. He knew she had to be close, especially after everything so far.
Ciest gave him a slight smile, glancing towards the door. "She's right here, Yohan."
Before he could even respond, his mother rushed into the room, her face a mix of worry and relief. "YOHAN!" She grabbed his hand gently, her voice trembling. "I've been so scared. Don't you ever do something like that again!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, her grip tightening.
Yohan managed a small, tired smile. "I-I'm okay, Mom... really." He felt that seeing his mother cry was more painful than what he was feeling now. A man should never allow his mother to cry for him, especially not out of worry...
But inside, he knew that promise was going to be hard to keep.
Yohan's mother squeezed his hand, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions—relief, anger, fear. "You say that now... but you could've been killed! What were you thinking?"
He exhaled slowly, not really having a good answer. "I couldn't just stand by and let her die, Mom. You know I couldn't."
She sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead. "I know... but you're all I have left. You can't just throw yourself into danger like that."
Her words hit him harder than expected, and for a moment, he felt the weight of the situation in a new way. He had put himself in danger for a stranger, but what about the people who cared about him? What about his mom?
"I'll... I'll be more careful next time," he said, meaning it more this time...
Ciest watched quietly from the side, clearly relieved that Yohan was alright but keeping her distance as she let them have their moment...
However, as he was trying his best to reassure her, he could see his panel window pop-up infront of his eyes... His eyes flashed with surprise, however, he left it alone for now, giving his mother the attention she needed.
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After an hour of speaking with his mother, he finally got some needed time alone... Without wasting anymore of said time; he could see the panel of the Skrawl he had defeated, and from what he could see, he was more than surprised...
______________________
Entity: [Skrawl] Race: [Skrawl – Aberrant Beast] Height: [278 cm]
Lifespan: [100-300 years]
Physique; None
Skills Tab: Active Skills (Toggleable);
Forearm Blades {A-}: Allows the wielder to manipulate their own bones to create hardened blades made out of bones while emerging from the back of the forearms that are +200% tougher than the user's endurance stat. Costs none. If broken it will regenerate based on the user's regeneration rate...
Passive Skills;
Super Dense Bones {A+}: The Skrawls are notoriously tough creatures, their bones are much denser than what most creatures could hope to possess for their physiology... Increases Bones density by +500%.
Solid Organs {B+}: The Skrawl's organs are much tougher than normal creatures. Organs are now +300% stronger than normal.
Dark Vision {B}: Grants the ability to see clearly in low-light environments, providing combat effectiveness in darkness or shadowed areas.
Dense Hide {A}: The Skrawl's body is like a thick, hardened flesh-like hide, reducing incoming physical damage by +400%. Provides excellent resistance against slashing, piercing, and blunt force attacks.
Ludicrous Stamina {A++}: Increases Stamina by +350% and stamina regeneration rate by
Dense Muscle fibers {A-}: Increases Muscle density by +150%, allowing you a comprehensive increase in all physical stats, as well as toughness.
Ravenous Regeneration {A+}: The Skrawl can regenerate lost tissue at a rapid rate, healing minor wounds in seconds and grave injuries; such as stab wounds, and lost limbs at the cost of energy (may vary)... Base recovery rate is +40% faster than normal...
Enhanced Hearing {C++}: Increases hearing capabilities by +100%...
Talents Tab;
Absurd height {S}: Provides a future increase in height between 240 cm to 278 cm...
Multi-Cored {S++}: Skrawls may have low Base energy levels. However, they make up by having far more energy cores than normal creatures. Adds +3 energy Cores...
Hunting Instincts {B}: Enhances tracking ability through scent and vibration detection, providing a +25% boost to accuracy when pursuing prey. This also sharpens perception of nearby threats...
Predator's Endurance {A-}: Skrawl's muscles and organs are built for relentless hunting, granting +30% resistance to fatigue and enabling longer periods of high exertion without slowing down.
_______________________
Yohan scanned through what he saw, and the more he did so, the more he wondered... 'How the hell did I win against this thing!?'
~
Johnathon sat alone in his chair, sipping what seemed to be wine. His gaze distant as he swirled the glass in his hand... The quiet around him was almost unnerving, a stark contrast to the clash of swords only a few days ago.
His mind kept wandering back to Yohan—how his friend had changed so dramatically in such a short time... 'It shouldn't be possible...' He thought to himself. But, it was.
He took another sip, the wine's warmth doing little to ease the knot in his chest. Yohan was improving, faster than anyone had expected. But there was something unsettling about it. How did someone so talentless before, suddenly rise to a point where they could put up a fight? Not just with anyone, but with him.
Johnathon's grip tightened around the glass, his knuckles turning white. The video of Yohan fighting the Skrawl played over and over in his mind. The way he moved, the precision in his strikes—it didn't make sense. Yohan had faced something that should have torn him apart, a creature whose strength far exceeded anything he should've been able to handle. Yet, there he was, not just surviving but fighting with a skill that didn't belong to someone his age, or at his level.
Johnathon exhaled sharply, setting the glass aside. 'No one jumps from barely holding a sword to that level in mere days.' His mind raced as he recalled every detail, every movement Yohan had made. It wasn't just dumb luck or some fluke... Yohan was improving faster than anyone should be able to. It was almost like he'd absorbed years of experience in an instant.
It wasn't normal, it seemed as if Yohan had talent comparable to even himself...
'No! That's not possible...' But that wasn't the strangest part of it all. The calmness in Yohan's expression as he fought, as if he was in control the entire time, that was what truly bothered Johnathon. It wasn't normal.
'What the hell could you be hiding, Yohan...'
~
~Omniscient Pov, a few days Later~
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Yohan sat up, feeling a rush of relief wash over him as the nurse finished checking his vitals. "Alright, you're all set. You may leave," she smiled, her cheerful demeanor lightening his mood a bit.
"Thanks," he replied, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The past few days in the hospital had been, interesting, but he felt good—better than good, actually. As he stood up, he felt the strength in his muscles having returned, his body was in good enough shape to do what he needed it to.
Stepping out into the corridor, he spotted Ciest leaning against the wall, waiting for him with a concerned expression. "Hey, are you really okay?" she asked, her brow furrowed.
"Yeah, I'm fine! Just a little sore," he assured her, a grin breaking across his face, "I can't wait to get back to training."
Ciest raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "You mean getting into more trouble?"
"Maybe," he chuckled, "but I've got to keep improving, right?"
"Just don't take on any more Skrawls alone, okay?" she said, a mix of seriousness and playfulness in her tone.
"I promise..." he replied, his tone shifting slightly. "But if I'm going to get stronger, I'll need to push myself... I won't always have you around to save me when these times come."
As they walked out of the hospital, Yohan took out his phone, his mind already on his mother...
"Hello? Yohan?" He heard. He smiled, "Yeah, mom, they said I could go home... Thought I'd call before I showed up."
"Oh, that's great! Alright, I'll prepare something for you, okay? Just… just get home safe?"
Yohan could hear the worry in her voice, a reminder of how much she cared. "I promise, Mom. I'm with Ciest right now, and we're just leaving the hospital."
"Ciest? That's good to hear. Make sure she watches out for you!" His mother's tone shifted to that familiar mix of motherly concern and gentle teasing.
"Always," he chuckled, glancing at Ciest, who was smirking at the exchange. "I'll be home soon. Can't wait for your cooking!"
"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear! I'll whip up your favorite, just like old times," she replied, her warmth filling the line.
"Can't wait!" he said, a sense of nostalgia washing over him. The thought of being home, surrounded by the familiar smells of his mother's cooking, was a comfort he deeply craved at the moment, the hospital food wasn't too pleasant...
Besides... He had one final stop before he headed home...
"Ciest, I think I'll take it from here, I need to be alone for a while..."
After a moment's hesitation, she nodded. "Alright, just… don't take too long. And if you need me, I'm just a call away." She had caught the hint. However, this was the first he had asked her to essentially give him space, usually, it was the opposite...
'Is this really him?' She looked at her friend one last time, and left.
~
Yohan on the other hand, walked away... Before long he had already arrived somewhere secluded. At least he thought so. "I finally get some alone time..." He sat on one of the debris around him. His eyes now focusing on the screen infront of him.
This was the first time he'd be absorbing this many perks at once... And so many high leveled ones at once...
He mentally prepped himself for the pain he was about to feel, he wished he could have absorbed them partially, 'Ok... Plunder.' However, he didn't even get the time to register the sheer pain he was undergoing.
He seized up instantly, "ARRRGHHHH!!!!!"
His muscles spasmed involuntarily as the energy coursed through him, ripping and reshaping at a speed he couldn't fully comprehend. He clenched his teeth, trying to ride out the storm, reminding himself of why he was doing this. Each wave of pain brought with it a flicker of power, the promise of strength that lay just beyond the agony.
Yohan's vision blurred, colors swirling as he fought to stay conscious, desperately focusing on the benefits he was about to gain... However, that didn't work. It was too much all at once. Unknown to him, pools of blood were coming out of his ears and nose.
The world around him faded, reduced to a haze of pain and determination as he continued the process, gripping the edge of the debris for support, but soon, he felt himself finally succumb to the darkness...
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END
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