Chương 26: Chapter 25: Lost in the Waves
[You have completed the Achievement – Valor of the Frail.]
I saw a strange HUD appear afore me, but before I could make sense of it.
The voice spoke again.
[Bloodlust detected.]
I shivered suddenly and soon realized; I was back in the depths, the place where I drowned.
"HMM!"
I suddenly stopped breathing, trying to sustain myself with the little air I had.
SHIT!
The water raged like a violent whirlwind, knocking me from all sides. I struggled with all my might but a sharp pain from my left side elicited a cry; my right arm was still broken and the turbulent waves were jerking it around violently.
"ACK!"
That momentary slip was all that was needed for water to rush into my nose and mouth, filling me with a burning sensation.
Water rushed into my lungs, my chest tightened, and an extreme sense of panic engulfed my being.
I was drowning.
I cried out in pain but within the lake, it sounded like a stifled scream.
RWHOOSH! RWHOOSH!
The sound of tumultuous waves crashing against each other violently assaulted my eardrums but I couldn't hear them. The alarming situation I found myself in was too dire for me to bother about the sound of the waves, even my broken arm paled in comparison to the helplessness I felt in the vast body of water.
GOD! G-GOD HELP!
I cried out to the heavens, wanting someone...anyone to save me.
I flailed my arms and twisted my body; trying my best to fight against the raging waves but it was hopeless. In fact, it felt like the waves had wills of their own, existing with the sole purpose of crushing me.
The waves raged on brutalizing my mind, body and spirit.
I struggled and writhed, even when I could no longer breathe, I fought but...
In the end, I ultimately failed.
WHAM!
A powerful wave crashed into me with the force of a truck and I went limp instantly, my broken arm flailing in the water like a puppet dangling from strings. My breathing had stopped, my heart was stifled and my consciousness was tethering on the edge of vanishing.
I was at the end of the rope.
It's alright Dave...you've done enough...
Rest...
At that thought, a pale smile made its way to my face; A smile of acceptance.
It was true after all. I had survived something many couldn't, so I should be proud. I shouldn't be greedy and ask for more.
Yeah...just let go...
The fire in my soul was waning, mere minuscules away from extinguishing into a flurry of sparks.
But I didn't fight back.
I didn't resist.
In this harrowing moment, the only thing I yearned for was the gift of death.
A sweet promise to be relieved from this pain...even if everything I had come to love and want will be ruthlessly torn away from me.
Even if I would never see my friends and family again. Even if I would never see Kansola again...
There... it is...
I saw it...a white door.
A door to euphoria. A door which if I crossed will spell the end of my pain.
Yes...
I reached forward to it, a face of relief coming to my face as I approached the white phantasm.
Yes...free me...
Free me...
From this pain!
I jumped towards the door, desperate to cross it. Desperate to witness the world of bliss hidden behind the door and savor it.
Huh?
But just before I could cross the frame, a voice reached me.
"DAVE!"
I opened my eyes and looked at the source. The instant I witnessed the source I widened my eyes in disbelief.
It was Vicki.
Beholden by waves, a damsel in white came into view.
She grabbed hold of my hand and instantly, I could breathe again.
"HA...!"
I swallowed in a bundle of air, completely ignoring a strange lace on her neck.
"V-vicki!? Wha? How?", I fumbled, completely and utterly bamboozled.
She simply brought a hand to my lips.
I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression but I didn't ask further. I was too broken anyway, in fact, the moment I felt even an ounce of relief, I collapsed.
The last thing I witnessed was Vicki raising her hand up, the sound of an explosion erupting and then a world of endless black.
...
"D-da-!"
"Dav-!"
"DAVE!"
I jolted up instantly, awakening to the view of a canopy of tall trees and a bed of tasteful flora.
It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't dreaming, before I suddenly took in a mouthful of air and started panting wildly.
I looked around and then used my hands to feel my body.
Am alive!
I suddenly remembered something and looked at my left hand; it was completely healed.
"Wha-", I froze and then turned to Vicki with wide eyes, "D-did you h-heal me?"
She stared at me for a moment and then scoffed, "Of course not."
"T-then h-how?", I stuttered in complete disbelief.
My body which was previously terribly mangled was suddenly healed without a trace of a single injury.
"I don't know! Check your stats!"
I stared at her for a moment, and then froze, "Uh..."
Vicki glared at me with an annoyed expression and said, "Just say 'Stats'!"
I immediately did as I was instructed.
"Stats!"
Instantly, a brightly-lit HUD came into view.
[Name:] Dave
[Epithet:]???
[Level:] 2
[EXP:] 0/100
[Skills:] Saturation, Appraisal, Ease of Learning, Persuasion, Seduction, Artistic Sense, Ice Affinity, Blood Factor
[Aliases:] Davy Frosty, Master of the Arts
[Debuffs:] Dysfunctional Right Hand, Weakness, Ease of Learning, Gayshit
[Achievements:] Valor of the Frail
"WHAT?!"
Instantly, I recoiled.
HOW?!
I stared at three things.
[Skills:] Saturation, Appraisal, Ease of Learning, Persuasion, Seduction, Artistic Sense, Ice Affinity, Blood Factor
Blood Factor...?
I wanted to check it out but my crap attention span brought my eyes to the next line.
[Achievements:] Valor of the Frail
Achievements...?
The two new additions to my stats seemed truly exciting but none gave me more profound joy than this one.
[Level:] 2
"I leveled up!", I exclaimed with profound joy but then turned to Vicki, "How...?"
She stared at me for a moment and then said, "How am I supposed to know?"
My face fell a little at her remark, but then I realized something.
"Where are we?"
"We are back in the Wyvern Woods...look.", she pointed in a certain direction. I turned my head towards where she was pointing and paled.
It was the lake.
Resting in tranquility, I stared at it and suddenly a sudden urge began to encroach my mind.
Huh...
But then immediately, Vicki pulled my head away, "Don't look at it."
I looked away with a dark expression.
Oh...right, it's the cursed lake...
"How...did we get out? Is it because of that?"
I glanced at the necklace she had on her neck; it looked like miniature hourglass with a chain.
She looked at it, using her right hand to cradle it, a smile eliciting on her face.
"Yes...it was because of this...Empty Dial..."
I raised an eyebrow, "That's what it's called? Empty Dial?"
"Funny, right?"
I stared at her and then narrowed my eyes at it, "Where did you get that?"
Vicki glanced at me and sighed, "It's a long story...Empty Dial...this thing...it has the power to create forcefields based on my level..."
"Forcefields...?"
"Yes...forcefields, that's how I saved you."
"Then how did we escape?"
"That's the thing.", she paused and then continued, "Empty Dial has the ability to both create forcefield and expand them..."
Oh!
My eyes suddenly widened as I grasped what she meant, "So that blast...it was you?"
"Yes...I poured everything I had into that explosion..."
My face turned skeptical at her words, "You don't look spent..."
Vicki smiled and said wistfully, "Dave...ever since we escaped the water we've been out for five days."
I froze, "What?!"
She looked down and began to explain,
"When we broke the surface of the lake, our classmates came after us...they were being mind- controlled...I had to pull you all the way to the lake's shore and use Empty Dial again to get us out but even that wasn't easy. The lake was relentless and terrifying! The water turned black and the lake suddenly seemed to take strange shapes, trying to bring us into its maws but in the end, I escaped..."
She paused as tears trickled down her eyes, "But...but...our classmates didn't..."
My gaze darkened and I looked down.
Fuck!
Tears streamed down her eyes as she sobbed in agony.
"I tried my best..."
HIC! HIC!
I stared at her with solemn eyes, my heart aching.
Vicki...
Moved by her tears, I embraced her and doing my best to comfort her but ultimately ended up bursting into tears as well.
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