CHAPTER 2: THE NEED FOR STRENGTH

It took me a couple minutes to center myself and stable my heart rate, my mind was spinning and racing at a million miles per hour. I couldn’t help it, this great mind of mine was both a gift and a curse as there was no way to shut it off or stop my brain from thinking.

I took in everything, every claw mark, every splatter of blood on the floor, I could notice the bodies that were beginning to decay fast.

But, I had one thing at the back of my mind. That mysterious system. It was a leveling system and it seems the universe had thrown me a lifeline to finally grow stronger.

But is it even possible especially considering how weak I am? Can I attain the strength required to protect my twin siblings?.

I stood still in what remained of the towns square, the Awakening stone pulsed with Arcane energy faintly even though it had lots of debris scattered all over it.

I stared at the glowing panel hovering before me, my heart pounding with a mix of hope and dread. Whatever happened to me while the Reapers were taking care of the Shadow creatures, I’m sure it changed something inside me. If not I wouldn’t be able to see this holographic screen dancing in front of me.

It was my lifeline— the system. My escape from this prison I call my body, this weak frame of bones and flesh. To protect Percy and Jackson. But, what it showed me wasn’t what I’d expected.

Before the tragedy struck, everyone that had performed the ritual got a class. Pyromancers who could conjure fire from thin air, Cryomancers who could freeze rivers, warriors with blades that swung as they commanded. Clear paths to power.

Me? I got nothing. Just a string of glitching symbols like this ∆∆()ΩΩ. No one around saw it because they were busy trying to look for survivors.

A cold wave of hard disbelief washed over me and every hope I had crashed and burned.

Was this a mistake? Was I hallucinating when I was in that endless expanse? Did the system itself not know what to make of me?

I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself so as to not draw attention.

I turned my gaze toward the glowing screen and swiped with a flick of my fingers, pulling up my stats.

~Strength: 4~

~Agility: 5~

~Endurance: 3~

~Intelligence: 44~

~Memory: 47~

The top three stats were laughable, barely scraping anything close to double digits. With Strength and Endurance like that I’d collapse swinging a sword or trip running from danger.

But the other stats? It was a fortress. My Intelligence and memory were far beyond normal, a gift I’d always known but never fully appreciated until now.

The system seemed to hum with the recognition of it, as if it saw what others didn’t.

Ding!

A new notification blinked.

~3 points have been awarded for awakening.~

It wasn’t much, but it was mine to shape.

I stepped down from the Awakening stone platform and started making my way out of the square while still staring at the interface.

My focus was on my Intelligence which was my Strength, but a sharp mind wouldn’t stop a Shadow monster’s claw or a direct blast of Anti-Arcane energy at my face. I dumped all three points into Endurance.

~Endurance: 6~

The panel updated as I scratched the base of my chin and watched as a troop of medical team rushed past me on horse backs heading towards the town square.

I ducked out of their way, I needed to survive long enough to learn what this system could do.

Closing the screen with a swipe down of my finger, I glanced at the new adventurers that had just been awakened— Stormcallers, blade dancers, shield bearers. They flexed their newfound powers, laughing and already dreaming of gate conquests.

I forged on my path with their cheers fading behind me. My journey was way different than theirs because this system was a puzzle and I have to solve it alone.

At home, Percy and Jackson barreled into me with their small face filled with hope.

"Levi, what’d you get?" Percy asked, bouncing on his toes like an overweight frog. Jackson tugged on my sleeve with wide eyes like a homeless rat. "Something awesome, right?"

I forced a grin as my chest tightened. "Yeah, something special," I lied, descending to ruffle their hair. I just couldn’t let them see my doubt or let them see how useless and worthless I am, they deserved a brother who could keep them safe, not one who came home with more question marks than he left.

In the following days, I dove deeper into the system, testing its rules. And I came to realize that it didn’t reward me for slaying Shadow creatures and gaining the magical stones within them, it rewarded me for solving cunning riddles, outsmarting obstacles or even memorizing gate lore by giving me Experience points. It was as if the system was built specifically for me, for the boy who’d spent years reading while other trained.

To test it further, I ventured to the town’s edge, where stray shadow creatures sometimes wandered from Gates Reapers failed to seal. My first test subject was a Skitterfang, a dog-type Shadow creature with jagged teeth in its mandibles and a very nasty temper.

Under normal circumstances, a monster like that would have been dangerous for someone with my low stats.

But I was unlike any other, I didn’t rely on strength, speed or agility.

The Skitterfang lunged at me, snarling with killing intent. This was a good sign because these Shadow creatures were drawn to anything that had Arcane Energy in them, as they possessed negative Arcane energy they would always try to cancel out Arcane energy.

So, for the Skitterfang to attack me, that would mean I possess some level of Arcane energy.

I narrowly avoided its sharp teeth and didn’t engage directly, instead I focused on studying the creature, memorizing its attack patterns. Each time it moved, I anticipated its next action, staying one second a step ahead of it.

I cataloged it in my mind, every twitch, every snarl. It created a scenario of predictability in my mind like a highlight reel.

After several unsuccessful attacks from the shadow creature, I found my opening.

I grabbed a sturdy stick from the ground and timed my strike perfectly, hitting the Shadow creature on its snout, where its guard was weakest.

The strike wasn’t powerful by any stretch, but it was precise and a precise strike to a weak point could cripple any creature— I was aware of that fact.

The dog-like Shadow creature staggered confused to the ground, black shadowy mist oozing from the puncture I made on its face.

I repeated the tactic, using my intellect and quick thinking to outmaneuver the creature. After a few more well timed hits, the Shadow creature collapsed, it was about regenerating when I use a thick wooden branch to hit the location of its life source— a magical, Anti-arcane stone embedded in its forehead, knocking out the crescent shaped object and killing the creature instantly.

I stood there staring at the stone on the ground while the creature evaporated into a mist of shadows and disappeared. This was the first time I had killed anything much less a Shadow creature.

I picked up the Anti-Arcane gem and it dissolved into my palm, just that second the system chimed with a notification.

~Converting Anti-Arcane into Arcane...~

~Conversion complete~

~Plus 50 XP!~

~You have levelled up~

A rush of energy coursed through me like a river filling its dried up banks, I gasped in euphoria as I had never felt this feeling before, it was almost orgasmic or even feeling like a high.

Another three points were allocated to me for my stats, this time I chose to balance it by putting one point into Strength and into Agility and another into Endurance.

My physical abilities were still far from impressive, and the points I was given weren’t much, but with compounding, it was sure to make a difference.

I wasn’t like the others, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t grow. I had my mind, my strategy and this mysterious, unnamed system to guide me.

Each level up would make me just a tee-bit stronger as I use this to forge a path that only I can walk, for Percy and Jackson, for my lost parents who I know are still out there somewhere waiting to be rescued.

For the first time ever in my life, I felt like I had a chance. I felt like I had the power to protect my loved ones.

It wouldn’t not be easy, I’m damn sure of that. The road would be long and dangerous and I would think of quitting from time to time, but one thing I’m sure of is that...

I’ll never quit, until I’m strong!

I hate how worthless I am, I want strength! And this system will help me get it.

The world would soon see what happens when someone with an intellect like mine enters a gate.