-First Person Pov Mikey Martinez-
[Time 4:07 PM]
I push open the sliding door of the cabin, i hear the wood creaking as I step in. I can smell the must of old wood mixed with a hint of decay. 'Damn this place is old as hell.'
As I walk in the cabin and I hear a low, guttural growl that echoes from the darkness. I pull my brass knuckles out of my inventory.
Without warning, the sliding door slams shut and, a hunched, pale figure lunges at me. I weave, and jagged its claws scrape against the wooden wall behind me.
The demon charges again, with its claws outstretched, aiming for my throat. I strike its claws I hear a crack as it's attack still powers through, parried my attack.
In one motion, I drive an uppercut straight into its jaw. I feel its bone cracks, and the creature's head snaps back as it crashes into the wooden floor. 'Bit of a close one.'
I keep my guard up. The demon recovers quickly, in anger it lunges again. I sidestep its swipe and counter with a right hook to its ribs and I hear a sickening crack as it's pushed back.
I pause for a split second, watching demon's regenerative abilities kick in. 'Incredible.' I watch as its ribs repair themselves. 'It looks like it's ribs just got knitted back together or something.'
It cackles, licking the blood from its previous split lips. "You hit hard, human... but you can't kill me." I resist rolling my eyes 'What kind of generic shit is this.' it recovers and lunges again.
I sidestep its clumsy strike and deliver a right hook covered in a small percentage of mana to its face caving it in. The force sends its body slamming against the wooden wall causing it to splinter, making the entire cabin shudder.
[-1 Mana]
I walk forward, not wasting time as the creature twitches on the floor. I can see its healing factor healing it again. 'I imagined this would be harder.'
I get on top of it just as its caved-in skull finishes mending. "Hiya there, pal," I say with a smirk. The demon's eyes widen in horror as I drive another punch into its face my fist covered with blood.
[-1 Mana]
'This guy's pretty weak must've transformed a little while ago.' My focus goes back to the demon, and I see its head has almost fully healed.
When I'm about to strike again, the sound of a sob reaches my ears. I quickly scan the empty cabin. 'Where?.' I glance back down at the demon. Tears are rolling down its face.
"I... I didn't want this," it whispers. Great it's crying. "I was just a farmer. A simple man-" before he can continue I grabbed his mouth pull his head and slam it against the floorboards.
His jaw dislocates, his cheekbone caves in further. I watch the bones shift, healing like it's nothing. "That's rough buddy."
I look around the cabin and see signs that this was once a home, futons old and tattered, pushed into the corner. A low wooden table, broken in half. A few scattered bowls, covered in dust.
The demon groans beneath me, its throat rattling as it tries to speak again. I sigh. "You're not gonna let this go, huh?" I let go of its mouth.
It wheezes, its voice strained. "Please... just listen... I don't wanna die with nobody knowing my story..."
I don't move. I just watch as the broken bones in its face snap back into place, its sunken cheek filling out, its jaw realigning with a pop.
"My wife... she loved flowers," it murmurs, voice softer now. "She had this garden. Always said she wanted our home to smell like spring, even in the dead of winter." He sounds defeated. 'How do you get flowers in winter?'
I look over at a slightly opened closet and see the end of a spade shovel and an edge of a bucket and see a few old, dried flower petals spilled over.
"Man I'm- hgk" I feel a pair of hands wrap around my throat squeezing tightly with the thumbs digging into my windpipe. I then feel pulled around slammed into the floor.
[-20 Health]
I grab its thumbs and pry its hands off me and grab its wrists holding its arms in place making a quick decision I let go of its left arm and hit its abdomen with a cross jab stunning it.
Before it can speak again, I pull my fist back use mana and strike its neck, severing its head. I then grab its head and one of its legs, dragging its body out into the sunlight.
The moment the sunlight touches the demons skin, His flesh ignites, turning black and peeling away. I just stare at him with a blank expression as he claws weekly at my leg.
[-1 Health]
[+100 EXP +120 Gold]
[LEVEL UP! 10 Stat Points Granted]
[Mission Completed Distributing awards...]
[Brass Knuckles upgraded to Nichirin, p.s you may remove upgrades from your gear and add them back.]
[Skill Granted, Total Concentration Breathing: Total Concentration Breathing is a breathing technique Using Total Concentration Breathing essentially enhances the user's physical traits. Such traits include superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, and endurance by +250%. [Level 1. EXP 0/100]
[Evolutionary Process, Accelerated Healing, Street Fighting, and Mana Manipulation have leveled up.]
[Street Fighting: Street fighting Involves fast, brutal strikes with little emphasis on formality Often combined with grappling or improvised weapons. Speed and strength increased by 20% while in combat. [Level 2. 10/100 EXP]
[Mana Manipulation: The ability to control the flow of your Mana and channel it to carry out certain functions AKA Techniques and Spells. Mana used to activate Spells and Techniques is now divided by 1.5. [Level 2. EXP 0/100]
[Evolutionary Process: A passive power that enhances him via accelerating the evolution process by triggering a bodily recovery system, restructuring the genome and upgrading to a better physical form. This can bring new physical changes and enhancements and/or extra parts, Which he can deactivate and activate instantly on command. Requirements needed to Evolve are reduced by 10%. [Level 2. EXP 30/100]
[Accelerated Healing: A sub power developed in order to recover faster it boosts his natural healing process to an extreme degree. It Heals 18 Health Per Second. [Level 2. EXP 30/100]
[Good job Mikey. ; )]
I don't respond to be honest i'm not really sure what to think right now. Part of me feels bad for him while the other part of me is thinking 'fuck that guy'.
"Good job minion!" I feel Inosuke give me a hard smack on my back. "I trained you well..." ...
I look at where the demon once was, 'System. I kinda feel... like bad for doing that.' I gotta admit that part about his wife tugged my heart strings.
[Why.]
'You know, he was human, he had a wife and probably kids...'
[Pretty sure he just made that up to catch you off guard.]
'To be honest... if I was about to die, I would've done the same.' I admitted shamelessly.
[Well worry not that was the first of many you'll get used to it.]
'Great.' That did not make me feel better... I wanted my protagonist moment.
[You're not Tanjiro, Mikey.]
"MINION! GET WALKING ALREADY!" I look at Inosuke in the distance and start walking towards him. 'I need to stop spacing.'
-Time Skip-
The rest of the day went pretty smoothly me and Inosuke just got back from hunting. "Lord Inosuke..." He looked up from me with a full mouth, he was eating a bird... 'It looks unseasoned...'
I see him swallow the food in his mouth with a big lump going down his throat. "Minion are you going to eat that?" He looks at my cooked fish.
"Go ahead lord Inosuke." I slide the leaf plate toward him. He doesn't even wait a second to devour the fish with me hearing a giggle. 'Feels weird not being hungry...'
"Hey lord Inosuke I was wondering where your family is... why are you out here alone?" I already know I'm honestly just trying to make conversation it feels weird sitting here in silence.
"My family is back on my mountain." He tosses aside the undesired parts of the fish, he then finishes his sentence. "And I'm going somewhere to test my strength."
"Oh yea? Where?"
"Mount Fumicasame" He replied confidently.
...Mount what? "Right well can I accompany you?" He must be talking about Final Selection.
"A com-pan-E?" He looked at me confused.
"I mean, can I come with you?." I responded.
"Of course you can!" He said happily. 'How nice-' "I need bait and I can't think of anything better than you minion."
"...right."
After that little weird moment we go to sleep... well he does I just lay there talking to the system.
[You just got here Mikey.]
'I'm still homesick... Status please.'
[Level: 2
EXP: 0/200
Health: 100/100; 1 Recovered Per Minute
Stamina: 100/100; 1 Recovered Per Minute
Mana: 100/100; 1 Recovered Per Minute
Physical Strength= 2200 Pounds
Damage Reduction = 0.001%
Speed= 27 MPH
Mana Strength= 2 Metric Tons
IQ= 130
Cooldown Reduction = -1%
Critical Multiplier = 1.5x
Crit Chance = 2%
Gold, EXP, and Items Per Kill Bonus = 2x
(10 Stat Points Available)
-Vitality Points 1 → 3
-Strength Points 1 → 5
-Dexterity Points 1.
-Agility Points 1 → 5
-Mind Points 1
-Coolness Points 1
-Luck Points 1
-Special Points 1
Health Increased from 100 to 300, Health recovery increased from 1 HP Per Min to 3 HP Per Min.
Strength Increased from 2200 Pounds to 11k pounds/4.9 Metric tons.
Speed Increased from 27 MPH to 135 MPH, Stamina Increased from 100 to 500, Stamina Recovery Increased from 1 Per Min to 5 Per Min.]
'There we go I'll focus on physical stats for now then I'll upgrade the other stuff.' I close my eyes and wait for the day.
I feel so empty... Usually I wouldn't be able to stay this still without needing stimulation from my phone or something.
'Hey system can you put me to sleep until Inosuke wakes up.'
[As you wish, Goodnight Mikey.]
I feel a warm feeling, embrace my body as everything goes black as all noise goes quiet.
.
.
.
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Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. Just graduated and had to search for a job, Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please tell me what you think.