He dropped the hilt that remained of the sword. "What a scam this was…" He sighed, shoving his hair back with his hand as drops of sweat trickled down his brow.
DING!
Aiden slowly turned his head towards the materializing system window.
[System]
-Congratulations, You Have Leveled Up!
-Congratulations, You Have Leveled Up!
-Congratulations, You Have Leveled Up!
+27 Strength
+21 Endurance
+14 Willpower
+ Mana Replenishing Potion
-Congratulations, You Have Defeated A [Standard Grade Creature On The Verge Of Breaking Into The Next Grade]
+11 Aura Crystals [Low-Grade]
+7 Aura Crystals [Standard Grade]
"Tch, tch. Who would have thought defeating a monster several times stronger than those reapers would give me a barely higher reward?" He clicked his tongue, clamping his hand over his scarred face in disappointment.
[System]
-Initiating Regression Mechanic.
"You know you could have done that before all this had happened?" He mumbled, his expression as cold as stone.
-Regression Mechanic Has Finished.
A swirling blue light emerged out of nowhere, repeatedly circling Aiden.
In an instant, it devoured him.
It was so fast, it gave Aiden no time to think.
"It was so long since I died, I started to forget about this pain I always experience during the process of regressing." He muttered, clutching his knees with his arms.
The injuries on his body started to disappear one by one.
A new eye materialized in his eye socket.
But the pain only increased.
Aiden's eyes turned blood red, a result of not blinking for so long.
After a long minute, the pain finally subsided.
His body felt lighter than ever.
Aiden's lips formed a sudden smile.
One that finally shows the peace he's getting, a peace that he will no longer experience.
A sudden light emerged from the end, blinding him.
That was the sign that the regression had finally ended.
He closed his eyes, letting the system do all the work.
After a while, he opened them again.
He found himself lying on the cold ground made of dirt.
He sighed as he looked at the massive castle in front of him. "Here we go again."
His bones ached as he stood up.
"It seems like I came back to the same location I died in. But this time, I won't pathetically die once again." He murmured, remembering that girl who absolutely decimated him in a single strike.
"I don't know how to deal with her, though." His fingers twitched out of frustration.
After a few seconds of thinking, he finally set foot on the castle's grounds.
Unexpectedly, this time, the footsteps have come much quicker.
It was too late to do anything. The woman has already noticed his presence.
"It seems like I was too late this time." He thought to himself as he maintained eye contact with the emerging woman.
"Oho, look what we have here, a lost puppy." She muttered, her lips formed a devilish smile.
In a flash, the woman was already behind Aiden.
Clamping her hands over his shoulders.
Her lips were inches away from Aiden's ear.
Her breath brushed against his skin.
She whispered. "You look tasty, too bad, I'm not hungry right now."
Aiden didn't flinch; he had already expected this exact interaction.
She turned away from him, leaving her back exposed.
"You really thought I'll let you live?" She mumbled; her voice rang through the hallway.
"Now!" Aiden said, ducking down, successfully avoiding the lightning-fast attack.
The woman's eyes widened, and she stood there, frozen in place. "Wha- No one has ever dodged my attack!"
Aiden didn't respond, glaring at her openly.
"Hah, I didn't expect such a cute puppy to be so strong." Her lips curled into an amused grin.
Once again, she appeared in front of Aiden in a flash.
This time, she was face-to-face with him.
"I like you." She whispered. Her face was inches away from Aiden's.
Aiden didn't react externally, but internally, his mind was in shambles. "Wha- What is this woman doing?!"
"I didn't expect this to happen?!"
"Get away from me!" He thought to himself.
"Haha, you really thought I'll do that, I know exactly what you're thinking." She mumbled, stepping back.
Then suddenly, she grabbed Aiden's hand with her own. "I took an interest in you. That's why I'm doing this. If you stay here, you'll ultimately die. I don't know why you came here in the first place. A sudden purple aura devoured them, trapping them both.
But the girl didn't flinch. Her eyes became purple colored.
"Is this your skill?" Aiden wondered, staring at her.
"Ah, yes! You guessed correctly! I knew you were smart." A grin expressed her face. Clearly satisfied with Aiden's question.
"So, what do you think about this skill?" She muttered, waiting for his answer.
But Aiden didn't pay mind to her; instead, a potion materialized in his hand.
He opened it and poured all of it straight into his mouth. He drank it in one single gulp.
RING!
[System]
-You Have Drunk One Mana Replenishing Potion [Rare] Worth 4 Aura Crystals [Standard Grade]
Mana: 0/25 –› 5/25
"Huh? What is that you're drinking? Is it some kind of love potion? Hm?" She whispered, and an excited smile covered her face.
But unexpectedly.
She didn't expect Aiden's next action.
"Huh-?" A confused expression took over as she looked down at her body.
A golden dagger was plunged deep inside her stomach.
She stood there, questioning what had just happened.
Then she looked back at Aiden, and her fingers tightened.
The purple orb she trapped themselves in began cracking.
Suddenly.
She attempted to throw a jab at Aiden.
Only to be stopped right on her tracks.
Aiden started vigorously twisting the dagger.
She dropped down on the ground.
Clutching the dagger.
But she wasn't gonna go down without a fight.
Her hand reached for Aiden's knee, piercing it with her nails.
Aiden didn't flinch; he had experienced pain far more intense than this.
SWOOCH!
His kneecap connected with her face, breaking her nose in the process.
By now, the orb has fully cracked.
Aiden clamped her hair into one single bunch and picked her up. He then threw her up in the air, then he rotated, striking her with a 360° kick mid-fall.
[System]
360° Kick Has Successfully Been Used.
The girl was sprawled on the ground.
Aiden materialized a second dagger and threw them both at her.
The girl shrieked in pain.
She shielded her body with her arms.
But she didn't expect to see a hundred other daggers emerge from a golden portal behind Aiden.
Her life flashed before her as the daggers flew towards her.
SHNK!
SHNK!
SHNK!
The girl was no longer alive.
"I'm gonna have to pass, you're just not my type of girl." He said, smirking at her dead body.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Aiden Cross
Age: 20
Level: 19
Race: Human
Status: Dead
Title(s): [The Broken One] -25% Mental Power | +10% Damage
[Inter-Dimensional Traveler] {In Use}
-Upon Usage-
+25 Strength-
+20 Agility-
+35 Intelligence-
Aura Color: Red
Aura Core: Low-Grade [Sealed]
Mana Color: Golden
Mana Core: Low-Grade
--- SKILLS ---
360° Kick (Lv 2) Mockery (Lv 2) Counter Flow (Lv 1 – Locked)
Fear Resistance (Passive Skill) (Lv 2)
--- USER STATS ---
STR: 132+27 | AGI: 91 | INT: 27 | END: 55+21
PER: 41 | WIL: 27+14 | CHA: 15
+25% Fear Resistance +10% Mental Power
HP: 450/450| Stamina:300/300 | Aura:--/45 | Mana: 25/25
EXP:0/100
Currency: 19 Aura Crystals
0 Aura Crystals [Faint]
11 Aura Crystals [Low Grade]
8 Aura Crystals [Standard Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Bright Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Radiant Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Pure Grade]