"Why the hell is my luck so rotten? It's just one thing after another," I thought, gritting my teeth as I held myself. My insides were hurting.
The weather was becoming more and more restless. Clouds were thundering like crazy, emitting golden electric pulses.
The various bolts of thunder began to gather at the center, just above my head.
"Don't tell me it's gonna hit—" and just like that, my fear became reality as the thunder struck me directly on the forehead.
I felt my bones shattering, skin burning, and blood boiling—turning into vapor.
"Pain tolerance levelled up"
"Pain tolerance reached maximum level"
"Host is in critical condition...
Blessing of Ruru activated."
An oceanic blue-colored translucent spirit came out of my body and covered me completely, healing all of my injuries. It was different from when I got cured by Amrita water, which hurt like crazy—this didn't hurt at all.
The wind finally began to slow down, and the clouds began to clear out, revealing the starry sky and the pair of white and bloody moons beneath.
"Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Soul-Body Synchronization.
You have unlocked your attribute.
Your authority rises.
You have unlocked a new feature: Stats."
"Huff... huff... huff..." I breathed heavily, holding my chest.
"You saved my life again, Ruru," I said, turning my face toward her, who was standing several feet away from me.
I slowly got up and looked at my surroundings.
There was a large crater at the point where I was sitting. It was good thing I was sitting a few feet back from the edge of cliff or I would have fallen down along with cliff.
Well... forget about that. Let's look into the goodies I got.
"Vivi open the Home screen," I said, my eyes gleaming in excitement.
"Initiating Host's request..."
"Host's Name: Raj
Age: 21
Title: The Awakener
Stats:
Strength: 201 Agility: 67
Stamina: 346 Defense: 80(+400)
Attribute: Lightning
Skills:
– All-Devouring Breathing Technique: Level 4 (New)
– Voice of Tranquility: Level 1
– Pain Tolerance(Passive): Level max
– Advanced Mace Skill: Max Level
– Unshakable Mind (Passive): Level 5"
"Wow, there are so many new things here," I gasped, looking at the window.
My strength and stamina were good, but my agility was a total disaster. Well, it was obvious—since I wasn't any fighter before coming here, I relied more on attacking rather than dodging.
Now that I looked at it, I realized why—even after major battles—I didn't get any serious injuries below my neck.
Those 400 points in my defense... they must be due to these clothes I was wearing. They absorbed most of the attacks and defended me.
But the stat that stood out the most was Attribute. It stated that I had a lightning-type attribute, but I had no idea how to use it.
"Vivi, tell me—how can I use my attribute?" I asked.
"Try to bring the Soulforce out of your body through the dantian."
"Huh?! That's it?" I spoke in confusion.
"Well... here goes nothing," I said as I tried to move the Soulforce out.
Since there was a clear path connecting the Soulforce with my core, it happened in a split second with just a single thought. Small electric pulses began to come out of my hand.
I got startled and suddenly moved my hand—and a golden lightning bolt shot out, striking the branch of a nearby tree.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" I gasped in amazement.
"Ruru, did you just see what I did?" I shouted, pointing at the branch, my mouth wide open.
She tilted her head in confusion. She had been sleeping, so she didn't notice.
"Let me do it again. Ruru, don't blink or you might miss it," I said as I swung my hand again.
But there was one thing I was forgetting—my aiming skills were absolutely the worst.
The lightning bolt launched directly at Ruru's tail.
She immediately jumped, saving her skin, and roared at me in anger.
"Oops, my bad," I muttered, smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of my head.
She turned her face away aggressively, throwing a tantrum.
"Hey, hey, Ruru, please don't get mad at me," I said as I moved closer to her face.
She turned her face in the other direction again.
I sat down, burying my head into my knees and began sobbing.
"Ruru won't talk to me... sob I hurt Ruru's feelings... sob sob Ruru hates me now..."
She slowly turned her face toward me and leaned closer with a worried expression.
I was peeking through one eye, and as she got close, I smirked and suddenly jumped onto her, hugging her neck as my feet lifted off the ground.
"I got you now, you stupid deer! How dare you throw a tantrum at me? Are you feeling my utmost love for you?" I said, wrapping my arms tighter around her.
She turned and moved toward the edge of the cliff, with me still clinging to her.
She stood at the very edge, her neck sticking out as the land beneath me vanished.
"Hey—hey—hey, you're not going to throw me off from here, right Ruru?" I said, grabbing her body with my legs too, like a baby monkey clutching its mother.
She stuck her neck even further out.
"Listen to me, Ruru, we're all civilized people here. Let's not make any rash decisions. How about... how about I rub your belly for an hour as punishment for tricking you? That's your favorite thing, right?" I blurted out in a hurry.
She finally stepped back—but then shook her neck aggressively, making me fall off.
"Ow! You're too rude, Ruru," I said, rubbing my back.
She sat down beside me, sticking her belly out.
"Huh? You want me to rub you right now? But I'm so tired," I nagged as I lay down.
She didn't move and kept staring at me, throwing daggers with her eyes, making me uncomfortable.
I finally gave up and began my punishment by rubbing her belly.