Chapter 36: Thoughts
Staring at the crushed helmets of the two undead knights beneath his palms, Ethan observed as their bodies slowly began to dematerialize.
With ragged breaths, Ethan lowered himself, sitting on the stone ground, sweat pouring from every pore of his body.
"To think that later I would have had to face those two undead knights by myself," Ethan muttered aloud, his words coming between gasps for breath.
From the corner of his eye, Ethan noticed Mia quickly approaching.
Ethan saw her but didn't make any effort to pay further attention.
Ethan was simply too exhausted.
Ethan hadn't expected his first fight after levelling up to be so draining, especially against opponents of the same level.
But why had Ethan been left to deal with the two undead knights alone?
Where was RageHeart?
Had something happened to him?
Yes, something had indeed happened to RageHeart.
Like Ethan, RageHeart had managed to survive the encounter without injuries, but it had been a close call.
Both Ethan and RageHeart had almost died several times and came close to losing their lives or being crippled.
Their initial plan had been the same:
RageHeart was supposed to deal with the lone undead quickly and then come to Ethan's aid.
However, Ethan and RageHeart hadn't considered a variable, a twist in the situation.
Ethan and RageHeart hadn't expected another undead creature to join the fray.
While the possibility of such an occurrence was always there, they hadn't prepared for it.
RageHeart had been caught off guard when, immediately after defeating the lone undead, an undead wolf had emerged seemingly out of nowhere and charged at him.
This unexpected turn of events had forced Ethan to face the two undead knights alone, with RageHeart occupied by another enemy.
It was a harsh lesson for them, highlighting the constant danger in the region they were exploring.
"Are you hurt?" Mia asked in a hushed tone as she approached Ethan, who was still catching his breath.
Despite her not being audible enough, Ethan understood her question.
"Nah, I'm fine," Ethan replied, taking a moment to catch his breath more fully before continuing.
"I just need a short rest to recover."
Ethan's lungs felt like they were ablaze, and with every word he spoke, he could sense his life force ebbing away.
Despite his exceptional breathing exercises, Ethan's body was drained to the point that he feared collapsing.
Ethan fared better though, unlike a certain top player who could barely stay on his feet without panting like a dog.
The fight against the two powerful undead knights had truly pushed Ethan to his limits.
Ethan couldn't help but question his own judgement in deciding to confront them.
If not for his martial training and agility, Ethan knew he would likely be dead now due to his choice to battle two monsters of similar level.
Upon hearing Mia's reply, a hum followed by a nod, Ethan felt a small sense of relief.
At least he didn't have to speak further, which Ethan believed might have been the end of him.
Unbeknownst to Ethan, when he spoke, Mia stood beside him, gritting her teeth so hard that they began to draw blood and her nails dug into her palms.
It was only when the pain became too prominent that Mia snapped out of her frustration momentarily.
"Why am I so powerless?" This question echoed relentlessly in Mia's mind.
Whenever Mia witnessed Ethan and RageHeart in combat while she remained hidden, especially during life-threatening battles, Mia's heart would fill with curses aimed at her own helplessness.
"I don't want to remain this useless!" Mia's determination surged as she observed Ethan catching his breath, his face carrying a dazed expression.
Mia recognized that look—it was the same one she had seen on RageHeart's face on a few occasions.
Ethan was most likely checking his status board.
In the midst of her thoughts, Mia turned her gaze toward the brightest spot in their surroundings—the temple atop the hill, bathed in a golden glow.
An idea crossed Mia's mind that perhaps, just maybe, she would find something there that could help fulfil her desire to become stronger.
While Mia delved deeper into her thoughts, Ethan remained fixated on two particular skills displayed on his status board, closely analysing the recent changes in his experience bar.
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Status Name: -Aurora-
Level: -2-
Class: -Mage-
Experience: -28-/-150-
Attribute Stats:
- Strength: -25-
- Agility: -26-
- Intelligence: -21-
- Constitution: -18-
Attribute Values: Strength: 2.5, Agility: 2.6, Intelligence: 2.1, Constitution: 1.8
Attribute Points: -0-
- Coins: -0-
- Active Quests:
- [Survive the tutorial grounds]
- Inventory:
- [Level 1 Low Common Grade Staff]
- [Level 1 Low Uncommon Grade Health Potion x1]
- [Level 1 Low Uncommon Grade Mana Potion x1]
- Skills:
- [Analyse]
- [Loot]
- [Level 0 Mana Ball]
- [Level 0 Mana Missiles]
- Abilities:
- Friend Status:
- Friendling List-
- Map:
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System Notification:
- [You have slain a {Normal Grade}Level 2 Undead Knight]
- [You have slain a {Normal Grade}Level 2 Undead Knight]
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"I have a general idea of what these are, but I'm curious about the specific functions of 'Analyze' and 'Loot'," Ethan mused to himself.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone