Ace woke up next to the lake. He had no idea of how much time had passed. He looked at himself and tried to move but a sharp pain ran through his whole body.
[Your body failed to repair itself, not enough spirit essence in your soul core]
The voice rang in his head.
Ace was starving, he couldn't move due to the pain and most of all, his body was in shambles.
Ace gathered all of his strength into his left side of the body as his right shoulder and leg was useless, as he gritted his teeth trying to force through the pain. But his shattered ribs didn't help him at all, sending more agonizing waves throughout his body.
"Argh! Damn!"
Ace was completely lost, he couldn't think of anything. He couldn't do anything.
'will anyone find me before I starve to death here? It's not anyone would normally come here, damn it!'
Without anything left to do, he resigned. Lying flat on the muddy ground left from his battle with the Stormcoil Eel.
'dam-'
Suddenly the voice rang in his head once more.
[Your Destiny has accepted your desperate struggle. You will be rewarded for your efforts.]
Suddenly Ace saw the Eel-like creature suddenly starting to shudder. An enormous amount of spiritual energy leaving its body.
[You have chained the soul of an awakened beast. Stormcoil Eel. Your affinity towards electricity has increased. Stormcoil Eel has been detected to be a low third rank beast. You have obtained a skill: Thunderclap]
[Detected the corpse of the Stormcoil Eel in the presence of the soul core. The core has begun to absorb the remaining spirit energy forcefully.]
Suddenly an excruciating pain ran through Ace's body, his wounds and bones had yet to heal. But the enormous amount of spiritual energy did not help his case at all. Ace was being tormented once more. This was his third time going through such extreme measures.
'Argh!! What- going on!? My bo-'
Ace couldn't even think properly. Every fiber of his muscles being torn apart and being reconstructed, just to be ripped apart once more. Ace did not ask for this. He did not ask for this power. Yet his soul was to blame.
[Spirit essence has been replenished. Your body has begun to repair itself.]
As the voice rang the torment didn't stop.
'the hell do yo- repair! Just take this pain awa-'
Ace screamed in his mind. But the torturous pain only lessened leisurely.
**
After enduring the harrowing agony. Ace could finally breathe.
[Your body has been repaired.]
Ace tried to move, this time his ribs didn't move. He poured some strength to his leg and clenched but a wave of pain didn't come through. All he felt was strangely sore. The repair mechanics could be seen as a miracle, but the process he had to go through was not a right compensation.
Ace tried to move his supposed dislocated shoulder. But a mild discomfort ran through it. His body would need some time to get used to the repaired shoulder full of soreness.
Ace sat up as he looked at the mess in his surroundings. The trees were burnt. The earth was muddy, almost like a swamp. The lake was bloody and full of poison spread through the Eel that Ace used to kill that thing. Ace and Morwen to be precise.
If that thing had dragged him deeper into the lake, he would have died in seconds. He had only survived because the terrain, the poison, and sheer luck had aligned in his favor.
All he could feel was powerlessness.
Ace took some deep breaths, glancing at the giant corpse. Reminiscing his previous ideas. He had an affinity towards poison so he could probably eat the Eel. But others couldn't.
'I can't even sell that thing's corpse! Curse it! People would die from the poison spread through its body..'
Having his idea ruined to fill his pockets quickly. Not wanting to make Doroth angry, he got up, and limped back towards where he came from.
As Ace limped away from the battlefield. He still couldn't keep his thoughts away about the fight.
The tough battle ended but Ace's determination had just started.
Ace realised that power was not a gift.
It was the consequence of an action he had to take.
**
Ace finally arrived at the blacksmith.
When a fully opened hand found its way to Ace's back with unexpected speed.
"Where the hell have you been br-"
The voice of the grumpy old man was soon cut. When he was suddenly stunned.
A small amount of voltage ran through the old man's body, no where near the voltage that Ace had to endure from his previous battle.
Ace hurriedly looked at the old man, searching for what happened.
Doroth shook his head, finally snapping back to the real world.
Ace worriedly asked.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
"I don't know. Am I? What the hell do you have on your body?? It just shocked me!"
Said the old man with his usual voice.
"I did? I don't have anything."
"To hell with that! Where have you been brat?"
Ace looked at him with a grin.
"Well for your information old man! I've been accompanying a beautiful young lady through the third level of the region! She was someone from the second level! Can you believe that? Of course not! I don't think you can even imagine what a beautiful lady would look like right?"
Ace snickered.
Doroth sneered at Ace, before shrugging it off.
"Whatever, brat!"
Doroth walked towards his own small run down room. Bigger than Ace's room but the living conditions didn't change much.
As he walked in he signed with his hand before speaking.
"There are some leftovers if you're hungry." With those words he closed the damp door.
With one look Ace's belly grumbled, and with a smile he went to the food and started eating.
**
Some days had passed and the Atherband started vibrating.
[You have received a message]