Weakling

"Psst… I see dead people."

Those words slipped from my lips as I stood in the middle of the smoldering ruins of our towns square.

The air was thick with ash, light debris and the grief of alive people around me.

What happened? A gate had torn open, completely unannounced and unexpected. It spewed monstrous Shadows that devoured half the town before the Reapers could seal it.

Bloodied bodies littered the ground. They were friends, neighbours, strangers and their lifeless eyes stared into the void as their corpse began to attract flies.

I was barely eighteen, had survived, but not because of my strength. No, my frail body had betrayed me again, collapsing behind the Awakening Stone as the chaos rolled. 

But, unlike my body, my mind was sharp as ever. I catalogued every scream, every claw mark, every moment of terror. It's what I do— A weak body but a strong mind.

I've always been different. Born weak, my body is something one would call a fragile cage that couldn't keep up with the worlds demands. While other kids trained to become Reapers or adventures, honing their bodies to face the horrifying shadow creatures that came out of the gates, I could barely walk a mile without my lungs burning with fatigue.

Swords? Too damn heavy.

Shields? A cruel joke.

But my mind… oh, it was a constantly burning furnace. Every book I read, every lecture I overheard, every scrap of knowledge about the gates and their shadow creatures burned into my memory never going to fade.

I spoke three languages by the age of twelve, deciphered gate runes by fifteen. Yet, in a world that worshipped strength and kissed the feet of people who possess it, my intellect was nothing more than a curse. 

The frail boy with a clever tongue, always on the sidelines looking at others achieve great things.

Unlike the disappointment that is me, my parents were legends, Reapers who vanished into a gate without a trace when I was just at the young age of ten. The Reapers Association pronounced them dead after weeks of searching in subsequent gates just to give I and my siblings some kind of closure.

Percy and Jackson, my twin younger brothers. I tried to be their shield, but without strength, I was just a shadow of the hero they needed. Every night, I'd lie awake with the weight of their safety crushing against my fragile ribcage from the inside.

My only hope was the Awakening Ceremony, in this world full of Arcane, which was the source of the magic, this ritual is given to all eighteen year olds as a right that could unlock skills, power or some hidden gift to rewrite their fate.

I counted down the days, praying the gods would see past my broken body and give me something… anything, to protect whats left of my family.

The Ceremony was supposed to happen today. The town square was absolutely packed with people of different calibers and discipline, the Awakening Stone pulsed with raw Arcane energy in the center of it all. 

I stood at a corner around the crowds edge with a hood over my head to give me the illusion of not being seen and mocked at for my frail appearance, however I could still feel the stares and hear their murmurs.

"Levi, the weakling. The scholar who can't fight to save his life and his parents legacy"

"The unintentional offspring of the legendary Reapers"

My parents legacy was like a heavy shadow looming over me, a mountain I wouldn't dare to dream about reaching the peak. When my name was called, my heart thundered. I stepped forward with visibly trembling knees and pressed my hand against the cold surface of the Arcane saturated Awakening Stone.

Then, the gate opened.

The sky burst open with a roar of light and Shadow creatures swallowed the entire square in their dark aura of anti-arcane.

They were relentless monsters that were drawn to Arcane energy, the very fuel that gives us humans our abilities and power in this world, very much like mana but raw and unrefined.

We are able to use it by honing our hearts to a level whereby the Arcane can be converted into a useable form and flow into our bloodstream to give us whichever power that is deemed fit.

While the shadow creatures clawed, fanged and tore everything in sight, my hands were glued to the Awakening Stone. At first I thought it was out of fear, but no it was as a result of something else.

The world around me dissolved into empty darkness and although I could still very much hear the chaos around me, it was as if I was not physically there.

Time warped and distorted into an endless and suffocating expanse causing something ancient to awaken inside of me, like a spark turning into a hot splinter then a roaring blaze and burning through my superficial veins like a wildfire.

Suddenly light flooded my five sensory receptors and when I opened my eyes, the ruins of the town square remained the same but something was different.

Ding!

A sharp, chime rang in my head adding to my already disoriented state.

Then, a glowing purple and gold panel hovered before me, plastered with symbols I was sure I should in no way understand, but I did anyway.

It was a system that was intricate, definitely foreign and it had this overwhelming powerful aura to it that I couldn't explain even with my supreme intellect.

The screen displayed my stats that I was able to understand easily: Intelligence was off the charts, Memory unmatched. My Strength, Agility and Endurance? Still pitiful it could make one cry out of shame. But this system didn't care about my body. It offered potential that was raw, limitless that could help me bend the rules of this world.

I glanced around me, taking in the carnage the Shadow creatures and the Reapers left behind after their gruesome battle. This event was especially baffling to many because even though it was common knowledge that gates are very much likely to open in places with high Arcane concentration, they is almost never a gate break until a period of at least a week.

So the burning question? Why did this specific gate start spewing shadow creature immediately it opened. And what relationship does it have with this purple and gold, futuristic system screen hovering across my peripheral view?

Someone tapped my shoulder asking me if I was okay, I wiped the dust off my face and gazed around the scene again.

"There are all dead..." 

The Need For Strength

It took me a couple minutes to center myself and stable my heart rate, my mind was spinning and racing at a million miles per hour. I couldn't help it, this great mind of mine was both a gift and a curse as there was no way to shut it off or stop my brain from thinking.

I took in everything, every claw mark, every splatter of blood on the floor, I could notice the bodies that were beginning to decay fast.

But, I had one thing at the back of my mind. That mysterious system. It was a leveling system and it seems the universe had thrown me a lifeline to finally grow stronger.

But is it even possible especially considering how weak I am? Can I attain the strength required to protect my twin siblings?.

I stood still in what remained of the towns square, the Awakening stone pulsed with Arcane energy faintly even though it had lots of debris scattered all over it.

I stared at the glowing panel hovering before me, my heart pounding with a mix of hope and dread. Whatever happened to me while the Reapers were taking care of the Shadow creatures, I'm sure it changed something inside me. If not I wouldn't be able to see this holographic screen dancing in front of me.

It was my lifeline— the system. My escape from this prison I call my body, this weak frame of bones and flesh. To protect Percy and Jackson. But, what it showed me wasn't what I'd expected.

Before the tragedy struck, everyone that had performed the ritual got a class. Pyromancers who could conjure fire from thin air, Cryomancers who could freeze rivers, warriors with blades that swung as they commanded. Clear paths to power.

Me? I got nothing. Just a string of glitching symbols like this ∆∆()ΩΩ. No one around saw it because they were busy trying to look for survivors.

A cold wave of hard disbelief washed over me and every hope I had crashed and burned.

Was this a mistake? Was I hallucinating when I was in that endless expanse? Did the system itself not know what to make of me? 

I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself so as to not draw attention. 

I turned my gaze toward the glowing screen and swiped with a flick of my fingers, pulling up my stats.

~Strength: 4~

~Agility: 5~

~Endurance: 3~

~Intelligence: 44~

~Memory: 47~

The top three stats were laughable, barely scraping anything close to double digits. With Strength and Endurance like that I'd collapse swinging a sword or trip running from danger.

But the other stats? It was a fortress. My Intelligence and memory were far beyond normal, a gift I'd always known but never fully appreciated until now. 

The system seemed to hum with the recognition of it, as if it saw what others didn't. 

Ding! 

A new notification blinked.

~3 points have been awarded for awakening.~

It wasn't much, but it was mine to shape.

I stepped down from the Awakening stone platform and started making my way out of the square while still staring at the interface.

My focus was on my Intelligence which was my Strength, but a sharp mind wouldn't stop a Shadow monster's claw or a direct blast of Anti-Arcane energy at my face. I dumped all three points into Endurance.

~Endurance: 6~

The panel updated as I scratched the base of my chin and watched as a troop of medical team rushed past me on horse backs heading towards the town square.

I ducked out of their way, I needed to survive long enough to learn what this system could do.

Closing the screen with a swipe down of my finger, I glanced at the new adventurers that had just been awakened— Stormcallers, blade dancers, shield bearers. They flexed their newfound powers, laughing and already dreaming of gate conquests. 

I forged on my path with their cheers fading behind me. My journey was way different than theirs because this system was a puzzle and I have to solve it alone.

At home, Percy and Jackson barreled into me with their small face filled with hope.

"Levi, what'd you get?" Percy asked, bouncing on his toes like an overweight frog. Jackson tugged on my sleeve with wide eyes like a homeless rat. "Something awesome, right?"

I forced a grin as my chest tightened. "Yeah, something special," I lied, descending to ruffle their hair. I just couldn't let them see my doubt or let them see how useless and worthless I am, they deserved a brother who could keep them safe, not one who came home with more question marks than he left.

In the following days, I dove deeper into the system, testing its rules. And I came to realize that it didn't reward me for slaying Shadow creatures and gaining the magical stones within them, it rewarded me for solving cunning riddles, outsmarting obstacles or even memorizing gate lore by giving me Experience points. It was as if the system was built specifically for me, for the boy who'd spent years reading while other trained. 

To test it further, I ventured to the town's edge, where stray shadow creatures sometimes wandered from Gates Reapers failed to seal. My first test subject was a Skitterfang, a dog-type Shadow creature with jagged teeth in its mandibles and a very nasty temper.

Under normal circumstances, a monster like that would have been dangerous for someone with my low stats.

But I was unlike any other, I didn't rely on strength, speed or agility.

The Skitterfang lunged at me, snarling with killing intent. This was a good sign because these Shadow creatures were drawn to anything that had Arcane Energy in them, as they possessed negative Arcane energy they would always try to cancel out Arcane energy.

So, for the Skitterfang to attack me, that would mean I possess some level of Arcane energy.

I narrowly avoided its sharp teeth and didn't engage directly, instead I focused on studying the creature, memorizing its attack patterns. Each time it moved, I anticipated its next action, staying one second a step ahead of it.

I cataloged it in my mind, every twitch, every snarl. It created a scenario of predictability in my mind like a highlight reel.

After several unsuccessful attacks from the shadow creature, I found my opening.

I grabbed a sturdy stick from the ground and timed my strike perfectly, hitting the Shadow creature on its snout, where its guard was weakest.

The strike wasn't powerful by any stretch, but it was precise and a precise strike to a weak point could cripple any creature— I was aware of that fact.

The dog-like Shadow creature staggered confused to the ground, black shadowy mist oozing from the puncture I made on its face.

I repeated the tactic, using my intellect and quick thinking to outmaneuver the creature. After a few more well timed hits, the Shadow creature collapsed, it was about regenerating when I use a thick wooden branch to hit the location of its life source— a magical, Anti-arcane stone embedded in its forehead, knocking out the crescent shaped object and killing the creature instantly.

I stood there staring at the stone on the ground while the creature evaporated into a mist of shadows and disappeared. This was the first time I had killed anything much less a Shadow creature.

I picked up the Anti-Arcane gem and it dissolved into my palm, just that second the system chimed with a notification.

~Converting Anti-Arcane into Arcane…~

~Conversion complete~

~Plus 50 XP!~

~You have levelled up~

A rush of energy coursed through me like a river filling its dried up banks, I gasped in euphoria as I had never felt this feeling before, it was almost orgasmic or even feeling like a high.

Another three points were allocated to me for my stats, this time I chose to balance it by putting one point into Strength and into Agility and another into Endurance.

My physical abilities were still far from impressive, and the points I was given weren't much, but with compounding, it was sure to make a difference.

I wasn't like the others, but that didn't mean I couldn't grow. I had my mind, my strategy and this mysterious, unnamed system to guide me.

Each level up would make me just a tee-bit stronger as I use this to forge a path that only I can walk, for Percy and Jackson, for my lost parents who I know are still out there somewhere waiting to be rescued.

For the first time ever in my life, I felt like I had a chance. I felt like I had the power to protect my loved ones.

It wouldn't not be easy, I'm damn sure of that. The road would be long and dangerous and I would think of quitting from time to time, but one thing I'm sure of is that…

I'll never quit, until I'm strong!

I hate how worthless I am, I want strength! And this system will help me get it.

The world would soon see what happens when someone with an intellect like mine enters a gate.

Little Man

Reaching level 2 felt like a small drop of water in an ocean of endless struggles, the system's values as regards to my stats didn't have a specific threshold so I drew the conclusion that I could grow infinitely without any ceiling as my limit.

But to be able to attain such feat, there was work to be done. I needed to hone my intellectual talent and use it to the very best to get what I want— To get stronger.

So I can be able to protect Percy and Jackson, they meant everything to me. But fighting on my own wouldn't be enough, I needed to get experience and fast.

On my way returning home from the borders of the town the previous day, I overhead a group men chitchatting outside a pub. They said something that piqued my interest, so I hid close by to get the full gist.

They were talking about a Border Cleanup Group, a small patrol team of adventurers and low-level Reapers to eliminate the Shadow creatures that roamed the outskirts of the town before they became a danger to civilians who were bound to travel or even return from travel.

It was a perfect opportunity for me to gain some experience and guidance from people that have actually been in the game.

It was simple, under the watchful eye and guidance of high ranking and strong Reapers, newcomers that recently awakened could learn to survive and thrive the turmoil that gates spewed into the world.

And even though, I never officially did an Awakening ceremony I still wanted to join. I swallowed air in my lungs to boast up my courage and walked up to the man that looked very much like the group's leader.

He was as tall as man of his work needed to be with and intimidating presence, broad shoulders, an axe strapped to his back and scars that indicated his experience of countless battles.

His name was Dasheen, his sharp gaze fell on me sizing me up with a single glance.

"You?" Dasheen said with a deep, booming voice as he crossed his meaty, muscular arms. "You want to join the Border Cleanup Group?" his gaze was almost piercing, sweeping over me, lingering on my scrawny arms, my pale face, my trembling hands.

I could almost hear his thoughts, "This kid won't last half hour with that weak body…"

I swallowed dry saliva as my throat dried up pretty quickly, nerves prickling like static lightning under my skin. 

"Yes…" I finally said, forcing my voice to hold steady to seem as confident as possible. "I need to get stronger." I looked at him, still in fear but I did it anyway.

Dasheen let out a low, rumbling chuckle, shaking his head like a grease monkey with laughter. "You don't look like you could lift a dagger little one, let alone fight a Shadow creature. The borders aren't a playground, little man. You sure you're ready? You seem brave, are some kind of spellcasting Arcane sorcerer or something like that?" his tone was insulting, full of doubt, but the glint in his eyes I could read it as one who was testing me.

"I'm not strong," I admitted with a short nod, my jaw tight. "But I'm smart. I'll figure it out," my words were bold, straight forward and unwavering, they were reckless to a fault but I had no choice, I meant every word. 

I'd spent my entire life being underestimated by the town, by my peers, by my own body. I wasn't about to let that stop me now— not while I have a chance to evolve.

Dasheen's mouth twisted with a small smirk that softened his facial expression, somehow making those scars look less scary. He leaned forward staring straight into my eyes as if it was the first time seeing me. 

"Alright kid," he said with a gruff bug tinged voice, something that sounded like respect. "You're in. But if you get yourself killed, don't haunt me." he gave me a final nod of encouragement, turned away already barking orders to his team and leaving me to grapple with a mix of relief and dread gathering at the base of my gut.

»»»«««

The next day, I found myself marching with the Border Cleanup Group towards the outskirts of the town. The squad was small with four experienced fighters and two other recruits.

The size of the squad was optimal to be kept low so as we could share the profits of the raid evenly without any squabbles.

The gem stone gotten after killing a Shadow Creature—Anti-Arcane stone holds some value to them, the more powerful a beast is, the more valuable the gem stone would be. And these resources can be sold to adventurers, Reapers to absorb and their bodies convert it to Arcane energy they could use to sustain their abilities.

The other two recruits were far more capable and able bodied than I ever dreamt to be, their muscular builds and confident stride made me look like an ant amongst giants.

As we all ventured deeper into the forest, I could feel the weight of doubt slowly creeping in behind my neck with every harmless step. Almost as if I could sense that something dreadful was about to happen real soon, maybe it was my supreme intellect granting me that unmatched intuition but I could feel it, from all angles and it was becoming increasingly present to ignore.

I was there for one thing and one thing only, and that was to get stronger, no matter the cost. So, chickening out wouldn't do me any good.

Before long, we encountered our first set of Shadow creatures. By their appearance, they were Goblin-type Shadow creatures, they were small about the size of two toddlers stacked atop each other.

They darted through the under bushes with quick pace, drawing their weapons with erratic and unpredictable movements. The seasoned fighters moved like a well oiled machine with their blades flashing as they cut down the beasts with brutal efficiency. 

The other two recruits joined in the fight, their attacks were a bit clumsy than the veterans but they were nonetheless effective against the low grade Shadow creatures.

Then there was me, I stood frozen, my heart pounding so loud I thought it might burst, my mind raced as I watched the battle rage on.

Unlike my body, my mind went into overtime, my pupils moving to and fro relentlessly as I calculated the Shadow creatures movements, doing my best to analyze their attack patterns. They were erratic, these goblin-type creatures, one would say they had no pattern of attack. But, in a world with infinite possibilities and an intellect like mine to pick it out, everything had a pattern no matter how random one would think it is.

It took them about ten minutes to dispatch off of the goblin-type Shadow creatures, the fighters stood around with their breathing heaving as shadowy smoke rose into the air and the creatures evaporated leaving behind the Anti-Arcane stone.

Dasheen shot me a look of disapproval immediately he dismembered the neck of the last creature, "You didn't fight little man!!"

He grunted as he squeezed his blade tighter in his knuckles. "You ain't gonna get a share of the Anti-arcane stones if you can't kill anything!"

That's when it hit me, most people just resell the Anti-arcane stones they get from expeditions like this. But, for someone like me I could very much gain a lot of points for absorbing a lot of stones even though they are from lower grade Shadow creatures.

"I'm trying," I stammered, staggering back out of fear Dasheen would be angry enough to attack me. "I was trying to study their patterns first… they had a pattern and they were waiting for something…"

Dasheen swung his sword at a boulder, slicing it clean in half and darted his gaze back at me with an unimpressed expression. "What pattern!? They are goblin-types they have no pattern they just want to cancel out the Arcane energy within us! How do you not know that!?"

"I do…"

"You do?! look this expedition is already dangerous as it is, I don't have to look over shoulder to protect weak people like you!"

Weak people like me...

I squeezed my fist beside me, I knew Dasheen was right, but it wasn't that simple for me. I cannot lift a sword to save my life much more swinging it to cut the neck of a Shadow creature.

My mind was my weapon, not swords, not my body, not any skill, ability or technique gifted by the use of Arcane energy. This world only respected brute and destructive strength. Still, I refuse to let that stop me.

As we ventured deeper into the forest, walking down a travel path, we encountered out next challenge of Shadow creatures.

Snatchclaws. They were cat-like and size but they possessed horns and dark, shadowy fur. Their claws were the epicenter of their strength, as they were extremely sharp and could tear through the strongest of materials.

They weren't much stronger than the goblin-type creatures, but they moved unpredictably as well, darting between trees and rocks in confusing patterns.

Dasheen was the first to react to their movements, as he quickly moved to the front of the line and spiked his Arcane energy output and further embedding it into his sword.

It seemed as though the other recruits knew what he was about to do as they ducked below his waist level to avoid being caught by his technique. I followed suit, watching carefully as the cat-like Shadow creatures darted towards every corner that the sunlight didn't touch.

Dasheen channeled his Arcane energy to his sword and that's when I knew that his Awakened ability was tied to that sword.

Then—

"Buthcher's field…" Dasheen said with a deep tone and just like that a wide scale blast of Arcane energy erupted from the blade and sliced everything and anything within a circumference of thirty meters.

Trees, shrubs and more importantly, the heard of Shadow creatures surrounding them. It was truly magnificent, seeing Dasheen use his Arcane technique like that— putting it to good use. Although he was D-Rank not as strong as other high ranking awakened, his technique proved to be useful at that moment.

 But just like an old habit, a new herd of SnatchClaw Shadow creature burst from within the forest towards us.

"Use Butcher's field again Dasheen," one of the recruits yelled in desperation…

But I already knew Dasheen would not be able to accomplish that, not anytime soon at least. 

I noticed that he used a massive amount of Arcane energy from his reserves to pull that off, so to do something of that destructive scale again, he would have to find a way to replenish his Arcane energy reserves.

The other recruits rushed in without hesitation, quickly dispatching the creatures with their superior speed and strength.

I on the other hand, not even considered as someone who's awakened let alone E-Rank was still searching for my opening, trying to analyze the creatures movements and also thinking of a way to give Dasheen an Arcane energy boost to activate his technique again.

I noticed that a great number of Anti-arcane stone had fallen to the floor due to Dasheen's first assault, I began picking them up so as I could present it to him to absorb and regain his reserve.

Suddenly, one of the Snatchclaw Shadow creatures turned on me, its beady eyes locking onto mine as it prepared to charge.

My breath hooked at the center of my throat, as I dropped the Anti-arcane stone in my palm. My mind raced, calculating the angle of its attack and the different possible scenarios this encounter would end up in.