Kurt's vision swam as the system notifications flooded in, each one stacking over the last like they were in a damn hurry.
[RESURRECTION COMPLETE]
Deaths: 10
[SYSTEM LEVEL UP: 2]
New Perk: [Ability Fusion lv.1 - Stack 3 similar abilities at the same time]
New Perk: [Resurrection Time: 20 minutes]
[Stat Boost: +5 to all attributes
[Point Boost: +10 points]
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 15 → 20
Agility: 19 → 24
Perception: 18 → 23
Luck: 10→ 15
New Ability Unlocked: [Strength Aura - F Rank]
- Emit an aura that increases physical strength and endurance
+11 points awarded [Epic Death]
Available Points: 21
[Next System Level: 15 deaths (25 total)]
[Reaper Detection: DORMANT (7 days)]
That was a lot to take in. But he felt a little bit hopeful now. Dismissing all the screens, Kurt scanned the chamber again, his enhanced perception sharpening every detail.
The Twilight Giant trudged toward Cassandra's limp body, dragging its blade across the ground behind it. Rook on one knee, barely upright, Emma struggling to stand, Dragon King gone, Lizzie slumped against the wall, nose still bleeding and three dead guild members near the entrance. It was a real shit show.
And then an idea hit him. Some would call it stupid, and reckless, but to Kurt, it was probably brilliant.
He scrambled over to Rook and grabbed his arm, hauling the massive man to his feet. Rook groaned, his weight sagging against Kurt, but he managed to stay upright.
"Welcome back," Rook muttered, and in his current state, his voice sounded strained.
Kurt grinned, one more blessed cigarette somehow still tucked behind his ear. "Miss me, big man? 'Course you did. Now listen up, I've got an idea."
Rook raised an eyebrow. "That's never a good start."
"Emma!" Kurt shouted across the chamber. "Buy us some time!"
Emma turned her head aggressively toward him, her grey eyes blazing. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? I can barely stand!"
"Just a minute, love! That's all we need!" Kurt said convincingly.
Emma let out a string of profanity that would've made a sailor blush, but she sighed and pushed herself to her feet. "Fine! But you owe me a drink and a goddamn vacation after this!"
Lizzie, still slumped against the wall, let out a weak laugh that turned into a cough. "Ooh, they're doing something dumb! Love it!" She raised her trembling hands, green light flickering weakly around her fingers, and pushed the healing aura outward one more time. It washed over Kurt, Rook, and Emma as a faint yellow glow settled over their bodies.
Lizzie coughed up blood and grinned through it. "That's... all I got, boys and girl. Make it count, because we're all out at the Lizzie healing factory."
Kurt felt the boost settle into his muscles. His strength, speed, durability, all enhanced once more, and he turned to Rook, pointing at the massive golden door they'd entered through.
"That door kept that thing locked in the boss levels for who knows how long, right? Which means it's made of something special."
Rook's eyes followed Kurt's finger, and understanding dawned. "You want me to absorb it."
"Bingo," Kurt said. "But we'll still need enough force to actually kill this bastard. That's where I come in."
Rook frowned. "What are you planning?"
"Trust me, mate. Just get to the door."
They moved as fast as their battered bodies would allow, Rook limping toward the entrance while Kurt followed. Behind them, Emma intercepted the Giant, her normal blade flashing as she drove it into the creature's leg.
It roared and swung at her, but she barely dodged,and kept it occupied. Thanks to the giant already being weakened from the long battle, Emma was able to hold her own and buy them time.
Rook reached the door and placed both hands on its surface. The metal hummed under his touch and then it began to flow. Gold poured up his arms like liquid light, spreading across his chest, his legs, his entire body.
Shewwwm!
The transformation sounded like wind chimes mixed with grinding stone and when it finished, Rook stood encased in gleaming golden armor.
He flexed his fingers, the metal moving like a second skin. "This'll work."
Kurt pulled up his system and dumped five points into Strength Aura, pushing it to E-rank. Then another five into Kinetic Absorption and finally, the last point into raw Strength.
[Strength Aura - E Rank]
[Kinetic Absorption - E Rank]
Strength: 20 → 31
Available Points: 0
He then turned to Rook and grinned. "Right. Now hit me."
Rook stared at him. "What?"
"You heard me, big man. Punch me in the face. Hard as you can."
"Kurt, that's—"
"Listen, you nitwit golden tosser," Kurt interrupted, his grin widening. "I didn't just come back from the dead to stand here arguing with you. Now hit me before I change my bloody mind."
Rook hesitated, then nodded. He pulled his fist back and drove it into Kurt's jaw.
The impact was like getting hit by a wrecking ball as Kurt's head snapped to the side, and he went down hard, coughing blood onto the stone. And his body glowed, the kinetic energy from the punch flowing into him, converting into raw strength.
"There we go," Kurt wheezed, pushing himself up. "One more time, mate. Really put your back into it."
Rook's fist came up again, and this time Kurt felt the blow rattle his skull. His vision blurred, his body screamed in protest, and the system chimed.
[Kinetic Absorption: Maximum Capacity Reached]
But the energy kept building, the glow around Kurt's body intensifying as the Strength Aura kicked in, amplifying everything. His muscles burned, his veins lit up like fire, and he felt stronger than he'd ever been.
Across the chamber, Emma glanced over her shoulder while avoiding blows from the giant and saw them. "What the fuck are you two idiots doing over there?!"
Kurt grabbed Rook's arm, his grip like a vice, and his grin turned feral. "Karma's a bitch, innit?"
Rook's eyes widened. "Kurt... no—"
Kurt spun, his enhanced strength and the stored kinetic energy exploding outward, and he hurled Rook like a missile.
The golden-clad man shot forward with a sonic boom, his body a blur of light, grunting loudly as he flew.
And then Rook grinned as realization set in. He got it now, curling his arm forward, fist clenched, and rocketed toward the Giant.
The Twilight Giant, in the middle of slamming Emma into the ground, turned its head a fraction of a second to late to see the golden projectile as Rook's fist connected with its neck, and the impact was catastrophic.
The Giant's head exploded in a shower of molten rock and ash, the body staggering backward before collapsing in a loud heap that was followed by silence.
Kurt stood there, breathing hard, his body still glowing faintly, and then he threw his arms up and screamed, "YES! Take that, you oversized nightlight!"
Rook hit the ground and rolled, coming to a stop near the Giant's corpse. He pushed himself up, the golden armor receding, and he let out a breathless laugh. "That... was insane."
Emma staggered over, barely able to stand, and Kurt caught her before she fell. She looked at him, then at the Giant's headless body, and she laughed in a sharp, disbelieving sound. "You crazy bastards actually did it."
Lizzie, still slumped against the wall, pumped a weak fist in the air. "BOOM! That's what I'm talking about! We're ok! Sort of!"
Cassandra groaned, her eyes fluttering open, but she didn't move. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, too exhausted to process what had happened.
Then the system chimed again, and Kurt's vision filled with notifications.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Defeat the Twilight Giant] +10 points
[QUEST COMPLETE: Survive the Boss Level] +10 points
[SUB-QUEST COMPLETE: Die a Maximum of Three Times] +5 points
[SUB-QUEST FAILED: Defeat Twilight Giant Without Dying]
[PENALTIES: None]
Total Points Awarded: 25
Available Points: 25
Kurt dismissed the screens with the casual annoyance of a man dismissing spam emails. "Yeah, yeah. Can't win 'em all."
Rook sat down heavily, his chest heaving. "Everyone just... rest. We'll grab the core, loot whatever's valuable, and get out once we can all move."
"Sounds like a plan, mate," Kurt said, lighting a cigarette.
And then it hit him.
A sudden and sharp flash of memory.
A filthy dingy apartment. A drunken giant of a man. The whipcrack of a belt. His younger self curled on the floor, arms over his head. Pain. Shouting. More pain.
His father's voice, slurred and venomous: "Useless little shit. Can't do anything right."
Kurt gasped, stumbling, the memory vanished as quickly as it had come and he was back in the chamber.
Emma grabbed his arm. "Kurt? What just happened? You spaced out there."
Kurt blinked, his jaw tight, and he took a long drag of his cigarette. "Nothing, love. Just a bit of déjà vu. Bad dungeon food, probably."
Emma didn't look convinced, but she let it go.
The system chimed one last time.
[Memory Fragment Recovered]
+2 points awarded
Available Points: 27
Kurt stared at the notification, then dismissed it as he exhaled smoke and looked at the Giant's corpse.
"This is going to be a long bloody day," he muttered.
***
A/N: I hope you're enjoying this so far. Add to Library and send a power stone or two if you're.
And a review or two would mean something to me! Thank you and peace!