15 15. Break

Ren and Bell spent the remainder of the journey in silence. Ren saw the abandoned church from a distance and jumped off Bell's back.

"You don't have to-."

"The pharmacy is past your stop. It's okay. Besides, I've recovered enough."

Ren attempted to stretch to show that he was okay, but he ended up wincing due to bruises.

"See? You're not okay."

"A potion or two and some rest is all I need. You're in no better shape though."

Now that he thought about it, it was surprising that Bell had managed to carry him all the way here in his current state.

"Thanks for the help."

"It's no problem at all. Maybe you could even give me a discount next time?"

Ren looked at Bell in surprise. Bell was never one to ask for help in situations like this as far as he was aware.

'Is he getting comfortable with me?'

A guess came to his head as he looked at the teenager.

'Now that I think about it, did Bell ever have friends his age?'

Ren thought about the series as a whole. The only person close to Bell's age who wasn't a love interest is Crozzo, and even he was at least 18 years old.

'Being a protagonist has it's struggles.'

"Sure, if I'm allowed to."

Ren smiled as he waved at Bell.

"See you another day."

"See you later."

Ren walked back in thought. It was a lucky coincidence that he met Bell in such a state. Not only did that chance meeting bring them closer together, but also gave him a valid excuse to get even closer to Bell.

After all, who wouldn't feel indebted to possibly their saviour?

Ren quickly arrived at the pharmacy. A worried Miach appeared in his sights.

"Ren!"

Miach came forward, scanning Ren's body.

"What happened to you?"

"I overestimated myself."

Ren quickly debriefed Miach on the day's events, making sure not to leave anything out.

"You were reckless."

"I know."

Miach looked at the boy in exasperation. Something told him that this would become a regular occurrence.

"Let's get you healed up."

Ren found himself falling asleep as Miach wrapped up his wounds.

"Take this potion and go to sleep. You should be fine in the morning."

Ren did as he was told. He didn't even bother to change out of his armour as he fell asleep on his bed.

...

Ren began to stir awake as the murmurs began to echo in his head. A yawn escaped his lips as he sat up. Although he was still stiff, he could feel that his body had recovered. The shadow's murmurs confirmed it.

Ren cleaned himself off and changed into some casual clothing. He came out of his room to see if there was anything to eat.

"Good afternoon sleepyhead."

Ren was greeted by an energetic Miach.

"Afternoon?"

"Yes, you slept through the entire morning. Not surprising considering the state you showed up in."

Ren scratched his head. He knew that he didn't have an excuse for what happened.

"Anyways, there's food for you in the kitchen. Make sure you clean up your dishes."

"Yes, Miach-sama."

Ren headed into the kitchen and ate everything that was left.

"By the way, I'll be heading to a God's Banquet later today, it'll be hosted by a Ganesha Familia. Can you help me stock up the shop today?"

"Okay."

Now that he realised it, Ren felt like the events of the story were moving too fast. It felt like a major event was happening every day.

'Most of the events took place in less than a year.'

Bell's growth was simply ridiculous. The very fact that he could level up so fast with incredible stats was a testament to how broken [Liaris Freese] is.

'Can I keep up?'

He couldn't help but feel a little inadequate. This was the character he wanted to compete with.

'No, I have to keep up. I can't fail.

"Can you update my status?"

"Oh, sure."

After spilling a drop of blood, Miach stood in silence as he read Ren's status. The silence eventually became unbearable as Ren turned to face him.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Your stats..."

Miach copied down his stats and handed them to Ren.

[STATUS:

Name: Ren

Lv: 1

Age: 15

STATS:

Str: G 215

Vit: G 267

Dex: G 209

Agi: H 193

Mag: H102

Skills: [Kusari], [Elemental Augmentation], [Kage]

Development Ability:]

Ren looked at his stats with a blank face. His lips began to quiver as he began to laugh. It rose in volume, beginning to echo not only in the house but also into the surroundings.

"Ren?"

Miach watched as Ren radiated a madness he was unfamiliar with. 

"I can do it Miach-sama."

"What are talking about?"

"I can keep up."

Just as Ren finished speaking, an illusionary golden chain appeared from Ren's back. This singular chain still managed to reach the sky through the house, drawing attention from everyone able to witness this scene, reminding them of what they had seen a few weeks prior.

Just then, everyone watched as the chain began to tighten.

And then, with a clank, the chain snapped.

Ren laughed as he felt more unrestrained. He felt unburdened knowing that he could compete with Bell.

Miach, on the other hand, looked at Ren with concern. To him, the chain breaking symbolised the loss of Ren's sanity