Breakdown, Go ahead and give it to me!

Sarah walked back to near the ladder, the talk might take a minute as there was a lot to discuss about what Chris knew.

He was walking and feeling his topless chest, the numbness was leaving but the small barbs were causing some inflammation at the site. After letting out a big sigh, Sarah looked at Chris and said, "So. How do you think that went?" to which Chris responded with, "FUCKING TERRIBLE!" and threw his hands in the air.

Sarah was nodding and grateful that he at least understood that improvement could be made.

"Walk me through the fight."

"Well…I thought the little fucker was going to jump, because that is what they "do" in my world." He shook his head, "Actually, they are a lot different than what I grew up with… We used to take turns playing on the computer at the orphanage and I was the only one that was avid about it, so I got most of the time. But, in my world, the Slime is "supposed" to be a gelatinous ball that is filled with acid and hunts by dissolving its prey."

Chris shook his head and Sarah asked, "Well, how did you readjust your stance, it was ALMOST not the worst I have ever seen."

"I…I used to watch YouTube videos about medieval sword fighting and…I don't know, it just happened." Chris was getting very embarrassed.

Sarah was confused at what "videos" were, but she kept going.

"What did you notice about the monster?"

Chris looked at her with a thought filled expression and said, "It is WAY more terrifying with that SPIKE! Fuck Slimes…" to which Sarah shook her head.

"I mean, what did you notice about the monster's body?" She was trying to lead him, but he was a little slow on the pickup.

"Oh. You mean the little barbs with a toxin, we have those too, but they are MUCH less deadly."

"No…what else?" Sarah was really hoping he would have picked up on it, but it didn't seem like he felt it.

Chris just shook his head, "I am not sure what you mean…" and Sarah let out a large huff. Kids were able to understand this immediately, but Chris was still lacking.

"The body, it resisted the point of your attack, remember?" Said Sarah as she was gesturing with the dagger.

Chris shook his head, "That is normal, my attack wasn't straight…and the flesh is using surface tension along with other benefits to resist my attack."

Sarah shook her head, "No. Even if it wasn't aligned, neither was the second attack, or the rest of the wild stabbing." and Chris' eyes got wider.

[No, she is right. I didn't become better at stabbing, it just got less resistant?]

Chris was thinking about the stabbing and he realized that his power was even weaker if he was HOLDING the blade with bare hands. His hands weren't cut, but that was because he had a firm grip. Somehow, the Slime was "running out of steam" or something.

Chris looked back and said, "The Slime was getting weaker as the fight went on. But why?" and Sarah smiled.

"That is where you need to start. Children that are raised to be awakened, like me, were taught about the Godly System. But, Heroes of the past have had to adapt and change their way of thinking about the world to synergize and become "Enlightened". This is what the Churches do when they are teaching the Heroes after they are brought to the world, long with other studies, but that is for later. Remember the numbers in your eyes?" Asked Sarah.

Chris nodded and was curious at how that impacted this, clearly it would if it was the game system, but it wouldn't be very effective at level 1, right? Every other game had displayed level 1 as basically human…

Then he smacked his forehead, [This is not like the games…well, it is, but not completely. Focus.]

He looked at her and asked, "Which stat increases the enemy's resistance, I am guessing Vitality?" to which Sarah nodded and smiled at.

He was thinking, "So, if the gap is much smaller than I anticipated, how strong are you?"

Sarah had a toothy grin, "You cannot tell anyone. Swear it."

Chris said, "Sure, I swear." and he felt it solidify within him…[What the hell?]

By the look on his face, she could tell that he meant it. "By the way, be careful swearing as an Ally, the Gods see them as Oaths."

Chris didn't know whether to be mad or glad he learned this now, as it would be very bad if he swore to an enemy "Ally", or however his Trait worked.

Sarah continued, "I am level 47. I am a little rusty, but I was an A-class adventurer in my days."

Chris was thinking back to the crazy shit she had done and was confused, "But…didn't you have a hard time carrying me up the rope…shouldn't you be able to lift me with like, two fingers or something?" and Sarah's mood changed.

She literally disappeared from in front of him and appeared behind him with her dagger tip poking his left renal artery.

Chris realized he was a dumbass and said, "Ah…a movement-based fighter…very strong." and Sarah let out a laugh before smacking him on the back of the head.

"My class is something that I cannot share with you. It has been advanced and if someone were to find out, it would be very bad. BUT, yes, you could say that I focus on nimble strikes that are meant to maim and disable people for life."

Chris was a little confused, "Wait, can't you just heal the damage? Isn't that less effective?"

She shook her head, "My damage gains bonuses to vital areas at a higher rate than other classes, we are called Assassin type builds. Some of us use poison, others use magic to supplement the fighting, and I use a mixture.

We specialize in Vitality avoidance fighting, that feeling that you had when you attacked the Slime would be completely removed if you were like me."

Chris was confused, "Wait, how do you avoid the Vitality defense, and you could still just heal the wound. Like, if someone's arm gets cut off, just cast a big spell and it will be whole, right?" He was thinking about the healing magic as being a miracle, he knew it SHOULDN'T be that easy, but that gnome had frozen him with "Arcane-like" energy.

She nodded her head and then shook it.

"It isn't that simple Chris. The healing magic is not able to fix things instantly, it primarily acts to restore the HP or the reserve Vitality that the person has."

Chris was thinking about the system being less involved and more like D&D where spells could have greater influence over the world, cuts could be closed with a [Word] and large wounds would be automatically closed if the HP was restored.

The HP in those worlds was a representation of the persons state of being, but here, it seems that it is just the shield to damage…

Chris' head was starting to hurt, "So…when the slave collar came off, the reason the blister formed was because of…well, that is HOW it works?"

Sarah nodded to him. The sewer stench was getting to be too much, and he needed a bit of a nap.

"I thought this world would let me heal people and perform miracles, but I guess I never stood a chance."

Sarah thought about what he said and thought it might be a good time to go back, they had more to talk about, but she wanted to give him the Core that he earned.

The little pebble was the first magical item that belonged to Chris, and she knew he would cherish it. As she reached in her pocket and handed it too him, she noticed that he was frowning.

"What is wrong, kid? Are you okay?" She thought his wound might have been more intense than she had thought, but her skill was not going off, his HP should be over 80%.

"I am not sure." He placed his hand on his chest.

[Sarah could kill me at any moment, and I would be utterly helpless. I nearly lost to a Slime. Do we go back and get some rest?] Chris could feel that familiar urge, the one he thought he had bonded to fully, or lost.

He stood up and grabbed the saber.

[Hell, these Slimes are small fries. Imagine all of the wonders of the world. I might not know much, but I would like to learn, and I won't be doing that from inside of a building, cowering away from everyone. I can't live the SAME life again. I can't just be an IT-guy for the mob that wants to play fucking hero.] Chris could feel his anger, it was deep. It ran to the day he got the news about his parents, but they were probably off in some other world, completely forgetting about him. Not that it was their fault.

[I just want to control my own fate, for real. No "Hero" shit. Maybe that comes later, but I can't do that without surviving. It is just two Slimes, fighting for survival.]

He felt the anger subside when he saw the Slime. Those dark thoughts of harming others started to float into his mind. He saw the Slime as a type of kin. Lost in the dark and looking for something meaningful.

He took a step forward and thrust at the Slime with his full power. The blade rolled off, taking most of the HP with it, but the Slime was ready to jump. It launched and Chris caught it in his hand, then started squeezing, the barb was close to being ejected and the sticky liquid was running down his arm, but he stabbed it and removed the small black-ish stone from the middle.

Sarah was watching from a far. He didn't make a peep when he felt the pain.

"Christian Boyd! I appreciate the stoic façade, but I know you are hurt." Said Sarah as she wiped the blood oozing from his hand where the barb dug in slightly.

Chris was thinking and said, "That is the first time you have called me by my full name, isn't it?" and Sarah shrugged. "It just seemed like you were a little lost there, are you alright?"

He shook his head, "No, I am weak, in a sewer, and I am burning/numb."

Sarah shook her head, "No..I meant, are YOU okay?"

Chris thought for a moment.

"No. I am pretty sure I am broken. I thought everything would be great back in the forest, but nothing is what it seems to be. This world. I thought it would be fun, I thought I could become a cool caster and maybe shoot some fireballs. But the more and more I learn, I realize over and over that I don't actually know. Then I made a plan, and I INSTANTLY fell into my old traps…why is it so hard to change?"

Chris was pouring his heart out, once again, but nothing ever really changed.

"Chris. Do you know how I got to where I am?" Sarah was standing perfectly still, just waiting for Chris to process her words.

He shook his head, "Nah, I don't know…"

"I earned it." Sarah was looking him in the eyes and respect could be seen.

She continued, "Most people do not have the courage to admit that they do not know what they are doing. Then, when they try, they fail.

Chris. How many times do you think I got hurt by a Slime?"

He once again shook his head, "I don't know, probably none."

…

"I got stabbed and barbed every single day, for 3-years. I wasn't born with Swift feet like my sisters, I couldn't shoot a bow, and I couldn't wield a broadsword. Do you know what happened when I kept going?"

"Did you get better?" Asked Chris.

"No, I just got injured." She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Chris, it took baby steps. I started living with the regular peasants. Those that my clan had go into the forest and hunt monsters for the clan. I got up at the crack of dawn, I showered rarely, I ate slop, and do you know what happened?

I got better. Slowly, I treated it like it was a chore, I just had to do it, or I would go hungry. I had to wash the clothes or I would be hated by the others..

I had to play a role. I had to learn how to apply myself to a task, have you ever learned that?"

Chris was listening intently. He thought back, "I have heard about people in the military getting up and making their bed every day. Just to provide structure."

She snapped her fingers, "That. Rufus was a man like that. He got up and took care of me every morning, even near the end. You need to find that. It isn't drive, it isn't a goal, it isn't to "become an adventurer and figure the rest out later."

He nodded, "I thought about that before we left, I need to make a plan, but I wasn't sure where to start. I thought I would wing it…and that didn't really go very well." He sighed and continued, "Sarah, I don't know where to start. Can you help me?"

Sarah smiled and nodded at him, "Don't be afraid to ask for help!"

She grabbed him and pulled him back to the guild, she was thinking about how she would help him become a man first, and a Hero second.

(AN: I felt bad about where I left Chris. It didn't FEEL genuine to me. I read TONS of novels and the MC always just immediately overcomes his problems. In Japanese novels, the MC will become a new freaking person in the span of 10 minutes. I kept thinking about how a real person would think and it kept coming back that it was not done. Chris making that plan and "going out to get it done" SHOULD NOT fly. How many times have people said, "New year, new me! I am going to lose weight!" and then they turn around and quit the next day, or next week. I am really trying to address a fundamental mistake that the character is making repeatedly. He is reframing reality to fit his own reference. It is something we all do and to get out of that mindset is to grow.

The MC will be getting stronger very soon, no promises but in less than 5 chapters I plan to level the MC to around 5 and get him his first class.

The MC will be working through his emotions and will hopefully have less outbursts. He was emotional from chapter 1, he cracked under the pressure of kids, and even sympathizes with his friend that betrayed him. I don't want anyone to think that he is a "big pussy MC" that can't even slaughter children that looked at him funny. That isn't directed at anyone, I just know it is coming…but I want to give Chris life, and with life come strife. BIG RANT TIME DONE, I think this counts as the end of volume 1, Chris is changing as a person. I plan to add that Auxiliary Chapter today and explain the rest of the world (that I have done, pls don't stab me!).