Chapter 13: Guillotine Choke
While jogging back to the alley, Damon's feet hit the cracked concrete hard.
His lungs were burning and breathing was hard.
He was so tired that the cool morning air didn't help much. It was like a wet shroud around him.
Every step he took and every shaky gasp of air made him feel even more tired.
He turned the corner into the lane and saw his mother getting up from her makeshift bed.
She was looking at the big bottle of water he was holding.
There were lines of confusion her face, and she took a slow, determined step forward.
When Damon looked into her eyes, he felt a little anxious. He had been thinking about what to say in preparation for this moment, but now that it was here, he wasn't sure what to do.
When he stopped in front of his mother, he slowed down and his feet hit the ground together.
He could feel the water bottle being heavy in his hands. The plastic was cool and smooth against his skin.
He could feel the beads of water on the outside, which showed that there was a cold water inside.
His mom's eyes never left his face; she was looking for answers.
A fly buzzed around Damon's head, making a loud, annoying noise. He hit it half-heartedly, but his eyes never left his mother's.
Aoife's voice broke the silence, her Irish accent thick with concern. "Damon, where did you get that water?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze intense.
Damon took a deep breath, working hard enough to make his chest heave.
He could feel sweat running down his face, and the thought of the cool water made him very thirsty.
He knew he had to be careful and come up with a good reason for why the water had appeared out of nowhere.
Damon's eyes darted to the ground.
His mother was the only person he didn't like to lie to, but the system's secret seemed too dangerous to share.
The uncertainty of its origins and purpose made him hesitant to involve Aoife, fearing potential consequences.
His mother interrupted him as he was about to tell the story, her voice full of caution mixed with worry. "Am fecken sure you didn't steal the water, am right Damon, you know what would happen if we got caught."
Damon's hands tightened around the water container, his palms growing sweaty.
He intercepted his mother's sentence, his voice firm but cautious. "No mum, I didn't steal the water, it was those guys that own the backyard fight, I asked for it, they told me I could take it whenever I want, so there's no need to worry, I didn't steal anything, I promise you."
He saw his mother's look, and the words came out well crafted. Her stare scanned his face with her deep brown eyes.
Aoife let her shoulders drop, and her sigh was like a soft breeze. She seemed to believe what he said.
She might have trusted her son too much, or she didn't have had any other choice.
She lowered her voice. "Then sit down, I'm sure you're very tired from your exercise, so make sure to drink the water."
Damon nodded, his eyes never leaving his mother's face.
It made him feel bad that he lied to her, but the system's secret stayed safe, hidden behind a thin veil of lies.
He took a slow seat on the ground and put the water bottle next to him. Its presence reminded them of the strange forces that were affecting their lives.
Damon's mind wandered to how nice it was to have a steady flow of water, which was something they hadn't had in a long time.
They still had bananas that Joey had gifted Damon.
But now, with the system's promise of rewards for exercise, Damon felt a sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could break free from the cycle of scrounging for food.
The system panel appeared in front of him as he was thinking about it; its vivid blue color stood out against the surroundings.
The message flashed on the screen,
[SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION : DRINK THE F-RANK BODY TRAINING ENHANCEMENT, TO MAKE TRAINING EASIER]
Damon's eyes widened as he remembered the item, previously inaccessible due to his lack of understanding.
He slowly looked around and then his eyes fell on his mother, who was looking through a dumpster nearby.
Her steps were measured, and the way she looked at the trash was like she had practiced.
He recalled the drink's description, a supposed aid to make training easier. Damon's curiosity was piqued, and he wondered if it would genuinely help.
His eyes darted back to his mother, ensuring she was still distracted. Satisfied, he focused on the panel, his fingers hovering over the screen.
Damon's eyes fixed on the system panel, his fingers hovering over the icons. He clicked on the bottle-like container, and the message flashed before him:
[Are you sure you want to take out the BODY TRAINING ENHANCER, once you take it out you have 24 hours before expiration which will turn into water]
[Y/N]
He kept looking at the text for a while, thinking about what to do.
He was going to train later tonight, but the enhancer's time limit made him think twice.
Damon's thoughts went to the other things he had gotten from the system and then to the submission move.
He opened the gift inventory and skimmed the list until he found the card with the lock icon.
The card's surface was covered in elaborate patterns that gave it an unearthly energy that seemed to pulse.
With some hesitation, Damon reached out and touched the card.
The lock shattered, exploding into a burst of blue light that seemed to sear itself into Damon's retina.
His mind recoiled, struggling to process the influx of information.
The blue light dissipated, leaving behind a faint sound that resonated through his skull.
[GUILLOTINE CHOKE SKILL CARD UNLOCKED]
The message flashed, a stark contrast to the sensory overload Damon had just experienced.
His eyes felt dry, his vision blurry from the intensity of the blue light.
The sounds of the alley muffled by the ringing in his ears.
Demon's thoughts swirled, trying to make sense of the new information flooding his mind.
Demon's vision cleared, and a new system panel appeared before him. The text on the screen was crisp and clear
[SKILL CARD PROFECIENCY GUILLOTINE CHOKE - 0.99%]
He felt a sense of excitement, a thrill that came with learning something new. Another message appeared
[SKILL CARD PROFECIENCY, ARE SKILLS/MOVES GIVEN BY THE SYSTEM, TO SHOW THE HOST MASTERY ON IT, THEY ARE EASIER TO LEARN]
Damon's gaze lingered on the screen, absorbing the information. A third message flashed
[SELF LEARNED SKILLS WONT BE PUT ON THE CATAGORY AND HOST WILL HAVE TO LEARN FROM SCRATCH UNLESS GIVEN SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE]
Demon's vision got fuzzy, and his thoughts got lost in the system's digital fog.
So, he felt clear and had a feeling of purpose. He was aware that if he really got good at the guillotine choke.
He might have a better chance of winning this fight.
He removed the system panel, Damon's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight before him.
His mother, Aoife, was on the ground, her body moving in a slow, awkward rhythm.
She was trying to do push-ups, and each timid press made her arms shake.
Even though she wasn't in great shape, her back was sagging and her legs were shaking, she kept going, her face set in a determined frown.
As Damon looked at his mother, his confusion grew. He couldn't figure out how to connect this new picture with the woman he thought he knew.
The woman who had always seemed so fragile, so worn down by the hardships of their life, was now exerting herself in a way he had never seen before.
He stood up, his movements slow and quiet, as if he feared startling her into stopping. "Mom, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice laced with a mix of confusion and concern.
Aoife paused, her chest heaving with exertion, and looked up at her son.
A sly smirk spread across her face, her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. "Since you're exercising I thought I should too," she said, "I don't want my bones to kill me with arthritis for sitting so idle so much."
Damon's jaw hung open, his mouth agape in shock, as he stared at his mother in utter bewilderment.