Chapter 04: Awakening of system.
Meanwhile, Morgan's father was already
rushing through the fields looking for Morgan.
"Morgan! Where are you, my boy?!" Adam looked around again and again with a very nervous expression on his face.
Kaede was doing the same things elsewhere. It had been hours now, night had fallen already and their son didn't come back, this was truly not normal.
She searched everywhere near their house and then thought of the old small house some distances away and rushed there.
"Morgan! Are you here?! It's Mom!" Kaede shouted before her eyes darted toward the sky.
She could see a lot of crows flying around as if preying on something.
She rushed there and finally saw something that scared the hell out of her.
In one of the fields of crops, on the fresh soil…
Blood… Blood… Blood...
…Everywhere... the whole field was nearly all repainted in blood…
The only reason it wasn't all dyed was only because of the insufficient quantity of it.
Kaede could see and make out a dozen or so human corpses used to make this bloody landscape.
"This- this is horrible…"
Her face instantly paled at this gruesome sight as she put a hand on her mouth.
However, just as she was about to turn around, she noticed from the corner of her eyes another thing.
?!
A bit away from the carnage, a bloodied Morgan was lying quietly on the ground.
"Baby!" She rushed with all her might to him and kneeled as she took Morgan in her arms and held him tight.
"Morgan! Oh, no what happened to you…?" She panicked and cried as she checked his pulse. Seeing that he was still breathing and his heart was still beating, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
She took her phone and called Adam.
"A- Adam… I found him…"
"What? is he alright? Where are you?"
"He... it seems he's injured...we're at the old field around the small house, near the forest…"
"Alright, I'm coming right away!"
When Adam arrived at the place and saw this massacre, his face too paled a bit, although less than Kaede but still…
"Wha- what the hell happened here…?"
…
When I opened my eyes again, I felt my whole body feeling numb and my eyes heavy.
Looking around he was in his room and on his bed.
'It hurt… why?'
Unknowingly, I felt a sudden rush of sadness deep down in my heart as I then took a moment to remember what happened.
A name finally made its way to my head…
Enma…
Morgan's pupils constricted as he forcibly moved his body and sat on the bed.
His breathing suddenly became heavy and rough, remembering what happened to his dog.
Tears began to fill his eyes and stream down his cheeks.
'It was a nightmare right?' He thought as he looked around and saw his mother who was always here rushing at him.
"Morgan! You scared me…" She held him tightly while the realization struck him.
"It- it wasn't a nightmare… it was real after all..." Seeing his Mother like this, the answer was clear to him already.
"Baby, what happened to you? Tell mom will you?"
…
And so, Morgan ends up spilling up everything to his mom while crying for an entire hour before calming down.
"Enma… where is Enma?"
"Enma? We didn't find him..." Kaede held his face and caressed his cheeks.
"..." Morgan was silent for a while before asking again.
"What about the hero?"
"The hero, he…" Kaede felt weird to call the culprit of that butcher from earlier a hero, but in this case, this unknown person was truly one for her.
"He took care of the villains and quickly left it seems…" Kaede said while hiding some parts of the matter. She couldn't just tell her boy about what truly happened.
After that, she stayed with him and took care of him and also gave a call to Adam explaining all the story.
…
...
Meanwhile, Adam was at the place of carnage where a lot of policemen and police scientists were examining the place.
"So first of all, I can assure you that your son has nothing to do with this…" A scientist guy said to Adam who listens quietly.
"I can assure you that the one who did this was an especially tall man with a heavy and long sword… The precision of the cut can also indicate a certain experience…"
"Okay and…?"
"Well, ahem, I just want to give you a warning sir, among the human blood, there was also animal's blood…"
"And if what your wife told you is true, then your son should have watched his dog dying slowly in front of him…" The face of the scientist twitched in contempt for those punks.
Adam's face was already as frigid as a stone.
"However, it's strange… we didn't find the dog's corpse."
Adam continued to deal with all the paperwork.
…
…
Meanwhile, at the house, Morgan who was on his bed was speaking with his mom.
"Are you sure? I can stay if you want?"
"No, I'm fine, I'm good now…"
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I am…"
"Okay then, but I'll be back real quick alright? I'm just making dinner, just call me if you need…" Kaede slowly got out.
"Hn." Morgan nodded feeling extremely low.
However, something was drawing his attention since he woke up but he didn't say anything until now so as not to scare his mom again.
"... What's that…?" Morgan glanced at a sort of screen floating in the air in front of him.
[Message: You have unread mail]
"...?" Morgan looked at it and tried to touch it in vain.
"Hmm… is that… a game window?" Now he felt curious. He, of course, was a little gamer on his own, not a pro but he knew the basics….
"Let's see… open the mail…?" Morgan said in doubt and to his shock...
[Welcome player]
[(Daily quest: Getting Powerful) has arrived]
[The system will help the player grow steadily]
[As the player is different from the last one, the experience proposed will be slightly different…]
[If the player fails to obey the system's orders there may be a penalty]
[Your rewards have arrived]
"…" Morgan's face was one of confusion as he saw a lot of other smaller screens popping in front of him accompanied by a ranging sound.
The smaller screens slowly disappeared apart from the bigger screen showing the message... [Daily Quest: Getting Powerful]
"Uh, what do they say again?"
"Ah right, Check!" Morgan then saw the screen suddenly growing out.
=================
Push 0/100
Curl-up 0/100
Sit-ups 0/100
Squats 0/100
Running 0/1km
Failing to complete this daily quest will bring a punishment associated with this quest.
Remaining time: 3h59
=================
"That's all?" Morgan thought out loud.
Indeed, Morgan was already used to run and jump and do a lot of works with his father ever since the tender age of five, so when he saw this quest, he was rather stunned at how easy it looks.
"Wait, is- is that my Quirk?" After thinking for a moment, he thought about this improbable possibility.
Did he ever dream to have a Quirk? Of course, he does! It wasn't funny to be mocked by others, and he always wanted to retaliate with equal means too.
Although he was slightly stronger than people his age, it was only slightly… His dad trained him hard and he never gave up too, but... after all, things said and done, against multiple Quirks users… it was all in vain...
With this 'slightly stronger' strength he couldn't do anything at all!
He could protect nobody! He couldn't protect his dog, and wouldn't be able to protect his mom and dad too.
But if to achieve strength, he only had to do training every day then…
…
…
…
*Two days later*
Adam and Kaede were outside as they watched in astonishment Morgan jogging around their fields before doing some push-ups, sit-ups, and all other kinds of workouts.
"Adam you idiot! what have you done to him?!" Kaede violently pinched Adam's cheeks in anger.
"Aouch aouch, stop it, I didn't tell him to do anything, I'm not so cruel!" Adam rubbed his cheek in pain.
"Morgan baby, stop that and go rest a bit!" Kaede shouted at Morgan worryingly.
"I'm fine, mom! I have a Quirk so I have to train!" Morgan tried to smile as he continued. He, of course, told his parents about this weird phenomenon that was happening to him.
"Mommy doesn't care about your Quirk, just be safe alright?"
"Yes, Mom!"
'Haha… what a joke…' Morgan laughed inwardly.
It wasn't that he didn't want to stop it but just that he couldn't…
The first day, he had done his quest and everything had gone out perfectly but on the second day, he was curious about what kind of punishment he would receive and he instantly regrets it.
As the saying goes, curiosity can kill the cat… and indeed he nearly died...
He was by some unknown means transport into another world and was chased around by gigantic centipedes. And God only knows how much he dreads centipedes.
He ends up running for three hours straight before returning home...
And since then, he swore to do it every day…
Whatever, after two days, he got familiar with the system.
And as he supposed, it was exactly like a game and he was the player.
At the end of the workout, he was completely sweaty and tired.
=========
Push-ups 100/100
Curl-up 100/100
Sit-ups 100/100
Squats 100/100
Running 01/01km
============
[Congratulation: you may accept your following rewards]
1# Status recovery
2# Stats points +3
3# Random box +1
[Will you accept?]
"Accept status recovery." His body shone with yellow light and his fatigue instantly wore off by magic it seems.
He then accepted the other rewards.
Just as the name implied, the stats points are given after doing the daily quest and are used to increase the character's stats.
Leveling up can also level up his stats.
Anyway, his current status was displayed as such…
=======
Name: Morgan Ashborn. Level: 2
Job: S̶h̶a̶d̶o̶w̶ ̶M̶o̶n̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ Fatigue: 0
Title: None
HP: 205
MP: 22
STR: 17
AGI: 17
SEN: 14
VIT: 14
INT: 14
Remaining stats points: 0
The first time he opened his status, all his stats were already at 12 points each and he had put all 6 points into strength and agility to experiment with the system's authenticity and sure enough, he was a tad stronger and faster than before.
Aside from that, the system would also send a lot of sub-quest like…
[Quest: Wash the dishes] or [Quest: Help Mom to cook] or [Quest: Help Dad with the farm]
All these sub-quests were facultative and were not followed by some punishment of some sort, but were, however, rewarded by the system with experience to raise his level, not much but enough to push Morgan to level 2 already, which raised all his stats to 14 each.
There was also this weird job greyed out, and whenever he would try to examine it, the system would merely reply with a…
[Player's current level is insufficient to proceed forward]
Apart from all that, there was also a shop that he couldn't access for now too.
He also had an inventory and an items storage that he found super useful, he had already tried it yesterday.
Last but not least…
===========
[Skills]
[Passive]
Unknown??? Max
Unknown??? Max
Cooking LV 1
Washing LV1
Muscularity LV 1
[Active]
Sprint LV 1
============
There were those two Unknown passive skills that were troubling his mind but he just couldn't do anything about it.
…
…
…
He took a shower and returned to his room and just lied on the bed to look at the ceiling to think.
Drip...
Whenever he would think of his dog, some tears would always make their way to his eyes.
Whenever he would think of how he died, a deep and profound sadness would overtake him followed, however, by terrific anger.
The way Enma died was just way too cruel...
"No… I said I wouldn't cry anymore!"
Shaking his head, Morgan just opened the system and looked at the quest to change his mind.
[Message: Random box unchecked]
"...?" Although he was certain that he had checked it.
"Check."
A screen opened up with the random box and as if by magic, the box surged out of the screen and fell into his hands.
The box opened up and a key of some sort materialized in his hand.
He took a glance at the key, and the description appeared.
============
A key that allows you to create an instant dungeon. You may use this in your room.
=============
"Instant dungeon? What's that?" Morgan thought curiously and stood up from his bed.
"Wait… in my room?" He took the key in doubt and...
Weng...! It shone a bright golden light and slowly, his room began to change and turn into a sort of haunted house.
[You have entered the instant dungeon]
"What? No… my room… I didn't even want to enter it yet…"
[You cannot leave the dungeon. Either you kill the Boss or use the return crystal.]
?! He was about to insult the system but then remember something more important.
"Mom! Dad!" He immediately pushed open the door to run downstairs but to his shock, there was nothing, no Mom, no Dad, nothing, only him and…
"Rrrrrrrgh!" Someone was walking toward him, or more like the rest of someone was walking toward him.
"Is that… a zombie?" Morgan backed out, quite disgusted by the monster coming his way. Indeed, chunks of flesh were missing on this poor fellow's body but he was still breathing and walking.
[Defeat all your enemies]
"Okay okay, I get it already…" Morgan looked around and saw a chair.
He grabbed the chair and…
"Sorry, sir…"
"Rrrrrrrgh-...!"
Smash!
The zombie was smashed out toward the other wall but immediately got up on his feet and returned.
"It didn't die already?" Morgan uttered nervously.
And so,
Smash!
"Rrrrrrrgh!"
Smash!
"Rrrrrrrgh!"
Crack! In the end, Morgan's chair broke into pieces.
"..." Morgan looked at the Zombie as it roared and came back once again.
He crouched down to take a wooden stake made out of the broken chair and slowly walked toward the zombie before accelerating slightly...
The zombie, being way too tall for him he decided at a meter away or so from the zombie, to jump on the wall and to thrust the stake with force, piercing right into its head.
Bam! Like a robot being disconnected, the zombie fell finally…
[You have defeated an undead]
[You leveled up]
Seeing the blood, and fluids, and other things coming out of the zombie's head, Morgan couldn't help but put a hand in front of his mouth refraining himself from throwing up.
He had never seen such a disgusting scene before apart from the movie, but that was a movie… here, everything was a reality, or at least for him it was.
"...?"
While he was in his thoughts, he felt something, the appropriate word would be, he 'sensed' a danger arriving as he turned around.
He saw three more Zombies entering the house by three different windows and screaming.
"Rrrrrrrrrrgh!"
Seeing this Morgan hurriedly broke the chair, even more, to take two long stakes in both hands.
However, before he could decide to act or not, one of three zombies took him by surprise and rushed at him.
"Graaaaagh!"
However, Morgan was already on his guard since earlier. His father had already prepared and trained him for this sort of multiple assaults.
Although those zombies were 'undying' their fighting patterns were quite predictable.
Just like…
Yes just like… bullies… strong and numerous but stupid sometimes...
Only one thought was currently going and circling in his head.
'I have to kill them… I have to kill them…'
'Or I'm the one to die…'
Swish! [Skill: Sprint was activated: Your movement will increase by 30%]
With that in mind, he rushed forward and with an insane momentum, jumped like a cannonball, feet first to crash and smash onto the zombie's chest as they both flew back toward the other two zombies.
At the same time, Morgan raised his two stakes and swoosh! He swung both his arms forward to pierce their heads.
Spurt! He got the one on the right but not on the left.
He retreats back a bit and rushed to end the last one.
Spurt!
"Phew… so what now-…?" He asked knowing that he didn't kill the boss yet.
But to his surprise, or not really, a dozen of zombies began to swarm over his position.
"..." Looking at that, Morgan took what was at his hand's reach to kill those zombies.
Unaware of it himself, he was starting to change…
…
/////////
Whoa… this chap took so much time...