[Second World Of Aerith] (2)

"Looking good for a starter...." Keith muttered, wiping off the blood from the corner of his lips while smiling.

DING-!

[User recognised]

[Penalty for the "Regression" ability usage has been concluded!]

[You cannot enter any [Gate] except for [Gate-5], the final gate!]

[[Fate-link] has linked the fate of the user with another!]

".... Wha-"

BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM-!

"!!!!!!" Keith shuddered involuntarily as an extremely ominous bloodlust swept past him.

Unbeknownst to him, it wasn't even directed at a certain someone, as everybody on the [Second World Of Aerith] felt it, didn't matter if they were sensitive to magic power or killing intent, everybody felt it, without exception.

The weirder thing was the fact that everyone was forced onto their knees, with Keith being of no exception.

This was first time he had ever felt such a strong bloodlust, and he had fought against gods who oozed bloodlust with him as their target, but not once had he flattered again after getting used to it, and he was sure that there was nothing in existence that could make him cover in fear!

He realised only now, how-so wrong he was.

He felt as if he was being gazed down at, by whatever impossible existence that oozed its bloodlust just now. He couldn't have known, but that was a feeling shared by all.

They felt as if somebody or something was glaring down at them from above, but they weren't mentally strong enough to define the being, with their mental strength being drained just to keep their consciousness for a second longer.

It was only a few seconds later that the gaze disappeared and Keith, who was able to, stood up, gasping for air as he gazed around in disbelief.

The sight in front of him was just absurd, as even the zombies were kneeling, no, kowtowing to be precise.

'Maybe it was a system error?' Keith pondered, regaining his sanity which had began to deny reality, unable to accept the fact that what he felt just now was real.

"Yeah....it must be...." Keith concluded, repeatedly nodding to himself to convince himself that whatever he felt just now wasn't true, as he gradually ran towards the closest zombie.

[Zombie]

[Exp – 23]

Was seen on top of its head, which he grabbed and threw it across the crossroad.

BAM-!

With a few pitches and drifts, the zombie collided against the wall and slumped forward on the ground, unmoving.

[You have obtained 4.34 experience points!]

With this notification floating at a corner of his eyes,

[-4.34] appeared above the zombie's head, much to Keith's confusion, 'Where is the 1% increase in the experience points I just earned? Will I receive it after defeating the foe completely?' He pondered.

[Zombie]

[Exp – 18.66]

Was what was visible on top of the zombie's head currently.

Keith ignored it and decided to test it out, as he, soon, smiled upon gazing at things finally taking course like it was supposed to, after a myriad of variables. 'Gate-5 huh.... its quite alright, because it gave me an opportunity to get stronger before entering the [Tutorial] in Aerith.' He thought.

"I can accumulate a shit tonne of experience points before entering, who wouldn't want such an alluring penalty?" He mumbled with a grin and zoomed towards the fallen zombie, which stood back up with a subtle 'grrr,' and "walked" towards Keith.

"So goddamn slow!" He expressed his mirth and roundhouse kicked its head.

BAM-!

The zombie stumbled to the side, but didn't fall as it simply walked towards Keith again, he could use other methods to kill them or find a weapon before fighting against them, but he don't do so because he wanted to get used to his body and understand his current insignificant self, before obtaining as much points as he could.

And currently, the zombie in front of him was his punching bag.

*

A few minutes later.

After pillaging a nearby house, he found a hatchet which he was thankful for and zoomed towards the kitchen to find salt.

Upon finding two mini bags and a small salt container, he rushed towards the closest crowded area. Because the more people gathered in one place, the more zombies spawned, with the spawning ratio being 1:4.

He sprinkled salt on his hatchet as he slashed through the zombies while also stealing kills of those around him.

[You have obtained 21 experience points!]

[You have obtained 42 experience points!]

....

.....

[00H: 00M: 54S]

'A blast, I need a strong enough blast....' Keith muttered in his mind as he gazed around he search of that something.

"Aura blast!" Keith exclaimed, but frowned soon after, when he considered the consequences and backlashes if he used a blast with so little power.

'Fuck it!'

He concentrated all his aura reservoir on his right palm, and remembering that he also had magic power cruising through him, he channelled both powers on his palm,

Gazing at the unstable artic blue coloured helix above his palm fearfully, he tossed the salt bags into the air and pushed his arms upwards, as an artic blue coloured power packed blob, shot up into the air, towards the salt bags.

BOOM-!

With a loud 'boom,' the salt bags busted as the grinded salt scattered around, some falling into Keith's eyes, which soon teared up.

"Ghuck....."

[You have obtained 19 experience points!]

[You have obtained 35 experience points!]

[You have obtained 26 experience points!]

[You have obtained 12 experience points!]

[You have obtained 28 experience points!]

....

...

Wiping his tears filled eyes and coughing out blood due to the [Poiesis Drain] [1], his gaze blurred due to the imprudent use of his abilities, but the vigour burning in his eyes hadn't flattered even a bit, but was instead fanned as he smiled at his reckless yet worthy attempt.

"Status...."

====

[Keith Frazier]

[Experience points – 763]

[Level – 0] [Allocate]

[Class – Timekeeper] [Allocate]

[Title – Returnee: You are one of the protectors chosen by the system, the training you have been through in the span of time is the reward and an head start for you, who are a protector. Effects: Experience points accumulation increased by 1%]

[Fate – 94] [Fluctuating]

[HP – 59/100]

[MP – 0/3] [Allocate]

==

[Strength – 3] [Allocate]

[Dexterity – 1] [Allocate]

[Stamina – 2] [Allocate]

[Tenacity – 2] [Allocate]

[Intelligence – 4] [Allocate]

==

[Exclusive skill] [1/1]

[Rewind: Time can be rewinded by 0.9 seconds. Time rewinded can be increased according to the user's proficiency] [Proficiency – 0%] [Allocate]

[Passive skills] [0/4]

[Active skills] [0/6]

====

*

Experience points are tallied upon the experience you gain as you continued to live, hence it is different from person to person, and these experience points are rewarded to those that contribute or kill beings that [Cognates] with the existence, who had the moniker, the [System].

This world named Aerith was a game-like world yet it was nothing alike a game. Why would you say that, you ask? You'll know soon enough. But, if you really wanted an answer then, "It isn't a game when life...exists. No matter how much you deluded yourself, it is a fact and that won't change just because you think so."

*

A month later.

The world, [Second World Of Aerith] had now rotted visibly. The metal had rusted, building had and were crumbling, lands had turned barren as they birthed monsters instead of harvest, water had turned poisonous together with the air, sky was devoid of its vigour and warmth, and was instead dyed with cries and despairs of those below, who unfortunately survived, barely.

Poison and the power density in the atmosphere was being constantly purified by the [Dome] and its density was being lowered so that the survivors can really survive, if stepped out of the [Dome] they would feel the density increasing, but still they were under the protection of the [System] currently, so they will survive, but the limit of the [System]'s protection was only till the closure of [Gate-5], which even Keith didn't know as he had made his way to Aerith in [Gate-1] in his previous life.

With these harsh reality circled around them, they had no choice except to be trapped in the [Dome], living off of the food purchased from the [Player Shop] which was introduced after the closure of [Gate-1], the means of purchase was, obviously, experience points.

The zombie hoards had long ended, as of now, they were forced to face real monsters which were named after fantasy monsters, but were unlike those from the stories. The ones they were experiencing were larger, stronger, and disgusting than the ones they have ever heard, a few among the survivors, who had a habit of reading novels were dumbfounded and were questioning reality, thinking how bigger were the measuring tapes used in an authors' imagination. Because the goblins which were said to be 3-foot tall monsters, were as large as a bulky man! And that was when measured with the shortest goblin of the group. The monsters the survivors were fighting against were more bigger, stronger, and more disgusting than those from novels and web toons.

While their struggle continued, there was one person amongst them, whom they called an oddity. He would go out of the [Dome], and if asked where he was going, he would always reply with, "To hunt monsters."

They obviously knew that as there was nothing else out there, except monsters to hunt! Although he was annoying in many ways, he was also stronger with a shitload of oddity merged within him, since he was also a "provider" of the last group of survivors, they didn't have any other option except but to tolerate him.

And,

Speak of the devil, there he was, the oddity, walking towards an end of the [Dome] today too.

"Keith! Why not just stay? The [Gate-5] will open after 30 more minutes!" An old man yelled at Keith from behind. But not even bothering to answer, Keith walked out of the [Dome].

"There he goes again...." The old man mumbled under his breath with a sigh as he shook his head.

***

[1] [Poiesis]: Creation; creative power or ability.