Chapter 015

April 2023

Control Center

Clack! 

Clack!

Ting! Clack!

Canis finally assembled the new crown.

However, it is not what he expects it to be, at least in terms of appearance.

The three-horse prongs are located at the back of your head, and Canis uses the circular slot as a reference and puts it on the forehead.

But of course that is not the most important part when 'Synchronizing'.

Canis began to inject mana into the crown, then the information flowed to his head.

"The resistance to Dark-Spirit became high resistance to Dark Spirit… It is one level less than immunity."

Of course, any decent Champions at this time knew the level of resistance.

Mild Resistance, which can block mild level effects and reduce damage by a very small fraction.

Low Resistance, can block low-level status effects and reduce the damage by 20% from a certain group. 

Resistance, can block a decent level of status effects and reduce the damage by half.

High Resistance, can block high-level status effects and reduce the damage from a certain group by at least 80%

Immunity, which can block all effects and damage.

The five levels of resistance is a basic knowledge for any Champion.

"This is already a great boon, however, because it is only effective against Dark Spirits, and not even Spirits in general, the value is comparatively low when you compare it to a Low Resistance against Spirits."

Canis just assume the market price of an artifact that has those abilities.

"Next, the ability "You're my friend" effect tripled."

But it has no use to Canis who didn't even have this ability in the first place.

Finally.

"Then… the skill that allows you to use precognition and visit the past and future of a limited place, 'Historic Future' now shares a cooldown and counter to a new skill."

" 'Guardian Sight', it is an ability that you can imbue to a tamed monster… and prevent an ambush for one time… the effect will lose after 24 hours…"

" Though the effect is long… but the fact that it shares a counter and cooldown with Historic Future is a loss."

But Canis has one concern.

"However… is Maple a tamed monster?"

Canis is not actually a Tamer.

And the ability he has wasn't classified as a Tamer skill by the Association.

His ability is so Unique that the Scry-type Mage cannot even detect it and he was registered as a 'Classless" Champion.

The title might sound good, but the treatment of Classless Champions is just similar to 'Civilians'.

But, whether he is Classless or Tamer Class… he still can do one thing to check it.

Canis injects his mana on the crown and looks at Maple who is standing in the middle of the Control Center.

"Guardian Sight…"

He casts the skill to Maple and a magical eye appears above Maple's head and disappears.

"Hmmm…"

Canis immediately knew.

"It works… so Maple is considered a 'tamed monster'."

Then Canis touched the crown and tried to remove it.

"Argh, well… that can't be helped, the cooldown is triggered so the artifact is currently 'locked' to the user."

Sighed.

"Aside from the crown, I didn't get any loot… the fire is not dying down and it might attract other Champions, so we decide to leave immediately."

Canis glance at Maple.

His strong son, stood there in his child-humanoid form playing a ball on the side.

Canis then moves to his bed, a fold-up bed that he stores in the Control Center, and begins to lie down.

"Tomorrow is a big day… the second day is already a boon…"

Canis looks at the ceiling.

And thought of his plans again.

"The we still have time… minimum… 15 days…"

Canis falls asleep immediately.

*****

November 18, 2011

Friday

Inside Shooter(Grocery)

Boom! Boom!

After The Burst, the time when people first feel the mana. 

The Descend came, it was the time when the pillars appeared all over the world, it didn't discriminate, city, forest, jungle, mountain, the pillars appeared everywhere after seven days.

The Great Break!

"Lucia! Tom! Hally!"

Boom! Boom!

Gunshots and explosions can be heard everywhere.

Canis is running inside the grocery store and moving his head frantically.

"KYYYAAA!"

Monsters, humanoid monsters with green-colored skin, jump around and bite and scratch other people.

MUNCH! MUNCH!

The monster bites the neck of a man and bathes with blood.

These monsters don't have a name yet, but from myth, legends, and games, people already called them…

Goblins.

Some Goblins began to equip themselves in whatever things they could get their hands too.

Bottles, knives, axes, wood sticks, shovels, boxes, plates…

Anything is a weapon for these monsters.

Bang! Bang!

Some people who are carrying a gun can be heard at a distance.

"Lucia! Tom! Hal-"

In the distance, Canis saw it…

Lucia and the kids are trapped, they are behind a meat counter and using a bunch of meat to throw at the three Goblins that surround them.

(Shit! What should I do!)

Bang! Bang!

Canis reflexively moved towards the sound and began to run in that direction.

(I need help! I need help! The police… yes…)

And he was not wrong.

A police holding a gun shoots a Goblin charging at him.

"SIR! SIR!"

He shouted and ran in front of the police while shouting.

Pant! Pant!

"Please help us! My friend and the kids are trapped!"

The policeman looks like 10 years older than him.

The guy looked at Canis from head to toe and smiled.

"Why? Why would I help you? You already know what happening right."

Canis was shocked.

"But… Aren't you here to serve the public… to help us…"

"HAHAHA! Serve the public? Are you dumb?"

Bang!

The guy shoots another goblin skillfully.

"Look around you? It's chaos… why would I even help you? There is nothing for me."

Bang!

"But please! There are kids there! 7 and 8 come on please…"

Canis was panicking he was glancing at the man and towards Lucia over and over again.

The man immediately aims the gun at Canis.

Canis was shocked.

He was stunned.

"I don't care! If you don't get out of my face! I will blow your head off."

The guy leisurely put several food cans on his cart and moved away.

He has shown his back to Canis.

(If I kill that guy I will have the gun.)

On his side, there is a big solid-looking bottle of condiments.

(One hit in the head… just one hit, one hit is enough to put him down and I will get the gun… then I can save… them…")

But.

Canis shook his head.

Instead, he runs towards Lucia while holding two bottles for each of his hands.

(I cannot… We should live like human…)

Canis ran towards the meat counter.

Two goblins already entered the counter and Lucia together with the kids was fighting them.

"NO! Face me!"

Canis fought the goblin that was about to enter the meat counter.

Bam! Bam!

He uses his strength to pummel the goblin but…

"Kyyaaa! Kyya!"

The monster took the blow and just replied with an attack.

Scratch! Scratch!

Canis receives several scratches, those scratches feel like knives grazing his skin.

"AHHHHH! AHHHH!"

His attack became more heavy… became more desperate…

Bam! Bam!

The goblin tried to dodge but Canis tackled the goblin and Canis began to pummel the monster while he was at the top of the monster.

Bam! Bam!

Smash!

The bottle broke, and several of the glass shards even hit Canis but he wasn't focused on that.

Immediately he stabs the broken bottle towards the goblin who is lying down.

Stab!

"KYYYYAAA!"

The goblin scratches Canis's face but after that, his hand falls on the side.

"CANIS! HELP!"

Ah!

Canis looks in front and notices that the Goblin got close to Lucia.

He stood up and ran towards the counter.

Splash!

Canis's eyes opened wide and shouted.

"TOOOOOM!"

Tom is covering Halley who is hiding behind him.

Tom's golden yellow hair, was now painted with red.

The blood splatter came from Tom, from the goblin tearing his neck apart.

The monster devours the kid's neck and spreads Tom's blood around.

Tom's eyes are gray.

The happy curvature of his eyes when he laughs will never be seen again.

"NO! TOM! TOM! TOM!"

Canis went wild and immediately jumped at Goblin.

He pulled the goblin out of Tom's dead body.

However, the goblin doesn't want to leave Tom, and the grip on his dead body tightens.

"FUCK!"

Canis stabs the goblin with the broken bottle again and again.

Stab! Stab! Stab!

When he notices that the Goblin died he looks below and notices Hally is shivering in behind Tom.

"KYYYYAAAA!"

"Arrrrghghgh!"

Lucia fought off the Goblin and pushed it away.

Underneath the counter, Lucia picked up something and smacked it into the goblin.

A cleaver hit the goblin straight in the face.

The cleaver remained in the goblin's head as it fell down.

"AAhhhhh!"

Lucia is crying and breaking down.

"AHHHHHH… Tooomm."

Halley is like a ball behind Tom… she still doesn't know that Tom died.

(TOM! TOM! TOM! I'm sorry TOM!)

Canis picked up Tom's body and put it on the side of the freezer.

Without blood, Tom looked like he was just sleeping in the corner of the room. 

Which is what he always does.

Canis looked around and saw knives underneath the counter.

He put it in his pocket.

Then he walks towards Hally.

"Don't cry… let's… get out of here ok…"

Hally isn't moving his head.

She closes her eyes so tight that she doesn't want to see anything.

Canis picks her up and moves towards Lucia.

He notices Lucia's eyes widen and tears fall down.

He immediately signals 'shhhh'.

Lucia is looking at Tom, while she covers her mouth with her hand.

Canis grabs Lucia's arm.

"Let's go…"

"What about…"

Lucia looks at Tom next to the freezer.

"When things calm down… I will go back to get him."

Lucia didn't refuse.

We began to move out when…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lucia and Canis look at the commotion.

The police from earlier is supporting a kid.

The kid looks rich, and the clothes themselves look expensive.

"Whoever keeps me safe will have a reward from my father!"

He doesn't know who the kid is but the policemen are protecting a single kid like him.

Not only that, but some man also carried an axe and chair and joined the kid as he walked around the grocery while those 'goons' of his protected him.

(Why!? Why didn't you help us? And you help him so easily.)

Canis eyes are angrily looking at the 'parade'.

(Is it money? Is it because this father is known? What is it? If that guy just helps us… Tom wouldn't died… Tom… would still be here…)

He glances at Tom and goes back to the kid.

(Is it because he is rich that's why he deserves to live? And Tom… deserve to die…)

Canis is confused.

Not just because of Tom's death but also about the weird event that is happening right now.

Canis and Lucia move towards the exit of the grocery.

Monsters continue to kill other people but the same as the others they neglect them.

(I need to keep them safe first.)

Canis is carrying Halley in his right hand and holding Lucia in his left, they didn't have the luxury to help out.

"Kyaaa!"

"Help me!"

"Please…"

Canis and Lucia were about to exit the grocery when a shadow was seen on the ground.

Canis was curious and he looked around but Lucia immediately looked up.

Canis… look at Lucia…

Lucia looks at him too, she forces a smile and pushes Canis and Halley away.

BOOM!

Something big came down and Lucia was caught in it.

"LUCIA!!!"

The floor collapses, down towards the parking lot.

B1, B2, B3… B4.

The monster reaches the deepest floor.

"LUCIA!!! LUCIA!!!"

Canis shouted and looked around the pit.

He wanted to see Lucia.

However, the monster covered in darkness looks at him.

The three red-crimson pupils glow in the dark.

Both of its eyes are looking straight at Canis.

Ready to tear him apart.

Fear struck Canis.

"AHHHH!"

***

Canis woke up.

He was bathing in his own sweat.

His heart is about to burst.

He cannot breathe properly.

Foooo…

He exhaled then.

Canis puts both his hands on his head and looks down.

"A fucking dream…"