Echoes of Absence

"People will start to question the absence of my mother." Thought Alex, as the sudden disappearance of his mother would be unexplainable to anyone else.

"I have to move forward, that is what mother would want me to do." Said Alex.

"The only option I have as of now is to leave this small village and go to a city." Said Alex with a heavy heart and a newfound resolve, he wiped away his tears and set out into the world, determined to honour his mother's memory and fullfill the destiny that awaited him.

After a week of living in the forest, using up all the food and water supply he had bought along with him. And missing an opportunity to talk to a traveler about the direction to the nearest city.

Alex started to hear a voice.

"TRANSACTION COMPLETED, POCKET-WATCH BESTOWED." A voice appeared from thin air, and so did a watch.

"WHAT IN THE LIVING HELL" Said Alex, shocked.

"RULES"

"Rule 1: One has to say (Temporalis) in order to use skill"

"Rule 2: One cannot travel back in time beyond the moment they acquired the watch" 

Alex managed to recover quickly and decided to pay attention to the voice.

"Rule 3: In order to utilise the skill, the owner must specify the time to which they wish to return using the watch bestowed."

"Rule 4: After traveling back in time, the owner will retain knowledge of the future."

"Rule 5: At level one, the owner may only travel back in time one hour."

"Rule 6: At level 10 , the owner may travel back in time 5 hours."

"Rule 7 : The owner may only use the skill every 4 hours until level 50 is achieved"

"FURTHER RULES WILL BE PROVIDED ONCE OWNER REACHES LEVEL 10".  Said the voice.

"That's a lot to remember. I already forgot the first rule, wasn't it something about not being able to go back in time unless I say some sort of weird-ass word? Temptation? Nah, the hell was it?" It took Alex 6 and a half hours to remember the word.

"TEMPORALIS!" said Alex, in the excitement of remembering the word.

"Please select the time to which you would like to return."

"Ah, right! Rule number...um, was it three or four? Anyway, yeah, I remember now! I can only jump back in time using the watch."

"Time selected:- One hour in the past". 

"Going back in time"

For a brief moment, Alex felt weightless, untethered from the constraints of time and space. It was a dizzying sensation, like standing on the edge of a precipice and gazing into the abyss below.

"Time travel complete."

"Fucking hell, that was one hell of a ride," said Alex, panting as he looked around, realising he was back near the stream-lined river which consisted of moss-covered rocks and lush greenery surrounding it. 

"Well that worked out, which was the nearest city again? Alex paused for a moment, racking his brain to recall the name of the nearest city. After a few seconds of mental searching, it came to him.

"Silverwood," he muttered to himself. "That's where I need to go, but wait I still dont remember the way, at least this time I can ask that boy whom I was scared to interact with before. Shit man I wish I wasn't so dumb." he thought to himself.

As Alex muttered to himself, trying to recall the way to Silverwood, he felt a wave of frustration wash over him. His mind raced with self-deprecating thoughts, wishing he wasn't so forgetful at times like these. Lost in his thoughts, Alex nearly missed the sight of a lone figure walking along the road up ahead. Squinting against the glare of the sun, he could make out the silhouette of a boy, his backpack slung over one shoulder as he trudged along the dusty path. Heart racing with a sudden surge of hope, Alex quickened his pace to catch up to the stranger.

As he drew closer, he could see that the boy was wearing a worn-out hoodie and a pair of faded jeans, his expression a mix of determination and exhaustion.

"Hey!" Alex called out, waving frantically to get the boy's attention. "Excuse me, do you know the way to Silverwood?"

The boy paused, turning to face Alex with a curious expression. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Alex, as if trying to gauge whether or not he could be trusted.

"Yeah, I know the way," the boy replied cautiously. "But why do you want to go there?"

"I want to be a hunter, and I have heard that, it is the place a beginner should go." Said Alex hesitantly, as there was no way he could have told him the truth.

"Alright well, follow me" Said the boy.

"Thanks." Said Alex, "Wait, shouldn't I ask him his name?" Thought Alex.

"Hey, I don't recall asking you your name." Said Alex

"It's Ethan, and yours?" Said the boy with curiosity.

Alex was happy that the boy was open. "My name is Alex, nice to meet you." 

"So, if I recall correctly, You said that you wanted to be a hunter, right?" asked Ethan curiously.

"Yeah but I am pretty weak, so I have to practise a lot" Said Alex, knowing he couldn't trust Ethan too much yet.

"Is that so." Said Ethan while looking at Alex with his narrowed eyes. "What skill do you have" Questioned Ethan.

As Ethan's gaze bore into him, Alex felt a twinge of unease. He hadn't expected the boy to be so probing, and he hesitated for a moment before responding.

"Um, well, I.... um... I have the skill of strength." his voice tinged with uncertainty. "I haven't quite mastered my skill yet, so it feel's weird to say it out loud....." Said Alex, thinking that he should have made up a more believable excuse.

Ethan's eyes narrowed further, a hint of skepticism flickering across his features. "Really? And you want to be a hunter?" he remarked, his tone tinged with disbelief.

"Yeah, well, I've got potential," Alex replied defensively, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of doubt gnawing at him. "I just need to work on it."

Ethan regarded Alex for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to Alex's surprise, he let out a low chuckle.

"Well, I suppose we all start somewhere," Ethan said, his tone softening slightly. "I can help you train, if you want. Silverwood is full of opportunities for hunters-in-training."

Alex felt a surge of gratitude towards Ethan, grateful for his offer of assistance. Maybe, just maybe, this stranger could help him unlock his true potential and find the answers he sought.

"Thanks, Ethan," Alex said, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "I appreciate it, also how much further do we need to walk?" 

"Oh don't worry, we will be there within two days time" Said Ethan.

"WHAT, TWO FREKING DAYS, WHAT ARE WE EVEN SUPPOSED TO EAT?" Asked Alex with uncertainty about whether or not he would survive.

"Isn't it obvious, we are supposed to hunt our food" Replied Ethan.

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. "Hunt our food? Like, with the help of our skill?" he asked incredulously.

Ethan nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Duh, survival of the fittest, my friend."

Alex gulped nervously, his skill was practically useless, in these scenarios. He had never hunted before, the thought of stalking through the wilderness in search of dinner filled him with equal parts excitement and dread.

"But what if we don't catch anything?" Alex protested, his voice tinged with apprehension. "I mean, I'm not exactly a master hunter."

Ethan shrugged nonchalantly. "No worries, mate. We'll just eat get some pizza instead." Said Ethan with sarcasm in his tone.

Alex blinked in surprise. "Pizza? Out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Ethan grinned. "Hey, you'd be surprised what you can find in the wilderness these days. Besides, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

With that cryptic remark, Ethan set off down the road once more, leaving Alex to ponder the absurdity of their situation. Hunting for food one moment, ordering pizza the next—it was like something out of a bizarre comedy sketch.

RAWWWRRRR -

As a giant bear lumbered into view, Ethan immediately sprung into action, his movements fluid and precise as he assumed a fighting stance. Meanwhile, Alex stood frozen in place, his eyes wide with panic as he tried to process the absurdity of the situation.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, DO YOU WANT TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?" Ethan bellowed, his voice echoing through the forest. "I thought your skill was strength, show some fucking courage you walnut!"

Alex blinked in confusion, his mind racing as he struggled to comprehend Ethan's outburst. "But...but I thought we were just going to get pizza?" he stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

Ethan's eyes narrowed, a mixture of exasperation and disbelief crossing his features. "Pizza? Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed, incredulous. "We're in the middle of the goddamn wilderness, Alex! This is survival of the fittest, not a fucking pizza party!"

Realisation dawned on Alex as he finally grasped the gravity of their predicament. With a newfound sense of determination, he squared his shoulders and faced the massive bear, summoning every ounce of courage he had left.

"Alright, you overgrown fuck-ball," Alex muttered under his breath, his voice shaky but determined. 

With a primal roar, the bear lunged forward, its massive claws outstretched as it charged towards them. Ethan braced himself for the impact, ready to defend himself against the formidable foe.

But just as the bear was about to strike, Alex's hand shot out instinctively, a burst of energy emanating from his fingertips as he unleashed his latent strength. With a mighty roar of his own, he sent the bear flying backwards, its massive form crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. The bear then took a U-Turn and escaped while he could.

Ethan stared at Alex in disbelief, his mouth hanging open in astonishment. "Holy shit," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I guess you really are stronger than you look."

Alex grinned sheepishly, a sense of pride swelling within him as he realised the true extent of his abilities. "Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, a newfound confidence shining in his eyes. "Wait but wasn't my skill just time travel?" Alex thought to himself. "I guess the spirit might have given me some extra usable strength"

NOTICE :- LEVEL UP ↑(LEVEL 2)

HP:- 250↑(300)

MP:- 100↑(150)

PHY:- 10 ↑(15)

ATC:- 10 ↑(12)

SPE:- 10 ↑ (12)

DEF:- 10 ↑ (15)

Skill:-LV 1↑(2)

NOTICE:- You may go back in time(max 1.5 hour)

Alex grinned with joy as he realised he wasn't too weak.