51: Struggle

Ever wondered what it felt like to be alone?

Like completely alone?

Not the alone where people ignore you and you don't have any friends or anybody to talk to.

No

The alone where you are actually alone.

Nobody and I mean nobody is around you.

Nothing is around you.

Well, except two things.

Lots and lots of water and a terrifying octopus beast.

Ignoring the octopus beast,

Now imagine been alone with nothing but water all around you.

Nothing else, just water.

Now if you were staying on a ship or floating on top of the water,

It would be scary, Yeah.

But not so scary since you would at least be able to see the sky.

There would be day and there would be nights filled with stars.

There might even be rain and who knows,

There might even be snow.

Now imagine,

Just imagine been so deep inside a body of water that the sky was no longer visible to you.

That even if it rained, you would not know.

That even if the brightest and warmest sun rays flooded the planet, you would still not be able to see it nor feel it.

How would you feel?

You don't know how it feels?

You don't know how you would feel?

Well, it's not only you, I don't know also.

Let's ask Corey, shall we.

----

'Am I going to die?'

This thought which had been recurring so much that Corey lost count after fifty, unleashed it's deadly fangs once again at Corey, making him to feel like the scythe of the grim reaper was round his neck, waiting, just waiting for him to gasp for air and die due to lack of oxygen.

Corey looked all around him, hoping to find something, anything that would grant him a ray of hope, but the more he looked, the more his hope shattered into multiple pieces.

He looked up, trying to keep the last piece, the last shred of hope he had left, foolishly hoping for something to grant him hope, to renew his shattered hope.

But the moment he looked up, the last piece, the last shred of hope broke and tore into many micro particles.

An absent expression hung on his face as he looked up.

Never had he missed the sky so much.

Never had he missed the hard ground so much.

Never had he missed light so much.

And never, absolutely never had he valued air as much as he did right now.

As he looked up, he wondered just how long he had been floating upwards.

5 minutes?

10?

15?

Maybe a year?

Or even years?

Okay he knew those two last thoughts were absolutely impossible since he definitely could not hold his breath for that long.

He knew how long he could hold his breath which was 1 hour 33 minutes.

He had tested himself in The Library Of Records previously to see how long he could hold his breath, and honestly, he was surprised when he lasted for more than hour.

But when he thought of how he was no longer a normal human, it didn't surprise him that much anymore.

Although Corey could hold his breath for more than an hour in water, that was when he was still and was not attacking or trying to remove a damn tentacle from his ankle.

Corey had expended his stamina and definitely more oxygen during the time he was fighting the tentacle mermaids and trying to remove the tentacle from his ankle.

Right now, Corey did not know how long he had left before he would need to gasp for air.

But he knew, he just knew, that his time was not much at all.

'How deep am I?'

'Does this ocean, sea, whatever it is, have an end?'

'Does it have a surface?'

'And if it does, can I reach the surface on time and get out of this abominable water?'

'In fact, if I'm so deep, why his my body not getting crushed due to intense pressure I'm meant to be feeling?'

'Or is my body that strong?'

'…'

'Why is this happening to me?'

'Why is my luck so bad?'

'I just want to be strong.'

'Sure it's hard but is it meant to be this hard?'

'Am I cursed?'

Various thoughts appeared in his head as Corey had an expression of… acceptance?

But just as he was about to accept the fact that he was about to die, he remembered something.

'If I die, what would happen to my family?'

'They would be worried their entire lives if they don't hear from me.'

'If they don't find my body, they might have this vain hope that I'm alive somewhere.'

'My sister… My adorable little sister would be sad and might do something stupid like those anime characters.'

'Also what of my virginity?'

'Am I going to die a virgin?'

'I've never kissed a girl before.'

'What of Becca?'

'I- I want to see her.'

'I can't die yet.'

'I can't die and make my family sad.'

'I can't die and make my sister sad.'

'I can't die without seeing Becca one more time.'

'And I definitely can't die without losing my damn VIRGINITY!!!'

Finding reasons to stay alive, although one was just plain sad, Corey eyes sharpened and determination appeared in his eyes.

He could not die yet!

He did not want to die yet!

Although Corey had motivation, something definitely did not care about Corey's motivation.

'Huh?'

Corey exclaimed internally as he felt his body become different, it became… normal.

The duration of the ring of mimicry had ended, not caring if the time when Corey found his motivation was a few seconds before it ended.

'You sly!'

Corey cursed the ring internally as he felt his body sink.

He started using treading techniques so as to continue floating upwards.

He paddled, waggled and did every treading techniques to make sure he kept floating. (A/N: Waggling is not a treading technique by the way, it just rhymes so I used it).

He kept on doing this for who knows how long.

Seconds?

Minutes?

Maybe even hours?

Who knows, maybe Corey's determination made him go past his limits.

But despite Corey's determination, Corey's desire, Corey's fire to live, to get rid of his virginity, his body didn't care.

He could feel himself losing consciousness,

He could feel his brain becoming sluggish,

He could feel his body becoming sluggish.

His body was giving up on him.

He wanted to keep on going, he wanted to keep on moving upwards.

He wanted to live, but his body didn't give two fucks about his desire.

His body also desired something, also needed something.

Oxygen.

But Corey did not have that.

Corey tried to think of a solution but his sluggish and slipping consciousness made it very difficult for him to think properly.

'Focus.'

Using the one skill which had helped him immensely, Corey's mind sharpened and his slipping consciousness was jolted awake.

Corey knowing that his focused state was limited, utilized it to it's fullest in his current situation.

He kept on trying to reach the surface while also thinking of ways to solve the problem of his oxygen deficiency.

Three seconds later, his eyes shone.

'Add all free attribute points to constitution.'

The moment he ordered the Universal System to do that, he felt his body change and become stronger.

His constitution which was 370 increased by 66 points, which meant that his constitution was now 436, 64 points from reaching the maximum stat a normal human could reach.

He was surprised that the useless Universal System listened to what he said since he knew that normally he had to speak out loud to add free attribute points to any of his attributes.

Although he was curious why the useless Universal System listened to him, he didn't have time to focus on something as inconsequential as that at the moment.

Deactivating his focused state, Corey continued treading upwards, desperate and determined to reach the surface.

Although his constitution was now high, almost reaching the 500 mark, he did not have unlimited oxygen and time to waste.

In fact he felt that he only had 10 or 15mins left before he ran out of oxygen once again.

And by that time, he would truly be dead since he had no other method to prolong his survival.

5 Minutes passed, Corey was still treading.

He looked up, he could not find a source of light showing that he was close to the surface.

10 Minutes passed, No difference. Corey was getting anxious.

13 Minutes, Corey could feel it.

His body was going to need oxygen very soon.

14 minutes, his movement had slowed down.

His eyes felt droopy, his body felt weak and tired.

A short sleep would be nice.

15 minutes, Corey tried to motivate himself to not give up, to surpass his limits.

15 minutes 5 seconds, bubbles started coming out of Corey's nose.

He tried to hold it in but then he coughed, instinctively trying to gasp for air, but he knew that was a mistake on his part.

He tried to stop himself from gasping for air but it was a reflex reaction performed by his body due to it's need for oxygen.

He covered his mouth and his nose, trying to stop himself from swallowing water but it was too late.

The deed had already been done.

His body began to sink due to him no longer performing the required movements to float.

'Is this the end?'

He looked up, wondering if all his hard work and motivation were all for naught.

But like as if the heavens finally decided to reward him, like the smile of a beautiful woman who loves you on the darkest of days, like the smile of a loving mother, rays of light shined upon him as he looked up.

'Is it real?'

Corey wondered then began swimming upwards with newfound energy.

He was close to leaving this ocean of death.

He was close to life.

No!

He was close to the breath of life.

He was close to oxygen.

He was close to survival.

He swam upwards, he was no longer breathing air but water but he didn't care.

To survive, he needed to reach the top.

He needed to reach the surface.

And he was going to make sure he damn reached it.

But like as if the hands of death didn't want him to leave, didn't want him to escape.

He slowed down.

His body was giving up on him once again.

His mind was becoming sluggish.

His muscles were becoming heavy.

He tried to go beyond his limits.

He tried to do it.

He really tried to do it,

But alas he failed.

His body lacking the fuel it needed was about to shut down.

'I- I- I can't die yet.'

'I don't want to die.'

Corey thought, then he placed his last hopes on the skill which had saved his life one too many times.

'Focus.'

Entering his focused state once again, Corey's sluggish mind and dwindling consciousness instantly disappeared.

His mind and consciousness instantly became active, granting Corey more time to live, to struggle.

Corey knowing this was his last chance, struggled, he swam and treaded like his life depended on it.

Oh wait, it did.

Anyway, he treaded so fast that it was a miracle he was even able to float.

Five seconds later,

Splash!

"Cough! Cough!"

"Cough! Cough!"

"Haa, haa, haa, haa."

Gasping for air with his head above the water, Corey looked around, a dazed expression on his face for a few seconds before it disappeared and a roar of happiness, joy, relief and a whole lot of emotions erupted from Corey's lips.

"AAHHHHH!!!"

"I SURVIIIVVEEEEEDDDDD!!!!!!!!!"

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[A/N: People, people, people. I'm so happy to tell you all that the five spots for the chance to have your name and wish in my book through golden tickets has finally been taken.

A big thank you to Ezana_Demere for dropping two golden tickets and also for dropping gifts.

I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

So like I've said before. If you have a wish or an ability you want your character to have, tell me and let us talk about it.

If you don't, don't worry about it. I'll think of one for you.

Later guys.

Have a nice day/night.]