Deathly Chills afflicted!

Blunt Weapon Proficiency Expanded!

Unranked 3

Intuition Expanded!

Unranked 4

Warning! Deathly Chills

accumulates beyond resistance

Skill Gained!

Unarmed Combat Proficiency (Basic)

Skillfully wield your own

body to defeat foes

Score: POW

Skill Gained!

Perseverance (Uncommon)

Strain to your ambition

despite opposition

Score: ???, MND

Perseverance Expanded!

Unranked 2

Warning! Deathly Chills permeates

your body. Death Imminent.

The torrential downpour never faltered, sapping away Castor’s warmth until nothing but a spark was left. He thought he was gone, until he felt someone grab him and struggle to drag him across the ground. It was only when a second pair of hands grabbed his legs did they get anywhere.

Ironically, the contrasting dryness only made Castor colder. A lump of whining fur sitting on his chest tried to warm him up, yet it was of no avail; his body continued to shiver and seize as his temperature crashed.

“He’s freezing! Do you have any blankets?” A familiar voice called out. A slight tremble carried underneath the urgency it projected.

“On it.” Another—noticeably feminine—answered, followed by ascending hard thumps.

“Damn, I only have enough mana to do this once,” the familiar voice—Micah, he realized—said. “Just hold on, Castor. We’ll get you through this.”

For a moment, heat wafted in the room. Castor’s sight returned, if only barely. He could only see a faint glow in front of him before the chill rebounded, much stronger than previously.

The chill surged, erasing any hint of warmth in Castor's body. Pins and needles overran his extremities and rushed further to claim more of his limbs, all while his ears burned from frostbite. The pervasive cold took his limbs, his senses, and everything else until gone, save for the pain. The chill burned through his veins with every pump of his heart.

The blissful oblivion of unconsciousness was a small mercy for Castor.

Assimilating…

“What just happened?” The girl who helped Micah carry Castor into the living room yelled while she carried a pile of blankets in her hands.

Furniture laid stacked against every window and crevice, blinding Micah except for moments when flashes seeped through the cracks. With every flash, light reflected against the blood-soaked floors.

“I’m not sure,” Micah was still reeling from the [Resource Exhaustion], pain shooting behind his eyes like someone stuck an ice pick in his head. “Can you please not yell?” He rubbed his temples to relieve his headache.

Micah had managed to activate the Flame Ball sigil on the [Torch of Providence]—for the first time ever—to warm Castor up when a pulse of dark frost exploded from Castor and extinguished the small fire. The frost spread throughout the living room, even reaching towards the entrance corridor where they met the Ghoul. A window manifested, giving Micah an ominous warning.

Deathly Chill Accumulated!

Micah helped the girl cover Castor and his dog with blankets, despite his headache and stinging pain in his fingers. He would have loved nothing more than to give in to that weary feeling and rest—he might just have if guilt didn’t squeeze his chest and seize every breath he had to spare.

The dog—was Blue his name?—wouldn’t budge from on top of him, especially refusing to move while he was covered in frost. Wherever they touched him, he would scream and howl louder than the storm. Driven by fear, they left them alone and covered both of them as well as they could. Yet, it wasn’t enough; Castor still shivered ceaselessly.

Micah chose to take it as a sign of him not being dead yet.

“Is your friend okay?” The girl asked. She swabbed the frost with a finger and looked at Castor contemplatively.

“I think we need to start a fire to get him warm,” Micah replied, although he wouldn’t mind some heat either.

“We don’t have a fireplace,” The girl said, running away before coming back again with a few bottles in hand. “But we do have lighter fluid.” She didn’t hesitate to smash a coffee table against the wall, place the wood in a corner, and dose its remains in kerosene. Gas wafted in the air in droves.

“We should back away before you set that on fire.” It suddenly occurred to Micah that this was probably her apartment.

“I thought you were gonna do it. With that thing.” She pointed to the item in his robe, mimicking his wand stance while he held [Torch of Providence]. It was embarrassing seeing someone do it.

“I can’t,” Micah coughed, interrupting the girl’s antics. “I’m out of RP, I’ll probably die if I try again.” He already tried to cast a spell while having no resource points; although it felt like he could if he pushed really hard, it gave him a really uncomfortable feeling to even try.

He decided it was best not to experiment with his own life.

Micah Bennoveli Human

Role: Novice Mage 2

STR:0.1

INT:0.9

WIL:0.6

Twilight: 150G, 50S

RP:0/43

Skill List: Mana Control (Ra)

Spell List: Mana Bolt

Novice Mage

A practitioner that has yet

to truly walk the path of magic.

+.1 WIL

Perks: Enhanced Spell Acquisition

I’m so weak. His character in Rifts and Boundaries could one-shot Giants, yet look at him now; one measly spell and Castor nearly died to get him the chance to use it.

“Can I try?” The girl held out her hand, interrupting Micah’s pity party. This close, he could see she had long fuzzy hair, and she was the same height as him. I wonder if we’re the same age.

“Have you awakened yet?” Micah sighed when he got an awkward silence as the answer. “I’m pretty sure this needs magic to power it.”

“Still, I want to try.” She insisted.

Micah shrugged, handing the brazier. “Knock yourself out.” She could try all she wanted while he finished a skill he’s been working on earlier. His passive resource regeneration was terrible, and he needed to at least conjure a spark to start a fire.

He took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and focused on his body.

People say don’t judge a book by its cover, but the Comprehensive Guide of General Cultivation wasn’t as in-depth as it preached, or rather, the opposite was the problem. Although mostly translated into English, the text was largely incomprehensible after the first two pages, building upon subjects Micah had no knowledge of, principles of magic and energy beyond his understanding. So, he focused on what stuck with him

Focus on the Core, it is the seed on which to build your foundation of Reality.

Focus on the Core.

Micah mentally dragged little imaginary incandescent dregs that littered across the empty cavern of his resource pool. They rolled on the walls like molasses, congregating into one big familiar droplet. A click rang throughout the space and recognized the rainbow drop as Mana.

He was tempted to leave it at that, but his thoughts caught on something when he compared it to his [Mana Bolt] spell.

Micah churned and rubbed the droplet with all his mental strength, seeking to increase its potency by condensing it. He tried three times, before failing, and rebounded when his headache doubled and split through his skull.

With the last of his mental energy, he attempted once more and pushed his resource into a smooth rotation. The wild energy flowed through the empty cavern, illuminating its boundaries.

It was almost like his upgraded [Swirling Mana Bolt]. If the spell was a crushing tornado, his pool felt like a gentle breeze; it was like a switch—instant relief, more than just a breath of fresh air. Static buzzed in his lungs.

Skill Gained!

Mana Mediation (Common)

Gather Ether from your environment

and convert it to Mana-Class Resource.

Increase Resource regeneration up to 50%

Scores: INT

Sprite Configuration 75% Completed

Core Creation 1% Completed

RP: 3/43

“Ok, I think I can do something now.” Micah opened his eyes and stood up, but was shocked to see a fire already lit in the corner, safely contained behind two plastic trays. The walls were scorched, but only in the immediate area of the flame.

Castor—and his dog—laid under a comical amount of blankets. They weren’t shivering, and a quick check revealed they both were sleeping soundly. This guy gets knocked out by way too much.

The thought made him chuckle.

“I was wondering when you were going to finish whatever it was you were doing.” The girl stomped down the stairs, coats and two frilly bean bags in hand. “But I guess it hasn’t been that long.”

“Did you activate the torch?” Micah asked, cutting to the chase.

She plopped down on a bag. “Yeah, it wasn’t that hard, just stung a bit.” She set the other one next to her. Micah thought it was presumptuous that she assumed he wanted to sit next to her.

“Come here, Mami.” She called out. Nothing happened for a moment, then a creak echoed from the hall. Micah jumped, he could already see the blooding spilling—

A small girl, no older than five, peeped out from behind the corner. She looked around, avoiding Micah’s general gaze, before her eyes landed on the bean bag. The small girl walked slowly, and when she sat down, she leaned into the older girl's arms. The little girl’s eyes were red and puffy, no doubt from crying. The older girl looked just as disheveled as she stared at the fire.

In the low light of the fire, Micah caught more than a glimpse of the older girl for the first time. She had a lighter skin tone than even his slightly tan skin, which was surprising for someone in Florida. Her thick, fluffy hair and prominent eyebrows were features that also appeared in the little girl. Obviously family, if not sisters.

“Are either of you awakened?” Micah asked, even though he knew the answer.

“If you mean have we used these rocks, then no.” She threw two round stones across the floor, her lips turned downward in disgust.

Not once did she look away from the flame.

Micah waited for her to explain, yet she seemed content to wallow in the awkward silence. “Why haven’t you yet? Your chances of surviving would be much higher if you have the power to defend yourself.” He held up his brazier as an example.

Silence still lingered between, going on long enough that Micah thought she didn't hear him. “Our older brother, Miguel,” She said in a solemn voice, “He told us and our grandparents to wait for him to use it first and see what happens.”

“Well, where is he? Where are your grandparents too?” Micah asked. It shouldn’t have taken more than a few hours to awaken. She looked away from the fire for the first time and gave him a look that pierced his heart.

“You blasted a hole into him to save your friend.”

Micah’s skin crawled as she stared through him, only returning to her haunting stare with the fire when she saw the realization run across his face.

He gulped without thinking. “What happened to him?”

She didn't answer immediately, content with holding her little sister in relative quiet. “He passed out, and died a couple of minutes later.” She said without an ounce of emotion. “Then, he came back. We thought it was a miracle until he started tearing my grandparents apart.” Her voice tapered off into a whisper towards the end.

The crackle of the fire filled the room. Vaguely, Micah noted it stopped raining outside. “...I’m sorry that happened. But—”

“Sorry for what,” She cut him off forcefully, “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t send us to this fucked up place. You're not the one who killed my family.” She choked down a sob, the small girl—Micah thought was asleep—comforted her sister by rubbing her arms.

For a moment, Micah was left speechless. He glanced at the fire and noticed that piles of old clothes along with the broken coffee table served as fuel. Suddenly, the bloodstained floors came into mind. The realization left a sour taste in his mouth. “What are your names, if you don't mind me asking?”

She eyed him for a second, hesitant to answer. “My name is Gabby, and this is Diana.”

“I’m Micah, and his name is Castor,” Micah pointed to the lump of blankets. “We made a party, so we can clear the tutorial.” He summoned his quest screen and directed his sprite to show Gabriela.

Congratulations, Survivors.

Day 2

Reap those who have fallen,

More shall grow in their place.

Achievements shall

be calculated for rewards.

21,375/36,471 Survivors

Survival Rating: Medium-Low

Displaying Quest to Nescient will

consume RP. Continue?

Y/N

Never having seen the confirmation screen before, Micah felt a pinch in his chest as he selected yes; a quick check confirmed a point of RP was spent. Gabriela sucked in a breath at the quest prompt, failing to grasp the screen in front of her as she read its contents.

“Is this real?” Gabriela whispered. “Did all those people die?” She sounded a lot like Micah felt.

“Maybe, but I don’t doubt people are dying as we speak.”

If it wasn’t for Castor, he would have been one of them. Micah could still see it every time he closed his eyes, every time he gave himself a moment of rest—bodies littering the ground, those insatiable eyes peering into his soul. “I promise you, you're not going to survive if you don’t have the power to defend yourself.”

Micah walked to the middle of the room, and picked up the stones; they felt just as smooth and hard as the one he used, yet these were heavier in his hands. Maybe it was because Micah understood the significance these stones held.

They were the only chance of salvation.

Still, Micah placed both stones in front of the two sisters. “This will at least give you a chance, but it’s your decision.” He wordlessly sat back down to check on Castor, his breathing had stabilized into something resembling a peaceful sleep. Micah exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Hush whispers echoed between the sisters for a minute until a white light unrelated to the ever-going storm outside flashed in the room, quickly followed by a second. Micah hoped they didn’t end up like their brother. He preferred not to have to go through something like this again, but he still rested a trembling hand on his [Torch of Providence].

It was his turn to look over Castor now.