Chapter 20: Hold Your Breath Away

[Author Note: Beginning kinda poetic in a way, I listened to Toshifumi Hinata-Reflections: [Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJenceQ9IEw&list=RDMJenceQ9IEw&index=1 ] while writing if you'd like to be in that mind space while reading the first section.  That sense of... melancholy isn't the right word but "dread" it gives I felt fit the situation, alright enjoy the chapter bois and more tomorrow!]

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BLUB

BLUB

Drifting through a void of water was the body of a young boy; the area was entirely null of any light or oxygen to speak of.

The forlorn body was surrounded by darkness with limited mobility, the aching burn of his lungs, and the feeling of hopelessness pressed down upon him with all its weight.

Along with the liquid's gentle humming, a despondent thought rang out in the boy's mind, 'I'm gonna die.'

No tears to give, no grave to dig, the water would serve as a fine burial.

The short time here was... well, shit.

'Guess the bet didn't pay off after all...' as his glistening topaz eyes closed one last time, a silent curse hymned out to the heavens and whatever entity that brought him here.

'There's no God in Heaven.'

A fitting last thought akin to a forsaken child throwing a tantrum, but by the strangeness and fascination of this world, everything all felt like one long dream or just a dreaded nightmare.

Now was the forgone conclusion, one fitting for a boy who wouldn't even be missed nor remembered.

Such was the final thought as his lungs filled with water and his life force extinguished, an excruciating death it would be.

Drowning.

SPLASH!!

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In a humid cave, a figure cloaked from head to toe in black garments stood cautious in the center of the room deep underground.

The walls that previously glowed with a faint red buzz now had a faint blue aura to them.

A floating ball of flames silently flickered to itself in the center of the room where the 6 doorways lie, an ominous aura protruding from it.

However, to the lanky figure who stood with his back to the entrance of the gloomy cavern, his full attention was on the passageway in front of him, the 3rd most from the left.

He could barely contain his shock as his eyes widened, and he stuttered, "y-you're alive?"

From within the shadows and out of view of the flickering red flame, quiet steps silent reverberated through the chilling cave, being the only sound aside from the smoldering flame.

Finally, the figure fully stepped out, revealing a brawny-built man with sharp green eyes whose buzz-cut head was scarred with some spots still bleeding.

The man's clothes were in rags, revealing most of his bare body, and the rags flimsily holding themselves together between his legs fluttered from the soft cave air.

The lanky man could only stare in belief at such a sight as he called over, "I couldn't reach you or the others? Ya alright?"

Though he feigned concern, a suspicious glare beamed from his eyes, 'that aura from before...'

However, he received a response he wasn't expecting.

As the beefcake of a man waddled over, he called out lethargically, "M-mini-bo-auughhh..." as he collapsed to the ground.

WHOOOSH!!

The Mini-boss zoomed over, catching his comrade in his arms as he gently bent his knees and kneeled down, his brethren in his grasp.

The brawny man was sweating buckets, and the lanky man's hands were soaked just from holding him.

"yajhudnvcmuhuh," the man deliriously called out, straining his neck to reach his mouth to the ear of his leader and friend.

The Mini-boss glanced down at this, pain-stricken, "what'd ya say, brother?" he asked as he lowered his ears to the prone man's mouth.

Severe coughs convulsed out of the brawny man's mouth, taking the lanky man aback as his injured teammate: his brother, slowly calmed his breathing and leaned forward once again as did the lanky man with his ear to listen to his friend's dying words.

"I-"

GKAAA!

Violent coughs let out once more, "I said..."

The brawny man lifted his hand to which the lanky man grasped it, a solemn look on his face as he attentively listened, "ya shouldn'ta come here?"

A malicious grin spread across the man's face as the eyes of the lanky man above him grew in shock.

A bright blue aura burst from the man's body, sending the lanky man flying.

BOOOOOM!!

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Drowning.

SPLASH!

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That was the last thing Oz remembered as he slowly opened his eyes, violently throwing up water as his body flipped over from his backside onto the moist, muddy ground.

An aching pain pounded at his head as the dark red sky beamed down on him relentlessly; the light was weaker than earlier; it must be getting late.

Nonetheless, the barely conscious boy covered his eyes with his hand.

A strong sour taste wreaked havoc on his tastebuds, causing him to spit and cough out as he lurched onto his hands and knees.

As the boy's blurry vision steadied and his rumbling mind calmed, he began to collect himself, recalling what had happened.

'S-so the gamble paid off?' he hazily recalled as he crawled across the ground on his hand and knees, too tired to stand yet too cautious to stay there.

Initially, when Oz came here and almost drowned the first time, he recalled that though it was dark, a large tunnel leading into the direction of the cave bubbled upwards, thus saving his life and sending him upwards the first time.

He gambled that if his guess were correct, one of those ponds inside the cave would lead back out here again and away from those chasing him.

Luckily... his bet was right.

The boy shuddered at the close-death experience, his life was balanced on a single string, and he felt as if there were cracks in his soul.

It was as if he had cheated death, and so, in spite, the reaper had kept part of his very being, leaving Oz feeling... fragmented.

Shaking this idea out of his mind, he snuck a glance over his shoulder back at the cave as he slowly crawled back towards the high grass.

His initial goal was to find a home, and this was in NO WAY suitable.

He thought to himself, 'hmmm, I should check what my level's at."

Yet as the weary boy crawled away, a loud sound shook the earth and rang from behind him.

BOOOOOM!!

Oz was sent flying through the air; his vision swirled around him as he ascended into the air before slamming down once more.

"Oof!"

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"Huff... huff..." a lanky figure whose black garments were in tatters stood hunched over in a field of toe-high grass in front of a small pond.

Red coulis gushed down his arm as he clutched it with his other hand.

He scowled at the settling smoke in front of him near the entrance of the cave, "never thought you'd be one to stoop this low."

From out of the smokes emerged the brawny man, his skin now a rejuvenated sheen of icy blue with his hair now darkened into a smokey black.

His eyes twinkled with a mysterious blue light, "heh, don't take it so personal..." a cocky smile spread across his lips as he strutted forward, "Mini-boss. Just the way 'world works sometimes."

The lanky man grimaced and coated himself in a flimsy green aura.

Winds breezed around him, slicing up the grass and shining a bright light.

A deathly glare beamed from his emerald green eyes, "and then what?! Ya gonna try to take HIM out next?"

The brawny man let out a soft chuckle, "The Big Boss been around for awhile, but it's time for a change in authority."

A confident smirk was planted across his face as white ivory bones began to protrude from his body, glimpses of pained expression shining through the man's toothy grin.

"Woooh, time to die, Mini-boss!" the man bellowed out as he rushed forward.

The spiky white ivory bones sprouted across his entire body, and a blue aura trailed behind him.

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Meanwhile, not too far away, concealed by the flowing tall grass, the body of a young boy lay face up.

BOOOM!

BOOOOOM!

Explosions, grunts, and the sound of battle sparked through the air, waking the boy once more.

"Ugh, my head." Oz groaned as he shifted himself up onto his elbows and grasped his head, "all this fallin's gonna give me fukin brain damage." he pouted.

Still, in a daze, he called out to his long-forgotten companion, the little black box, and what he saw left his mouth in an "0" shape.

[Oz]

[Level: 8]

[Realm: 1]

[Proficiency: High]

[Bloodline: Available]

"Holy..." Oz was at a loss for words, "so even the indirect kill from the rubble counted?.."

The sound of explosions continued to ring through the air, yet the boy hardly noticed and continued to inspect the words in front of him.

'I feel each level brings new layers of strength even so for my stamina, so... if I were any level lower, would I have?..' cold shudders ran down his back.

BOOOOM!

Shaken out of his inner monologue, the boy snuck his head over the tall grass, watching the two warriors battle it out, a swirl of colors and powers splashing around the battlefield.

Every alarm and self-preservation in Oz's instincts were telling him to hide or run; however, with the prospect of advancing Realms yet again, the gluttonous boy licked his lips and watched on, his alluring topaz eyes gleaming, preparing for when to strike.

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