Akira's POV
'You are never good enough'
'Do you think you can beat us?'
'Here comes the halfwit'
And then, myself. Or rather, my voice.
'You couldn't protect her'
'Now she's all alone'
'You are a terrible son'
'A disgrace'
'Failure'
Flashes of my previous life rushed through in my head until one scene became constant. Me, the new me, standing over my old body. Watching the blood slowly flow with the rain.
'Help me' I weakly whispered to me. And I tsked and walked away. Not looking back once.
*** ***
"Fuck!"
I jolted awake as I wiped my sweat away from my head. I was drenched. And it wasn't a good sign.
The dreams had been constant ever since I got here. But I couldn't help but wonder, was this Akira ever present in that world? I knew he wasn't. But why was he always present in my dreams.
Was it him? Or was it me?
I dragged my lethargic body down from the bed and walked to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and felt my tense body calm down under the cold water. I touched the long silvery hair. Should I cut it? Perhaps not.
I tied it up into a man bun as soon I was done and walked to the balcony to receive some air.
Everything about this place was different. Even the colors of the sky were different. I tried to pretend I could adapt well. But hell it wasn't easy at all.
From waking up to a blue sky with white clouds to waking up to blue skies with a cloud that had a tinge of purple. And that wasn't the only thing.
I was trying to reason it all till I saw a red glow from a distant.
[New Quest: Clear the D rank dungeon that just appeared alone. Kill the head of the dungeon. Awards: A power booster and an Invisibility cloak]
What the fuck! How was I supposed to clear an entire dungeon myself!
I moved to my room in no time to gear up. And then walked to the door silently in a bid not to wake my mother up.
"Promise me you are going to come back without a scratch"
Of course she had seen the gate.
"Promise me"
"I promise Mama" I walked back and hugged her tightly. She gave me a kind look as she patted my cheeks.
"Okay, you go on then"
She smiled and shoved me out of the door as I raced to the gate.
[Time left before gate upgrade: Forty minutes]
Even the gates upgrade here. This was way different from the book.
[Butterfly effect]
Great, so this was my fault. I sighed as I tried to think of a plan. A plan that would involve killing all demons and their head plus closing the gate before forty minutes elapsed.
The moment I stepped into the dungeon, I knew I wasn't ready.
The air felt heavy, like it was pressing down on me. The portal behind me disappeared, and just like that, I was alone.
I swallowed and tightened my grip on the dagger the system gave me. It felt too light. Too weak.
A blue screen appeared in front of me.
[Quest: Clear the Dungeon. Difficulty level: S. Warning: Survival Not Guaranteed]
"Yeah yeah, I can see that."
I started walking anyway. I didn't have more of a choice at the moment.
Each foot step echoed. The place was too quiet, except for the sound of water dripping somewhere deeper inside. My heartbeat got louder the further I went.
And then heard it. A low growl.
It was close. Too close at that.
I turned and saw something lunge at me.
I reacted without even thinking and raised my dagger.
The impact hit hard. My arm shook as something slammed into the blade and forced me back. I lost my footing and fell. Before I could even breathe, it came again.
I rolled to the side just in time. Its claws hit the ground where I had been. The floor cracked from the force.
I scrambled up and stared at it.
It looked like a wolf, but something was wrong with it. Its skin was torn in places, and its eyes were glowing. It didn't look like a normal animal.
It looked like it wanted to kill me.
"You have got to be kidding me."
It didn't wait. It rushed me again, faster this time. I swung my dagger, but my hand was shaking. The blade barely touched it. That only made it worse.
The creature slammed into me and sent me flying. My back hit the wall, and the air left my lungs. Pain spreading through my chest, sharp and sudden.
I dropped to the ground, gasping. For a second, I couldn't move. Then I saw it walking toward me.
Slowly and calmly. Like it already knew I couldn't fight back.
"Get up…" I muttered, trying to push myself up.
My body didn't respond properly. My arms felt weak.
The screen flashed again.
[HP: 34%. Warning: Demon Head Approaching]
"Can't it wait a bit?" I moaned out in pain.
Apparently not, because the creature got closer. I could hear its breathing. It also had a rotten smell.
My grip tightened around the dagger, even though my hands were shaking.
This was it then. I was probably going to die.
The thought came so easily that it scared me.
I clenched my teeth as I felt my resolve harden.
"No."
I forced my body to move.
"I'm not dying here."
It jumped. This time, I didn't try to dodge. I staggered forward. I could feel its claws tear into my shoulder, and the pain hit instantly. I almost screamed, but I kept moving.
I pushed myself closer and drove the dagger up with everything I had.
The blade went into its throat.
Warm blood spilled over my hand. The creature jerked, its body shaking. I didn't stop. I pulled the dagger out and stabbed again.
And again.
I didn't even think anymore. I just kept stabbing until it stopped thrashing.
When it finally dropped, I stayed there for a second, still holding the dagger. My breathing was uneven. My whole body felt weak.
"I did it?"
The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth. A sound rang in my head.
[Enemy Defeated. Dungeon head killed on sight. Dungeon to fall in the next five minutes. HP Restored:50%]
I let go of the dagger and sat back on the ground. My hands were still shaking.
"That was just one?"
I looked deeper into the dungeon and it suddenly felt a lot bigger than before.
"I didn't die"
I let out a peel of laughter as I glanced at the dark place. Something seeming like a portal opened up a few feet away from me as I slowly stood up.
I cleared a dungeon myself. Killed the head before I had even gone in further. I didn't want to think about the other stuff as I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done.
And as soon as I left the portal and found myself at the front of the guild. Unable to hold myself up any longer, I collapsed at the gate.
The last thing I remember clearly was me singing my mantra;
"I am not dying just yet"