SHWING!
A specialized sword, propelled by a surge of high-density mana, zipped through the air and embedded itself deep in the Orc's shoulder. The beast let out a massive, pained roar that vibrated through the cavern.
"I knew you were going to die," a voice called out from the darkness.
Ren stepped into the dim light, a second sword held loosely in his hand. His white hair caught the cold glow of the veins in the wall, and his blue eyes narrowed as he approached the fallen Kenzo. "If you'd bothered with the tutorial, you'd know you can buy Voltaic lamps that actually brighten more than five feet of the cave, jackass."
Ren didn't wait for a reply. "But the past is the past. Now, it's my turn."
The enraged Orc whirled, fixing its empty eyes on Ren, and charged with blind fury. Ren simply smiled. "Come at me."
A green aura sparked around him, and Ren vanished. He didn't disappear, he moved with an unnerving, perfect silence, the sound of his footsteps utterly absorbed by the stone floor.
What the hell is his power? Kenzo wondered in a daze, the agony of the Orc's kick finally catching up to him.
Ren reappeared at the Orc's knee, swiftly cut the monster's leg before shifting his grip and slicing deep into its shoulder. The Orc roared, stumbling as it tried to track the blurred movement. Ren's smile widened; he began to toy with the creature, dancing just out of the club's reach. Meanwhile, the blood loss from the wound on Kenzo's head became too much. The world faded to black, and he fainted.
"I guess it's time to let loose," Ren muttered, seeing Kenzo's eyes slide shut. He relaxed his stance and took a deep breath, steadying his emotions to unlock the true depth of his gift.
The Orc closed the distance, ignoring its wounds, and raised its massive club.
DOOM!
With deafening speed, the club smashed into Ren, driving his body into the cavern wall. He slumped to the ground, a pile of blood and shattered limbs. He was barely clinging to life. Satisfied, the monster turned, heading back toward the shadows of its base, its job complete.
But suddenly...
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK![1]
A sharp, loud laugh filled the cave. The green aura violently surged, swallowing Ren's broken frame. Bones reset with audible snaps, and torn flesh knitted itself back together in a grotesque display of speed.
Ren rose, completely whole. "My power is Absolute Healing!" he yelled, the sound echoing through the darkness. "I can heal anything as long as I can draw breath!"
His calm demeanor was gone, replaced by a sickening laugh and a terrible, wide grin. His emotions had shifted into a twisted version of happiness, dialing his ability to a terrifying new level. The High Orc paused, sensing the renewed threat, and slowly turned back.
"I'm ready to play," Ren said, his face slick with his own blood.
SWOOSH!
A sudden burst of wind was the only warning. Ren moved with blurring speed, his blade sliced the arm clean off the massive High Orc. While the beast screamed, Ren took the other arm, then swiftly took out the legs.
"Now we are eye level," Ren hissed, forcing the limbless creature to stare up at him. "Look into my eyes and feel fear."
The High Orc, a creature of primal strength, felt genuine terror from the human standing over it. It tried to crawl away, crying out for a help that would never come.
THWIP!
Ren ended its life while still staring into its eyes.
"Ren, what is that... look on your face?"
The question came from Kenzo, whose eyes had just fluttered open. The sadistic glint in Ren's eyes vanished instantly. He calmed his breathing, and the warmth returned to his face as easily as a mask being donned. He knelt quickly.
Kenzo tried to speak, but the pain was immense. The world began to fade again until
ZAP.
A pulse of green aura erupted from Ren's palms. The pain vanished instantly. Kenzo's head stopped bleeding, and the raw energy of the heal snapped him wide awake.
Ren stood up and beamed. "Hey again! I'm Ren, a healer. My ability is Absolute Healing!" He then looked down at the iron dagger Kenzo was still clutching. "Wait... are you seriously using an iron dagger?"
Kenzo could only nod, reeling from the shock.
Ren let out a heavy sigh of exasperation. "If you'd taken the tutorial, you'd know that even if you could fight a High Orc, your blade would have shattered immediately. Iron can't break through the mana-heavy skins of most creatures. Those Goblins you killed? That was pure luck. You need to lock in and get your head out of your ass, or you'll be another statistic the bank recruiter warned us about."
"Beginner?" Kenzo stammered. "You're a beginner?"
"Yeah, I've been here for a couple of months," Ren said casually.
Kenzo stared at the ground, a wave of profound shame washing over him. The "easy money" he wanted now tasted like ash. He wasn't special; he was a failure who had been saved by a "beginner" who was leagues stronger than him.
I need to be better, the thought hammered in his mind.
"Did you mine anything?" Ren asked in a calm, friendly tone.
Kenzo mumbled, "Yeah... I got some Voltaic."
"Great! Let's go sell it and get you a proper weapon."
Kenzo shut his mouth and followed, the weight of the dungeon finally feeling real.
[1] My Back