The Acknowledgement - Volume One

Beginning of a Long Journey

                Winter held onto his head, noticing more than just an ache. The pain came from his eyes, and holding them as the pain began to go away. It radiated like heat and burnt both his eyes and the surrounding flesh. An alert blinked in his GUI display, looking into it, Winter found his skin and eyes heavily damaged. Fortunately, his increased healing factor healed both the headache and the burning pain. "The hell was that?" Winter asks aloud, confused about this new pain, "Yeah, that's my power killing your flesh. You're not strong enough to handle the power I used," it explained, having a condescending tone. "I suddenly have the urge to insult you," Winter stood himself up and brushed the dirt off. "I have many words to insult you back," it replied, not very keen on making a friend.

With a heavy sigh, Winter began walking through the forest, aimlessly. The sun begins to set, and dusk sets into the sky. Wandering through the dark shade of the forest, Winter reached a creak after an opening. The remaining light from the setting sun shone through the opening of the large forest. Soft crying could be heard, the origins of it weren't clear to Winter. He waved his concerns away, thinking that it was a baby in the arms of new parents. Over by the creek, Winter knelt and took a drink from the running water. First putting his hands into the stream, he quickly pulled them away from the frigid temperature the water felt on Winter's hands. "Damn, that's cold," Winter rubbed his hands together to warm them up.

Winter hadn't noticed the deafening silences, not even crickets or birds could be heard. The crying persisted and was a little louder than he remembered only minutes ago. Looked up, in the direction the sound came from. He finds the new girl with black hair, deep blue eyes with chocolate-like skin. She held her knees up to her chest, burying her face into her knees. Softly, crying. Winter sat there, concerned. "Are you alright?" Winter asks. He Stood up and took only two steps forward.

A gasp escaped her lungs, noticing something behind Winter. She fearfully stumbles to get on her feet. The girl held her arms close, backing up slowly, bumping into a tree or two. Shaking like a leaf in a monsoon, barely able to stand on her feeble feet. "I'm not going to hurt you if that's what you're afraid of," Winter tries to explain. Having a look of understanding on his face. "N-no. It's T-that thing-" She replied. Pointing to something behind him.

With an overwhelming curiosity, Winter slowly turned his head around to look behind him. Anxiously looking at what might be behind him. Knowing if it was Cyrus, he was in for a squalid, ferocious fight. Turned around, Winter's eyes met a colossal figure. Looming over him, nearly over the treetops, solemnly staring back viciously blind. In the face of peril, Winter too once stood terrified of strength, but now with the power of his own and a friend, he stood in front of this terror. Without the knowledge of whom this may be, "This'll be fun," Ultima laughed. "Think you can take him?" Winter asks. Keen on getting into this fight. "Think? I know," it replied. Taking control with both eyes blazing brightly with deep reds.

The Zoroan roared, swiping aimlessly at Winter. Waves of mana erupted from the clashing claws against clawed gauntlets. Winter's body barely held up, launched back. Ultima jerked his feet down, digging them into the earth. "This damn feeble body," it scoffed, watching the savage, zombie-like Zoroan rush at them. A storm of electricity gathered in his palms, and Winter's hands grabbed the forming weapons. Even with this body, Ultima slid Winter's body across the ground on his knees. One after another, several cuts slash into the Zoroan's body. With immense forces, the savage beast felt the pain of his body splitting open. "This thing. It is not as tough as I thought," it smirked, getting up from the ground. "Don't make us get hit!" Winter saw Ultima block a blind swipe with their arms. Skidding back with his bare feet digging into the dirt again.

~>System<{" As The [Player]'s Health is Below [30%], [Skill: Perseverance] Will Activate. Damage Taken Will be Reduced by [30%]."}>It rang, explaining this skill of Winter's.<~

                "Not. Trying to!" Ultima replied with annoyance. "Is he going to die soon?" Winter asks, feeling a sharp burning pain in his eyes and the increasing fatigue in his muscles. "Yup!" it chuckled, leaping up and over another blinded, raging attack. Ultima pushed Winter's body off the Zoroan's fists as Magical energy built up around the daggers they held, and lights of electric-like sparks flashed as the Zoroan's body split into two. The energy rushed out from the cuts in a small explosion of cursed energy. His feet landed behind the zombie-like beast, gripping the daggers tightly. A warm glow comes from the sharp edges of the blade, seemingly made of nearly molten metals. Most of the blade was solid, but in the guard of the blade was a triangular hole that went entirely through the dagger.

~>System<{" Item: [Ultimate Daggers] [Rank: S]. [Type: Dagger]. [Attack: +100] A Dagger Made From the Blood of The Despicable Ultima. Power From The Despicable Ultima Still Remains, Thus Enabling The Dagger to Evolve And Advance in Complexity With Each Advance in Level. [Effect: Evolution] With Each Level The Dagger, Can be Improved And Grow in Complexity. [Effect: Additional Strength] Depending on The Strength Stat of The [Player], The Dagger Will Increase in Attack Points."}>It is explained in a pop-up in front of Winter<~

                "Now this is fun!" Ultima had a smug look on Winter's face. Quickly, without hesitation, Winter's body precisely cut through the flesh and muscles of the ferocious Zoroan. Keenly, he cut through the head and neck with both daggers, as the body fell to the ground. Revealing a hideous substance that seeped out from the brain's fluid. Furiously, Winter's body stabbed the two flaming daggers into the living slimy mess. A precious opportunity for them both to kill off whatever this infectious substance was. It was a dragging experience for Winter, tediously stabbing through the slime and ground furiously.

~>System<{" The [Player] Has [Leveled up]!"}>It rang, displaying in front of Winter<~

                "Ow ow ow," Winter dropped the fading daggers to clutch his burning eyes. "You're welcome, by the way," it faded into the depths of Winter's mind, stepping away from the metaphorical controls. "Was this out of kindness or out of the need for survival?" Winter asks, his mask remaining on his face. "Can't it be both?" Ultima asked back. "Fine," he sighed, looking around with a sense of unnerving anxiety. The young girl left her spot under the tree, and Winter shook his head before quickly running off, keen on getting home without getting a beating.