2025-01-12 10:50:08“Whit whee whoe whoe whoe whit whee,” Miko whistled as he washed in the shower.
“Hahh,” he exhaled softly as he washed his face, finally turning off the shower. He sat down on a bench, looking around at lockers before fixing his gaze on the large mirror before him. “After the encounter with the abyss,” he shivered. “Think I might have mirror-phobia,” he said as he giggled. ** Soon after, he stepped out of the school bathroom. “Well, now that I’ve officially got no place to return to, I guess the school is now home,” he said as he looked around. “Hiyahh!“ “Hiyuh!” “Wind spike!!!” “Fire ball!” “Looks like the school is busy today, not everyone went back home,” Miko wandered through the quiet halls of the training arena late at night. As he approached the large doors of the practice room, faint sounds of combat echoed from within—fire crackling, wind slicing, and bright light beaming. He hesitated before pushing the door open slightly, peering inside. Akiya stood in the center of the room, flames swirling around her like a living entity. She launched a series of fireballs at a moving target, each one hitting dead center. Her precision was flawless, and the fire burned with an intensity that seemed almost untamed. To her right, Liam moved with ease, a sharp gust of wind following every flick of his wrist. He used the wind to lift targets into the air, slamming them down with a force that made the ground shake. His normally lazy demeanor was gone, replaced with focus and control. In the corner, Anna was surrounded by floating orbs of water, each one shimmering like liquid light. She manipulated them with grace, sending them to heal invisible wounds on a training dummy. Her expression was calm but intense, and the water moved as if it understood her emotions. Miko’s breath caught in his throat. They were incredible. Watching them train, he realized just how far behind he was. He wasn’t just the weakest link—he was the reason they had never advanced in the clan games. “You gonna stand there all night or actually say something?” Akiya’s voice cut through his thoughts, startling him. She had stopped mid-move, the flames around her extinguishing as she turned toward him. “I—uh…” Miko stepped inside awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just passing by.” Liam smirked, brushing his wind-blown hair from his face. “Sure, you were. Come to spy on us, huh?” “No!” Miko said quickly, shaking his head. “I just… couldn’t sleep.” “You sleep in school? Since when did we have dorms?” Akiya laughed. Anna approached quietly, her soft footsteps barely audible. “You can join us, you know,” she said gently, her tone lacking the mockery of the others. “We were about to wrap up anyway.” Before Miko could decline, Akiya clapped her hands together. “Perfect timing! We were just about to grab something to eat. You coming?” Miko hesitated. He didn’t feel like he belonged, not after seeing how skilled they were. “I don’t want to bother you guys…” “Oh, stop being dramatic,” Liam said, rolling his eyes. “We’re getting snacks, not planning a battle strategy. Let’s go.” Akiya grabbed Miko by the arm and started dragging him toward the cafeteria. “Come on. You can’t say no to late-night snacks.” The group settled at a corner table in the dimly lit cafeteria, the atmosphere much more relaxed now. Akiya had piled her tray high with food, while Liam leaned back in his chair, lazily sipping a drink. Anna sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, a cup of tea in front of her. “So, Miko,” Liam started, a teasing grin on his face, “what did you think of our little training session?” Miko fidgeted with his drink, avoiding their eyes. “You’re all… amazing,” he admitted quietly. “Damn right we are,” Akiya said, grinning. “I mean, we have to be if we want to stand a chance in the clan games.” “You’ve all been carrying the team,” Miko said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m the reason we’ve never advanced, aren’t I?” The table fell silent for a moment. Even Liam’s usual smirk faded as he exchanged a glance with the others. Anna was the first to speak. “That’s not true, Miko,” she said softly. “Yes, it is,” Miko said, looking up at her. “I was chosen because of my connection to Elena, wasn’t I? That’s the only reason I’m here.” Akiya sighed, crossing her arms. “Look, I won’t sugarcoat it. Yeah, you were picked because of her. But that doesn’t mean you’re useless. You just… haven’t figured out your potential yet.” Liam nodded, surprising Miko. “She’s right. You’re not the first person to start at the bottom. You just need to work harder to catch up.” Miko’s shoulders slumped. “Easier said than done.” Anna’s quiet voice broke through the tension. “We’ve all struggled, Miko. You’re not alone in that.” He looked at her, curious. “You? But you’re amazing. I saw you out there. You’re perfect.” Anna shook her head, a distant look in her eyes. “Far from it.” She hesitated, her fingers tightening around her cup. “Do you know why I still choose to fight after getting a power such as healing?” Miko shook his head, the others leaning in slightly as if they hadn’t heard this story before either. Anna took a deep breath. “When I was a child, a portal to the Abyss opened in my neighborhood. It came out of nowhere, swallowing the entire street. Wraiths poured out, attacking everyone.” Her voice wavered, but she continued. “I was just a kid. I couldn’t do anything. I watched my friends, my neighbors… everyone I cared about die.” The table was silent, the weight of her words sinking in. “I survived because I hid,” Anna said, her voice trembling. “But hiding meant I couldn’t help them. I couldn’t save anyone. When the portal finally closed, I swore I would never let that happen again. I’d carry their hopes and dreams, and I’d destroy every last wraith I came across.” Miko stared at her, stunned. He had never imagined someone as calm and composed as Anna carrying such a heavy burden. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. She shook her head, offering a small, sad smile. “Don’t be. It’s why I’m here. Why I fight. We all have our reasons, Miko. You just need to find yours.” Akiya nodded, her usual fiery demeanor tempered by the serious tone. “She’s right. Everyone starts somewhere. The question is, are you gonna sit around feeling sorry for yourself, or are you gonna do something about it?” Liam smirked, leaning back in his chair. “I mean, the clan games are coming up. Perfect opportunity to prove yourself, don’t you think?” Miko looked around the table, their faces filled with encouragement. For the first time, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could belong here. “I’ll try,” he said finally, his voice steady. “I’ll work harder.” Akiya grinned, clapping him on the back. “That’s the spirit!” Liam raised his drink in a mock toast. “Here’s to not embarrassing us this year.” Anna smiled softly. “We’ll help you, Miko. You’re not alone.” As the group laughed and joked, the weight on Miko’s shoulders felt a little lighter. He wasn’t there yet, but for the first time, he believed he could be.
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Larok glanced back over his shoulder. "You handled yourself well in there. Not many could have adapted to that guardian's tactics so quickly.""Your techniques worked better than I expected." Miko checked the scanner again, making sure the data was secure. "But that obelisk—a communication relay? That can't be good.""It's not." Larok's face hardened. "It means they're building infrastructure. Planning something big."They reached a small clearing about half a kilometer from the portal. The forest here looked normal—tall trees swaying gently in the breeze, sunlight filtering through the leaves. No sign of corruption.Larok stopped and turned to Miko. "Let me see the scan data."Miko handed over the scanner. "The symbols on the obelisk matched what I saw in the Church archives. Same style, at least."A deafening crash interrupted him as trees splintered at the edge of the clearing. Birds scattered in panic, their wings flapping frantically above the canopy."Get down!" Larok shoved Mik
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Crossing through the portal felt nothing like the portals Miko had used before. Instead of feeling squeezed and disoriented, it was like walking through cool water that tingled against his skin.On the other side, Miko found a twisted version of the forest he'd just left. “What the hell,” Miko said as he turned around to observe his surroundings.Trees grew at impossible angles, plants showed colors that shouldn't exist, and the sky was deep purple with yellow veins running across it."This confirms it's a dungeon," Miko said into his communication device. "It's like a corrupted copy of the real forest.""Your scanner readings are coming through clearly," Larok's voice replied. "Be careful. These places usually get worse the deeper you go."Miko moved forward with his star-iron sword ready. The scanner showed him which way to go, pointing toward the energy at the center of this place. With each hundred meters, things got more twisted and wrong.After about five minutes, Miko saw his
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Miko moved carefully down the gentle slope, keeping to natural cover while approaching the archway from its eastern side. The scanner's readings grew stronger as he got closer, confirming highly structured energy patterns unlike standard Abyss manifestations.When he reached about ten meters from the archway, the scanner gave a soft alert tone showing it had detected previously unregistered energy signatures. Miko froze, scanning the area for the source.Nothing visible had changed, yet the scanner clearly showed additional energy patterns now active within its detection range. He adjusted the device's settings, trying to isolate the new signatures.The results were concerning—movement patterns consistent with intelligent entities, yet nothing visibly present in the physical environment around him."Possible guardian entities detected," he whispered into his communication device. "Can't see them but they're showing up on specific energy frequencies.""Pull back now," came Larok's ters
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"Shows you're thinking strategically. We've found no evidence they know about us specifically, though some probe patterns suggest they're gathering intelligence on human information networks generally.""Which is why this briefing happens in our most secure location," Larok added. "With minimal documentation and no digital transmission of operational details."The precautions made sense given the apparent intelligence capabilities of the entities they were discussing. Still, Miko had one fundamental question remaining."What exactly is a dungeon?" he asked, recalling the term from Larok's earlier mention.Jeremiah exchanged another glance with Larok before responding. "The term comes from historical classifications rather than AAU terminology. It refers to isolated Abyss manifestations that maintain permanent structure despite being disconnected from the main Abyss realm.""Like a fragment that breaks off but keeps working independently," Miko translated."Basically correct," Jeremiah
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