Matt came to a while later. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but the sun was up, the heat radiating from it unmistakable on his skin. Summer days in the desert were always brutal. Being in June helped slightly as it wasn’t ‘officially’ summer just yet, but it didn’t make the heat any less unbearable. He definitely preferred the cold weather more, at least layers of clothing dealt with it to a degree, but heat offered no such luxury. If he hadn’t been tan before, he definitely was now.

  It’s gonna be a long summer, he thought as his mental faculties kicked back into gear.

  What woke him up wasn’t the sunlight, nor the heat, it was the birds… chirping so, so loudly, exasperating the splitting headache he was still experiencing. It did at least indicate that it was still early morning.

  He hadn’t been keeping track of time the last day or so. Checking the clock every few minutes while driving in an endless desert was a good way to kill any and all motivation, so he dismissed it early on. There was really no reason to keep track of time anymore. Knowing what day it was was probably the extent of what he needed to know, which was freeing in its own twisted way.

  Being alone on an empty planet with no responsibilities came with its own perks, I guess, he contemplated as he felt some life return to his body.

  Deciding now was as good a time as any, he willed it back, as the familiar clock appeared in his vision once more.

  June 7th, 2025

  10:22

  A confused Matt started doing some mental math, concluding that no, it wasn’t a quick nap. He had been asleep for two whole days.

  “Bordering on being in a coma at this point,” he muttered in a hoarse voice before coughing a few times, the taste of blood still filling his mouth. His body wasn’t in a better state, it seemed, as the slight movement sent shockwaves that caused him to wince.

  His muscles were stiff and sore, bones felt like they’d been ground to dust. Waking up in such a miserable state was starting to become a habit, which he really didn’t appreciate. Even his heart was struggling, its beating barely audible, which did explain a few things.

  The gloves’ ability had drained him down to 5%, the point where his natural regeneration could keep up with the drain. It wasn’t much, but he was alive, and complaining was starting to be a bad look. The problem was that the lower his health dropped, the more difficult maintaining vital functions became. Only the bare minimum was sustained to keep him alive, resulting in parts that weren’t as vital for survival taking the biggest hit, as less energy and oxygen found their way to them, like his muscles. Which also explained why his stamina was stuck at 12%... unmoving.

  It was a vacuous position to be in, but ultimately it was his fault. No one in their right mind would keep a health drain active before resting, but clearly Matt was lacking in that department.

  He sighed loudly as he started moving his hand towards his body to cast [Repair] when he immediately shot up, yowling in pain as his stiff body was unable to handle the sudden movement, flooding his brain with distress signals. He ignored all of it, as he finally remembered the final scene of him meddling with [Repair], and how ethereal-looking chains came down and smashed it to pieces. His heart dropped as the implications hit him, the scene of destruction now forever seared in his brain.

  [Repair] was the single most important skill in his arsenal, losing it would be detrimental. He had grown too reliant on its healing powers, and while he had never wanted to be a healer, and didn’t consider himself one, he couldn’t deny its impact. He definitely wouldn’t have made it this far without the healing skill backing him up.

  Apprehension filled him as he held his breath. His thoughts were in disarray, and his mind needed steadying. Even if the worst were to happen, he wouldn’t give up. He would find a way. If his conviction and determination were that fragile, then he wouldn’t have made it the full six months anyway.

  He will survive.

  A sense of calmness washed over him as he accepted that it was now out of his hands. Every choice he had made was his, and he would stand by them. It was his decision, and he would live with it, whatever may come.

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  Feeling a slight weight off his shoulders, Matt felt calm but tense of what might greet him as he dove into his soul.

  Everything looked the same as it had always been, a featureless silhouette in a sea of dark, as countless blinking blue lines–representing his mana pathways–filled the otherwise empty silhouette, making it shine like the stars in a moonless night. The empty chest area, an outlier in the otherwise bright silhouette with its obvious lack of blue, was a void where no mana existed, a problem he had hoped to remedy.

  His soul had looked utterly depleted the last time he had seen it. The luster was dim, the color faded, and mana completely drained, as it struggled to maintain the grueling task Matt had forced upon it. He was relieved it looked otherwise unharmed, and even back to its original state. A testament to how resilient the human soul truly was.

  Feeling more confident, his eyes fell on the wrist where the shattered engraving was. To his astonishment and befuddlement, it looked… normal. At least as normal as one would expect.

  Mana flowed through it as if nothing had happened, with no empty spot of mana-less void signaling that a disaster had taken place, which was a relief all on its own.

  He cautiously focused on the wrist, trying to get a closer look at where the engraving was supposed to be, his soul complying as his wrist was now filling his vision. The power of the mind was truly wondrous.

  The first thing he saw was the engraving dominating the view, the circle unbroken, and the signs unblemished, as if it had all been but a bad dream from which he was now awake.

  Matt felt befuddled, it was a blur, but he was sure of what he had seen. The chain smashing into the engraving, shattering it into a million pieces, mana and light gushing out like a fountain. He was sure a scene of utter devastation and destruction would greet him, but instead he was met with normalcy, as if nothing had ever taken place there.

  Did he imagine the entire thing? Did his delirious mind play tricks on him?

  But… it had all been so vivid. He could still feel the power the chain had been radiating. The force of the impact. The mana blasting the last vestiges of his exhausted mind apart. It couldn’t have been a hallucination…

  Could it?

  He was seriously starting to lose it. He didn’t even know what was worse, seeing the devastating aftermath of what had taken place or a scene where nothing had ever happened… It always put you more on edge, like something was brewing beneath the surface, luring you into a false sense of security only to strike when you least expected it.

  Exactly what he was now faced with, the skill baiting him. Telling him that nothing was wrong. That everything was dandy. That he should cast it. And once he did…

  BOOM!

  That was stupid. How would a skill come up with and enact such an elaborate plan, it made no sense. Unless… something was lurking within the skill, biding its time.

  The chains?

  They did look ominous.

  Matt sighed inwardly, he was seriously starting to lose it. This was beyond paranoid. It was encroaching on tinfoil hats territory. The lack of food and water was getting to him. It was probably why his voice had been so hoarse. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had had any nourishment of any kind. He should’ve had some at the temple, but the wine was too good to pass, especially after days of journeying through the desert and dungeon. It was definitely something he wanted to rectify soon.

  He opened his eyes, feeling the heat of the sun on his skin. White was still all he could see, and for good reason. He was stalling, he knew that, yet he couldn’t help it. Fear gripped his heart, and no matter how confident and relaxed he wanted to be, he couldn’t. It wasn’t a switch he could flip, it was life and death, and right now death was very much on the table.

  He knew fear was the normal response, but it was a response he very much hated and had hoped to avoid.

  Matt rested his forearm, covering his eyes and forehead. He hated that feeling and everything it represented. He hated how powerless he was against it. And most of all, he hated that he just had to lie there, stewing in these emotions… this weakness… this sense of powerlessness.

  He needed to pull the band-aid and deal with the aftermath. Delaying wasn’t helping, it only made things worse. Much worse.

  Breathe in… breathe out, Matt kept repeating in his head as he attempted to get his nerves under control. When he finally felt ready, he dove back into his soul, the engraving filling his vision once more. He steeled himself, deciding for the first time to speak the words out loud. Not because he had to, but because he needed to feel a semblance of control, and this was it. He was in control of his own fate, and this was proof of that.

  He moved his forearm, gripping his face with his hand, before finally speaking the words to life, a growl of defiance filling his exhausted voice.

  “Repair!”

  The engraving whirled to life.

  The process was instant, but to Matt everything felt as if in slow motion. Mana getting pulled towards the engraving from every which way, with the engraving drinking it all, lighting up like the city lights after a blackout, activating the four familiar disks and directing mana through them. A beautiful symphony that never ceased to amaze. The glow kept getting stronger. Steadier. Everlasting. Filling the darkness with its brilliant light, but this time, with one major distinction.

  This time it didn’t glow with the color of life mana.

  No, because now a blue brilliance shone through the darkness.

  His mana.

  Patreon. I know I've said a bonus chapter would be posted here once we reach 25, but if we manage to hit 15 before Friday's chapter I'll post one anyway, then another one once we reach 25!