Chapter 38- Second Awakening

Chapter 38: Chapter 38- Second Awakening

Once Arthur’s burial and funeral had concluded, Alaric had gone into a withdrawal. He returned to the academy a day after everything, and even though his mother begged him to stay, he simply ignored her words and left. He had gone through the passing of his first friend by wanting to be surrounded by people he trusts, as he knew what might happen had he told them the truth.

Yeah, at first he figured that people would try and tell him that it wasn’t his fault, especially his parents, because of course they would right? If your 19 year old son blamed himself for the death of his best friend, a good parent would probably tell them the opposite, that it wasn’t their fault.

But they weren’t the problem, it was everyone else, especially Arthur’s mother... He hasn’t dared look her in the eyes since everything happened, as he was sure the hatred behind them would be too heavy to bear. He was convinced they would try and tell him that it wasn’t his fault, but he’s changed his mind completely.

No, if he told them... they would hate him forever. He couldn’t handle the thought, so despite wanting to be surrounded by people for the past few weeks, he went into hiding inside of his dorm room. Luckily, his teachers had heard of the news, Courtesy of Clorissa, so he’s been given a pass for his classes.

He’s so grateful for such an amazing friend...

But for now... he just wanted to be alone. He had made sure his phone was turned off, if no one saw him for days, they would most certainly text or call him, and he’d feel bad if he saw the calls and ignored them... this was better. He tossed his phone to the side and collapsed into his bed, his vacant eyes staring off as he felt them drift close. He wasn’t tired, not at all... but... something about being alone made him drift off into unconsciousness, and so he let it consume him. Maybe when he woke up, he’d feel a bit better.

...

Time passed at a slow pace. Alaric’s days consisted of laying in bed, eating small meals that barely really counted as one. He paced his room when he couldn’t sit still. He never left his room for days, and once he would eventually run out of food, he would just stay inside until he couldn’t anymore.

He wondered if anyone was as worried about him as he assumed, but he’d rather not check. Though he did wonder how long it would take until someone came to check his dorm. Obviously he wouldn’t answer, but it wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience at all... he could only hope that no one would come.

He needs this right now...

He simply walked back towards his bed after having barely finished a cup of noodles, which sat getting cold on the counter. He collapsed against it.

Alaric laid in bed, staring at the wall as he pulled the covers all the way up to his chin. His empty eyes stared at nothing in particular. His mind was blank aside from the obvious mission from weeks ago. But, nothing seemed more important.

For the past few days, he tries to clear his mind of the whole thing, which introduced an entirely new issue on his mind.

It honestly felt like if he decided to move on right now, he’d be disrespecting... him. But at the same time, Arthur knew how he was.

Wouldn’t he want him to... get over it? Alaric has told Arthur about what he wanted to do... and even if he didn’t, Arthur knew him enough to know exactly what he wanted.

Which was, adventure. Adrenaline. Danger.

But... that life took away his best friend. He lowered his eyes... he knew though, right...? The possibility was always in the back of his mind. So why was he even surprised? Was it because it was so sudden? Was it how fast it could take away one of the most important people to him?

He knew.

He always knew.

...

Suddenly, his face glowed as his system interface glowed to life. He squinted his eyes at the sudden light, blinking away the flash. Once his vision was clear, he read the notification...

[ ??NEW QUEST!?? ]

SECOND AWAKENING: JOURNEY TO THE WEST

Notice: Must Complete Alone.

Time Limit: None

Alaric blinked as his eyes scanned the words. He found himself sitting up in his bed, letting the covers pool around his hips, leaning his back against the back board. His brows were knitted together, and his mouth hung open.

"Second... Awakening?" He whispered to the empty room.

He’s heard of the concept before when he was hyper invested in the power system of this world.

In rare cases, people will be prompted by their system to complete a quest. But, the quest is usually a grueling task that takes loads of time, yet despite the time consuming mission, it was very worth it in the end. If you complete the quest, you are granted a large amount of exp, nearly doubling or tripling your level depending on your current one, and boosting your capabilities beyond if you weren’t to do it. And while you don’t have to complete the second awakening quest to gain the benefits, it’s wise to do it if you get it, after all, it removes the time it would take to do it through normal leveling through dungeons or fighting.

It’s usually a personal quest, tailored to the system in question.

And his was... like the story of Sun Wukong. Journey to The West.

His eyes looked further. Below all the information, was a map. It showed his location, along with the place he was going. It was thousands of miles away... it would take months just to reach it even with Skydancer... He turned and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. The mission was pretty vague though... it just told him to head towards the west, and that something would be waiting for him. Something like what? A test? A trial? Or an item? It could literally be anything.

But... something that caught him off guard slightly...

Do it alone?

He bit down on his lip slightly, "...Why do I have to do it alone?" He asked softly, but of course the system wasn’t going to answer him... he looked towards his window. He repeated it... and a shiver ran up his skin.

Since he’s woken up in this world, he’s been surrounded by people. He looked away and towards the floor. It would’ve been... the perfect adventure for... the two of them. He clenched his fist and looked back at the window, walking towards it. He stared down and his eyes remained still. He continued to think about the journey that he was about to go on, as it was a no brainer for him, especially now. And the longer he thought about it, his eyes flickered, and they eventually found their light again.

It’s what he’s been looking for. It was a... adventure, one that was sure to be filled with loads of fights and even meeting exciting and strong people. Of course, he wouldn’t be allowed to travel alongside them, but meeting them and learning new things was just a small part that makes an adventure exciting.

He probably would’ve... no... he definitely would want him to do this. He placed a hand on the window, and felt his lips twitch at the corner... It was unfamiliar after such a long time.

It will be the first time he’s been truly alone. Right now? He can always go and hang out with his friends, talk to his family and such... But this? He’d be completely alone.

He’s done it in his old life, even if he was beginning to forget about Ethan... could he handle it? He’s done it before. Surely he could... do it now.

His hand slowly fell from the glass and turned away.

He would begin packing now. After all, he has no reason to prolong this.

He’d let his family know, they should be the first ones to know. Especially his mother... He shouldn’t worry her more than he probably already has. He walked towards a nearby backpack and unzipped it. While his mother might not take it as seriously as his father, he’s sure to be just as worried. After all, he’ll be gone for months... and that’s not even including the journey back.

He’d let his friends know. He doesn’t have to tell them much, after all... they were friends and not considered family just yet. If anything, Clorissa would be his main priority... she is just as sensitive as his mother, so it would do her some good if he didn’t just up and disappear on her. He glanced towards the phone laying forgotten on the couch. He’ll probably give her a message to rely on Aluxio and the others, just in case they worried about him and why he wasn’t around. He walked up and grabbed the phone, which also gave the issue of being contacted. He’d rather not have them do that... so... it would be better if he left his phone, right?

Or just have calls turned off. If something happened to him during his journey, they’d want to know, which would lead to constant worry. He doesn’t want to put them through that. So, it’s better for everyone if he disappeared for a while, as if he didn’t exist. They would understand, right? Once he does this, however, it will really put into perspective.

He’ll be alone. Completely and utterly, Alone. Ml