The Dragon’s Embodiment

”Oh, shit. Its falling. ”

[Great job! You have slain the guardian of this threshold, ”Queen Cobra. ”]

Esecleus got distracted by the window that suddenly popped up in front of his eyes. He almost got pinned down by the corpse of the Queen Cobra.

”Hah… ”

Before it crushed him, Esecleus jumped to his side, rolling vigorously on the rocky ground.

”What the hell? ”

He was staring confusedly at the window he often saw in games. Those kinds of games where they level up and earn EXP and even money.

[Hunter: Esecleus]

[Favorite Phrase: Semper ad Meliora/Always onward towards better things.]

[Title: Chronomancer]

[Unique Ability: Timestamp]

[Upon possessing great desires to change your past mistakes, the system has granted you the ability to turn back time for you and for everyone you cast your ability. However, the system that you possess does not function like what you always see in RPG or MMO or MMORPG games.]

[Unique Ability II: ???]

That was all there was. He tried scrolling up and down, clicking and

looking for hints, but there were no hidden features except another window that popped up when he mentioned the word ”inventory. ”

[Personal Inventory]

[Items: 0/99]

Different columns would separate clothes, weapons, food, scrolls, and keys, and it could be sorted out in a single column.

”Does this inventory mean I don have to carry things around? But it has a capacity, so Ill have to think carefully about what to restore and what not. I just wish the capacity could increase, though. ”

Trevor uttered groans. Esecleus was spacing out, thinking about the possibilities his Unique Ability could do.

”Um, E-Esecleus, could you help me get out? You can always continue whatever the hell you
e doing, acting like you
e in a game later. ”

”Oh, my bad. ”

Erasing the thoughts about the system window had it vanishing in his eyes. Esecleus went to help Trevor up, mindful of not hurting or touching any painful parts of Trevors body as he assisted the man outside the threshold.

”Theres two coming out! ”

Healers, hunters that can treat injuries, were on standby in case something like this happened. They came to Trevors aid and treated all of his injuries.

”Hey, aren you hurt? You
e covered in blood. ” asked a gentle lady from the organization.

Esecleus formed a grin on his face.

”Oh, it isn me you should be worried about but the guardian of the threshold. You can ask Trevor what I did back there. Oh, and I need to go back because I need to collect all the valuable pieces of items there. ”

Only the two of them came back from the snakes den. Four of their party members died fighting the Queen Cobra. And Esecleus was on his way to pick up their belongings, if they had any value, along with the Queen Cobras tail and fangs.

***

Esecleus got up after spacing out for an hour, just staring blankly at the moon in its glorious night. He brought out his phone and looked at the time.

Sigh…

”Lynx must be hungry by now and is scratching my pillow again. ”

He decided to stand up and go home.

”Flying can attract attention. Walking is the best option. ”

Although his house was fifteen minutes away from where he was, Esecleus still chose to walk instead of using the abilities he garnered from the past years being a hunter, slaughtering monsters, and looting the dead.

”Walking has always been better than taking the train or commuting. And Vylans guild did not even put up a fight, so I am not really that tired. I just feel drained. And that is two different things. ”

On his way, Esecleus dropped by a convenience store to buy himself some dinner hed eat with Lynx.

”It stinks in here! ”

Three punks, ears, and mouths pierced, entered the convenience store with an arrogant attitude.

”Oi! You worthless piece of shit, are you not cleaning the store or what?! ”

They vented their frustration on the stores personnel. The poor guy at the counter with his body shaking after seeing the usual people that bullies and extorts money from him and the store.

Esecleus had not changed his clothes when blood splashed on him. And it had already dried up, but he was sure it did not stink like a rotten animal.

”Hey, Peal! I think I found the trash! ”

As someone who grew up with nothing, Esecleus does not care if he looks weird in his clothes or what other people think of him. He would wear whatever he found comfortable and go on with his day without giving a damn about what people had to say about him.

”Really? Oh my– where is fashion sense dude? You
e wearing a t-shirt printed by your cats image and pants? Plus, you were wearing slippers! Dude, really?! ”

Esecleus ignored them and fell into a dilemma, choosing between a strawberry sandwich or a slice of chocolate cake.

”Hmm… Hmm! Ugh! ”

The three punks were taken aback. They thought Esecleus was gonna attack them.

”That took me by surprise. Anyway, lets get rid of this rude trash! ”

Peal and his two friends approached Esecleus. The latter could feel the arrogance vibe around them prickling the back of his head.

Esecleus was bending over, still stuck between a rock and a hard place. He eventually chose to buy both, picking them and putting them in his basket.

Peal had the audacity to grab Esecleus by his shoulder, which then resulted in him getting thrown on the tiled floor. He just realized when his vision suddenly spun, and his back ached upon hitting the ground.

”Agh! My back! It hurts! ”

His two friends tended to his care and Esecleus went to the guy who was shaking and worried about what the three punks will do to Esecleus. However, it turned out that he was just worrying for nothing.

”I honestly think that not fighting back can spare you. But it is not gonna be like that every time. Try fighting back once and see the results. Some people mess with the weak because they don want to get picked on themselves. Those guys back there are the same. Show resilience, and don let yourself get trampled. In short, man the ** up. ”

Esecleus brought up his basket filled with food he would eat with Lynx, the cat he picked up on the street one night while on his way home.

”B-B-But how are s-so sure? ” Stuttered the guy in eyeglasses, awkward and gloomy. ”C-Can you just tell them n-n-not to mess with me anymore? ”

”Thats a no-go. If you are always relying on others for help, as a person, you won grow. Youll likely look for people that can do the things you wish you could do but actually can . ”

Esecleus went and scanned all of his items, then paid for them afterward. He even put it in a paper bag and left with a single sentence for the three punks.

”I dress better than you shitheads. ” Esecleus glared at them, sending shivers down their spines.

Hed rather wear something simple than flashy attire, which attracts unnecessary attention from people he does not want looking at him.

Esecleus looked up once again as he walked in the dark alleys leading to the small house he owns to admire the beauty of the night and the source of light when darkness enshrouds.

”So close, yet so far. I feel like I am the strongest person right now in this world, but Im still incapable of reaching the moon. My own strength restrains me so. ”

Melancholic, Esecleus glanced at the moon with his hand reaching out to it, peeking through the gaps of his fingers.

”Beauty

Stuck with the thought, which brought me distraught, I stopped for a moment.

Pondering my head, racking my brain to come up with the idea of the word beauty, I stumbled at the answers.

The serenity of the ocean, the peacefulness of a place, the struggles of the wild, and the natural alluring temptation of her pulchritude…

Various responses left my mouth agape, struck by the word that speaks for itself…

…Oh, so wonderful you are that possessed the magnificence of our world. ”

He let out an exasperated sigh, fumbling in his thoughts and sharpening his senses again after letting his guard down. Because in his world, he never knows when and where he will get attacked by both monsters and humans acting like monsters.

”I should hurry up. Lynx must be crying for my presence since I told her Id be back by 9, and its already 10 PM. ”

As someone who was not a cat lover nor do not have any sort of fancy for animals, Esecleus fell hard and became a caring fur father to Lynx.

Deprived of love at a very young age, Lynx must have filled that void in his heart. Her company was much more accommodating and enjoyable than most people he ever shared some time with.

”Kuku, I bet she will like this canned tuna I bought for her. But I shan overfeed her, or she might become fat. Lynx is one hell of a lazy cat, so I need to make sure shes fit. ”

~