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The Unawakened Porter's Divine System
Chapter 1 I Have Finally Found You
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The metallic smell of blood filled Xavier's lungs.
His body trembled.
For a moment, the only sound in the corridor was the frantic heart beats of Xavier.
Xavier tightened his grip around the handle of his pickaxe.
Five hunters stood ahead.
All staring at the darkness ahead.
This was supposed to be an E-Rank dungeon.
A routine clearing operation.
At least, that was what the guild's report had said.
Xavier had learned a long time ago not to trust guild reports.
But what could he do.
He needed the money.
Into the darkness...
A pair of blood red eyes pierced out.
" Run!!!"
Few minutes earlier.
Xavier had just entered an E-Rank Dungeon along with some hunters.
He had just finished packing up the materials from a hunt.
'Everything is going smoothly, if this goes on we should be done in twenty minutes.' Xavier calculated.
" Move! "
The voice came from behind him.
Xavier stepped aside, yet she was still nudged.
A hunter in a reinforced leather coat pushed past him.
"Don't block the way, porter."
"Sorry."
Xavier moved closer to the wall.
His head down.
The hunter didn't even acknowledge him.
Xavier was used to that.
He was a porter.
Unawakened.
The lowest person in almost every dungeon party.
His job was simple.
Carry the bags.
Carry the supplies.
Carry the wounded.
He had done it for over three years.
Three years of entering dungeons while everyone else grew stronger around him.
Three years of struggling.
Three years of Hope.
Three years of waiting for the day he would finally awaken.
It never came.
They continued onwards as Xavier had to listen to the mockery of hunters directed towards him.
It wasn't new.
'Just six more dungeon raids, and I should be able to get the low rank awakening pill...
Then, I could change my fate...'
This was a pill taken by individuals to help them awaken.
It drew out their latent power to force an awakening.
But just getting one didn't mean you would awaken.
It just increases your chances a little.
Even the lowest grade was extremely expensive.
Xavier was broke.
But he had been saving for it.
For three years.
'...Maybe then, I could live a normal life...'
His thoughts were still going when a monster's roar suddenly shook the corridor.
ROOOAAAR!
Everyone froze.
The hunter in front raised his hand.
"Formation!"
Weapons came out instantly.
Xavier dropped the supply bag from his shoulders.
His heart hammered.
That roar hadn't sounded like anything from a Grade E dungeon.
The corridor trembled again.
Then...
BOOM!
Something slammed through the side wall.
Dust.
WHOOM!
A body flies through the dust.
One of the hunters.
He hit the ground hard enough to break his neck.
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Xavier stared at the bleeding corpse.
He was dead on impact.
Then at the hole in the wall.
Two enormous blood red eyes appeared inside the darkness.
" Wh...wha...what? A demonic beast?
That shouldn't be in a dungeon." Xavier panicked.
" I...it's a Demonic Beast! " One of the Hunters yell.
"Run!!..."
The party broke.
Xavier didn't.
Not because he was brave.
Because the first person who tried to run past the creature was torn apart before he could take three steps.
Blood splashed across Xavier's face, staining his jet black hair.
He stumbled backward.
His pickaxe slipped from his hand.
The creature emerged from the darkness.
It was twice the height of a man, covered in black scales, dark mist and claws long enough to split a human in half.
A demonic beast.
Xavier's breathing stopped.
His heart now in his throat as his Crimson eyes meets the beasts eyes.
"Composure!" The lead hunter screams, calling his team to order.
' Yes with Leader Choi here, maybe we could survive.' Xavier thinks.
The hunters attacked.
Steel flashed.
Abilities erupted.
For several seconds, the corridor became chaos.
Xavier notices something wrong.
He came in with seven hunters.
Two were dead.
Five should be left.
But only four were here.
"Where's the last hunter? " He looks around.
" Now! "
As if to answer his question the voice of the last hunter resounds from far back across the corridor.
Then...
A portal opens just behind the hunters.
Having being waiting for this, they all leap into the portal.
Xavier watched this happen unable to react in time.
" Wh...what's going on?"
Just as the last hunter goes through the portal.
He says with a smile...
" Hold it back a while porter."
Xavier watched them disappear.
"Wait!"
His voice echoed uselessly.
He tried to reach the portal.
WHIM!
The Portal closes.
Xavier falls.
Nobody stopped.
Nobody came back.
Of course they didn't.
He was unawakened.
He was expendable.
He didn't have the time to process what had just happened.
Xavier looked at the monster.
The monster looked at him.
He rose to his feet
His legs trembled.
He turned and ran.
His lungs burned.
His boots slammed against the stone floor.
Behind him came the sound of claws scraping against the floor.
Faster.
Closer.
Faster!
Xavier pushed himself harder.
One turn after another, but the beast remained on his tail.
Almost as if it were toying with him, keeping a fair distance.
The corridor suddenly ended.
A dead end.
He stopped so violently that he nearly fell.
His eyes widened confused.
"No, there was no wall here."
Indeed there wasn't.
Looking around the wall he finally understood.
They hadn't just escaped.
They had sealed him in.
Why?
To buy themselves even a little bit more time.
The creature stepped into the corridor.
Slowly.
Almost casually.
Xavier backed against the wall.
His hand searched desperately for something, anything that could be used as a weapon.
His fingers closed around a pocket knife.
He lifted it.
His hands trembling.
' Why is this happening to me?'
' What did I ever do wrong?'
The creature chuckled.
A low, guttural sound.
Xavier's arms shook.
He knew.
There was no way he could win.
Still...
He tightened his grip.
'I need to survive...'
'I need to survive...'
'I can't die yet...not yet...'
' I still have things I need to do.'
His chest rose and fell.
The creature lunged.
Xavier stabbed.
He pierced.
The creature barely moved.
It's claw pierced Xavier's abdomen.
As if mocking his efforts.
Xavier's eyes widened.
Blood filled his mouth.
He never let go of the knife.
The creature threw him against the wall.
His body hit the stone floor.
Once.
Twice.
Then he collapsed.
Everything became blurry.
His fingers twitched against the cold floor.
He could hear the creature approaching.
Slow footsteps.
One after another.
Xavier tried to move.
Nothing.
His vision darkened.
'So this is it...'
He thought about the futile life he had lived so far.
The little farm.
The old wooden house.
The two people who had raised him.
He didn't want to die.
Not yet.
He still had things he wanted to do.
He still wanted to see the world outside this little town.
He hadn't yet brought justice for his adopted parents.
He still wanted to prove that there was nothing wrong with him.
That his eyes didn't make him a monster.
That he wasn't what they called him.
His vision faded.
The creature raised it's claw.
And then...
Everything stopped.
The monster.
The falling blood.
The tear drop on Xavier eyes.
Even the dust floating through the air.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
A faint golden light appeared before Xavier's dying eyes.
Then a voice spoke inside his head.
Not loud.
Not cold.
Almost...
familiar.
[Host Located.]
Xavier's fading eyes widened a bit.
Another line appeared.
[Xavier Reed Found...]
[Identity Confirmed.]
A pause.
Longer than it should have been.
Then...
[Synchronization beginning...]
[Welcome back, Xavier Reed.]
Xavier's pupils contracted.
"Wel...come back?"
[I Have Finally Found You.]
Chapter 2 Restoration.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
[DING!]
[Host Located.]
Xavier's fading eyes widened.
Another line appeared.
[Xavier Reed Found...]
[Identity Confirmed.]
A pause.
Longer than it should have been.
Then...
[Synchronization beginning...]
[Welcome back, Xavier Reed.]
Xavier's pupils contracted.
"Welcome back?"
The words made no sense.
Then another message appeared.
[I have finally found you.]
[DING!]
[Synchronization Complete.]
Silence.
The world remained frozen.
The monster's claw hung motionless an inch from Xavier's face.
Then...
[Host's current physical condition: Critical.]
A brief pause.
'Wha... what's going on?' Xavier wondered as his eyelids began to fall again.
[Survival probability: 0.03%.]
[...Unexpected.]
[Initiating Emergency Protocol.]
[Initiating One Time Use Ability: Restoration.]
Golden light erupted from Xavier's body.
His limp body slowly rose from the ground.
Then something impossible happened.
The blood beneath him began to move.
It crawled backward across the stone floor, rising from the ground and flowing into his wounds.
The gash across his abdomen closed.
Broken bones snapped back into place.
Torn muscles knitted themselves together.
Even the pain disappeared.
Within seconds, the body that had been moments away from death was completely restored.
Xavier stared at himself.
His trembling fingers moved.
His abdomen.
His chest.
His arms.
Everything was whole.
"I..."
His voice trembled.
"What the hell...?"
Then...
THUD!
His body suddenly dropped.
Xavier landed on one knee, barely managing to keep himself upright.
He looked up.
The monster was still frozen.
Its enormous claw remained suspended inches from his face.
Xavier stared at it.
He didn't understand.
Nothing made sense.
[DING!]
[Congratulations.]
[You have survived your first death experience.]
Xavier's expression twisted.
"First... death experience?"
Before he could think about it, another message appeared.
[Reward acquired.]
[Skill: Burst.]
[For ten seconds, the Host's movement speed will increase by 300%.]
[Warning: The Host's current body cannot withstand prolonged activation.]
"What?"
DING!
[Mission Notice.]
[Objective: Escape.]
[Mission Reward: ???]
Xavier stared at the final line.
"Wh... what is going on?"
The system didn't give him an answer.
[Survive.]
Then...
Time resumed.
The monster's claw came crashing down.
Xavier threw himself sideways.
BOOM!
The creature smashed into the wall.
Xavier rolled across the floor and scrambled back to his feet.
His heart pounded.
[Burst: 9 seconds remaining.]
'I don't know what's happening...'
'I don't care.'
'But I need to survive.'
Xavier turned and ran.
Immediately he realized a problem.
He was too fast.
His body shot forward like a bullet.
"Whoa..!"
His feet tangled beneath him.
He crashed through the stone floor and rolled several meters before finally stopping.
Pain shot through his shoulder.
[Burst: 7 seconds remaining.]
"Fuck!"
The monster emerged from the rubble.
It appeared before him.
Its claw swung.
Xavier ducked.
The claw passed over his head and shattered the wall behind him.
His eyes widened.
'Did I actually dodge that?'
'I moved before I even thought about it.'
He glanced toward the opening created by the monster.
Xavier ran.
The creature followed.
He slowly adapted to the speed.
[6 seconds remaining...]
He turned sharply into a wider chamber.
He wasn't simply running anymore.
He was searching.
His eyes darted across the walls.
'Come on...'
He had spent three years in dungeons.
He knew something about them.
Dungeons had patterns.
Weak points.
Routes.
Hidden passages.
'There.'
An X-shaped mark had been carved into the wall.
Xavier's eyes lit up.
'There you are.'
He turned sharply.
The monster followed at full speed.
But Xavier didn't continue forward.
The moment he disappeared around the corner, he pressed himself against the wall.
The monster thundered past.
Then he moved.
'There's no way I'm dying today...'
[5 seconds remaining...]
He sprinted.
The creature realized its mistake and roared behind him.
Xavier didn't look back.
He could see it now.
A faint light ahead.
The exit.
[3 seconds remaining...]
His legs were beginning to shake.
Every muscle in his body screamed.
The monster was catching up.
Closer.
Closer.
Xavier pushed harder.
The exit grew brighter.
[2 seconds remaining...]
He was almost there.
Then...
The monster lunged.
Its claws tore across his back.
"Fuck!"
Pain exploded through his body.
Xavier stumbled.
But he didn't stop.
He threw himself toward the light.
[1 second remaining.]
"Come on!"
His arm stretched out.
[Burst deactivated.]
His legs gave out.
Xavier crashed onto the stone floor.
His body was launched through the dungeon's exit.
He flew several meters before slamming into the ground outside.
THUD!
Everything went black.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The hunters standing outside slowly turned toward the unconscious figure lying on the ground.
One of them frowned.
"Who the hell is that?"
There was only one other person in the dungeon.
But it couldn't be.
Another hunter took a step closer.
Then he realized.
Even through the blood and tangled black hair, Xavier was recognized.
His expression changed.
"...Red eyes?"
The others stared.
Confusion.
Disgust.
Fear.
But before anyone could approach, several medics rushed forward.
"Move!"
"He's alive!"
"Get the stretcher!"
Xavier was lifted onto the stretcher and rushed toward the waiting ambulance.
Nobody noticed the faint golden light that flickered across his chest.
And nobody heard the voice inside his unconscious mind.
DING!
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward: +10 Stat Points.]
[Reward: +15 EXP.]
[ Level Up! ]
A pause.
[Impressive, Xavier.]
[You survived.]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Xavier belonged to a planet known as Earth.
A rather different Earth from the one that existed today.
Twenty-five years ago, five years before Xavier was born.
There were no Gates.
No Dungeons.
No monsters.
No Awakened.
There were only humans.
Then came the Cataclysm.
It wasn't a single event.
It was a series of events that changed humanity forever.
It began with something simple.
People prayed.
And nothing answered.
The presence humanity had worshipped for thousands of years suddenly vanished.
Then came the first undeniable proof.
A crack appeared in space.
Then another.
And another.
Not in one location.
Not even in one country.
Across the world.
The cracks became known as Gates.
And from them came creatures humanity had never seen before.
Things that should not have existed.
Human weapons were almost useless against them.
The world was caught completely unprepared.
Cities fell.
Billions died.
Earth lost 37% of its population.
Humanity was slaughtered.
For two years, humanity fought a losing battle.
Then...
People began to awaken.
Abilities that defied everything humanity understood about science suddenly appeared within certain individuals.
They became known as the Awakened.
Humanity finally had a way to fight back.
The Awakened were classified into seven ranks.
F.
E.
D.
C.
B.
A.
And finally...
S.
F was the lowest.
S was the highest.
But the Cataclysm didn't stop with the Gates.
Dungeons began appearing as well.
Unlike Gates, Dungeons didn't constantly spill monsters into the world.
They remained dormant until a certain deadline was reached.
If they weren't cleared before then, the Dungeon would break.
And when that happened everything inside would be released.
At first, humans entered Dungeons simply to prevent Dungeon Breaks.
That didn't last long.
They soon discovered something else.
Monsters possessed valuable materials.
Magic Stones.
Rare resources.
Weapons.
And most importantly...
Power.
Dungeons became an industry.
A profession.
A source of wealth.
The strongest Awakened became celebrities.
Guilds became corporations.
And humanity slowly adapted to the world that had been forced upon them.
Some even began to believe that perhaps God hadn't truly abandoned them.
Perhaps the appearance of the Awakened was His answer.
Perhaps the Gates were a trial.
Perhaps salvation would eventually come.
They were all wrong.
At least...
That was what humanity believed.
For twenty-five years, there had been no sign of their God.
No voice.
No miracle.
No answer to their prayers.
Only monsters.
Only Gates.
Only Dungeons.
And one question that humanity had never managed to answer.
Why had God abandoned them?
~ ~ ~
Xavier opened his eyes.
White.
That was the first thing he saw.
A white ceiling.
The second thing he noticed was his surrounding.
A hospital ward.
He slowly tried to sit up.
His body tensed, expecting pain.
Nothing came.
Xavier frowned.
His right arm was wrapped in bandages.
So were both of his legs.
There were even bandages wrapped around his head.
Yet he felt nothing.
He moved his fingers.
Nothing.
He moved his legs.
Nothing.
His brows furrowed.
Slowly, Xavier began removing the bandages.
One after another.
His confusion deepened.
There wasn't a wound.
Not even a scar.
He touched his abdomen.
Perfectly healed.
His eyes widened.
"What...?"
The he rembered a single phrase
' Level Up. '
The memories came rushing in.
The dungeon.
The monster.
Its claws.
The System.
The golden light.
Burst.
The escape.
Xavier stared at his hands.
"It... wasn't a dream huh?"
[DING!]
A translucent screen suddenly appeared before him.
Xavier nearly fell out of the bed.
"Whoa!"
The screen remained suspended in the air.
[Welcome back, Xavier.]
His breathing stopped.
"Back...?"
[Correct.]
Xavier stared at the message.
His mind raced.
"What are you?"
A brief silence followed.
[I would like to answer your questions...]
[However, you need to run now.]
Xavier blinked.
"...What?"
[Hostile presence detected.]
His expression changed.
[Distance: 3 meters.]
The door knob tilted.
Xavier slowly turned.
[Move Xavier.]
[ NOW! ]
Chapter 3 Debt Unpaid
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
[Hostile Presence Detected.]
[Distance: 5 Meters.]
[Move, Xavier.]
[Now.]
Xavier didn't understand what was happening.
But something in the voice made him move.
He glanced toward the door.
The handle was turning.
His eyes shifted to the window.
Third floor.
His gaze dropped to the ground below.
No cushion.
No safety net.
Nothing.
The door opened.
Xavier hesitated.
A second was all it took.
He picked his wallet and climbed onto the window edge.
"What the hell am I doing?"
He looked down again.
Three floors.
" I'm going to die. "
The System appeared again.
[Move.]
" Damn it..."
Xavier jumped.
For one terrifying moment, he regretted everything.
Then...
THUD!
Xavier hit the ground hard.
Pain shot through his legs.
"Gaahh!"
He curled instinctively, rolling across the tiles to lessen the impact.
He stopped on his side, clutching his arm.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
"Fuck..."
His entire body screamed at him to stay down.
[Get Up Xavier!]
"Urgh!"
Xavier gritted his teeth and forced himself up.
"Come on..."
He started limping.
One step.
Then another.
The pain was still there, but the fear was stronger.
Xavier pushed himself harder.
[Move, Xavier.]
"I'm moving!"
Soon, the limp became a stagger.
Then a run.
His legs carried him across the hospital grounds and into the parking lot.
He didn't know where he was going.
He only knew he couldn't stay there.
Behind him...
The door to his ward opened fully.
Five hunters entered.
The same people who had left him behind.
The lead hunter glanced around the room.
"Thought you said this was his ward."
"It is, boss." Another replied.
"Then where is he?"
The younger hunter froze.
"I... I don't know."
The leader's expression darkened.
"Check the bathroom."
The others spread out.
The room was empty.
One of them walked towards the window.
He looked down.
His expression changed.
"Boss." He called out.
The leader approached.
"What?"
"The window."
The leader looked outside.
Three floors below, there was a short depressing trail on the hospital's interlocking tiles.
They were crushed beneath someone's weight.
His eyes narrowed.
"He jumped?"
"No way."
"He's unawakened."
The leader said nothing.
His gaze remained fixed on the broken tiles.
Then his expression hardened.
"Find him."
The hunters exchanged glances.
"And if he talks?"
The leader's jaw tightened.
"He won't."
~ ~ ~
Xavier ran.
He crossed the street without looking at the traffic.
A horn blared.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
He ignored it.
His lungs began burning.
His legs felt heavy.
The adrenaline that had carried him away from the hospital was fading.
He finally ducked beneath an overpass.
He leaned against one of the concrete pillars.
His chest rose and fell violently.
"Haa..."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
His hands were still shaking.
He looked around.
Cars passed above him.
Nobody was paying attention.
Good.
He slid down the pillar until he was sitting on the cold concrete.
Only then did he allow himself to think.
' What the hell? '
He kept panting for a while trying to calm himself.
His memories flashed.
The dungeon.
The monster.
The claw through his stomach.
The golden light.
The voice.
Welcome back.
Xavier frowned.
He looked up.
"Who are you?" Xavier asks expecting a reply.
Nothing.
He looked around.
"Are you still there?"
A golden translucent screen appeared directly in front of him.
Xavier flinched.
"Damn it!"
The screen remained suspended in the air.
He reached towards it.
His finger passed straight through.
"Am I hallucinating?"
[False.]
Xavier stared.
"You can hear me?"
[I can hear you.]
"What are you?"
A pause.
[I Am A System Bound To Your Soul.]
Xavier's expression remained blank.
"Bound to my soul?"
[Correct.]
"That doesn't really explain anything."
[It Was Not Intended To.]
Xavier stared at the screen with a hint of annoyance.
For some reason, he felt like he was being mocked.
He sighed.
"Fine. Then why me?"
The System remained silent.
Xavier waited.
Nothing.
"Not going to answer that?" His voice low.
[Insufficient Information Available To Host.]
"That sounds convenient."
No response.
Xavier rubbed his temple.
He had almost died less than an hour ago.
He had been healed by something that he cannot explain.
He had jumped from a third-floor window and somehow survived with no major injuries.
And now a floating screen was talking inside his head.
Then another notification appeared.
[Host Physical Condition Assessed.]
[Current physical attributes are low by Awakened standards.]
Xavier frowned.
"I'm not awakened."
[Correct.]
"Then why compare me to them?"
[ Because You...]
Silence.
Xavier waited.
"Because I what?"
No response.
Instead, another window opened.
**
[STATUS]
Name: Xavier Reed
Level: 1
Strength: 6
Agility: 5
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 18
Aether: 0
Available Stat Points: 15
Fatigue: 40/100
**
Xavier stared at the screen.
"Stat points?"
[Average Human: 5]
His eyes narrowed.
He had played enough games to understand the concept.
"Five? so the average human has 5 points per stat right?"
[Correct.]
"And these can be changed?"
[Affirmative.]
" What is Aether?" Xavier wondered.
[ Aether Would Be What Humans Know As Mana, Though Significantly Different.]
" Mana? the main attribute that differentiates an Awakened from a non awakened?"
[Correct]
Xavier hesitated.
Then he looked at his palms
He remembered the dungeon.
The monster.
How helpless he had been.
He didn't want to feel that way again.
' Is this my gateway?'
He got filled with hope.
"Aether, Four."
...
Nothing happened.
[ Error...]
[Host Is Required To Awaken Aether Before It Can Be Increased By Stat Points.]
His hope came crashing down.
His shoulders dropped.
" I see, so even this System can't help me awaken." Xavier mumurs with a painful smile.
[...]
[Host Can Awaken Aether As He Progresses.]
" Trying to console me?"
No response.
Xavier exhales.
"Strength."
Three points disappeared.
[Strength +3]
"Agility, Four."
[Agility +4]
"Vitality, Four."
[Vitality +4]
Eleven points vanished.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then...
Xavier's body suddenly heated up.
His muscles tightened.
His heartbeat accelerated.
It wasn't a dramatic change but his body felt lighter.
His breathing deepened.
His fingers clenched.
Xavier stared at his hands.
He felt...
Different.
Subtly, but it was there.
Stronger.
Faster.
Not dramatically.
But enough for him to notice.
**
[STATUS]
Name: Xavier Reed.
Level: 1
Strength: 9
Agility: 9
Vitality: 10
Aether: 0
Available Stat Points: 4
Fatigue: 22/100
**
He slowly stood.
His legs no longer felt as heavy.
"Whoa, what happened?"
[The Host allocated Stat Points.]
"I know that."
Xavier's eyes narrowed.
"What exactly are you?"
The screen flickered.
[I am the System.]
"And you refuse to tell me why I was chosen?"
A pause, then...
[There are questions the Host is not yet ready to ask.]
Xavier's expression hardened.
"And who decides when I'm ready?"
A pause.
[The System.]
Xavier stared at the screen.
"Annoying!"
[Acknowledged.]
He almost laughed.
Almost.
Then the screen changed.
The casual exchange disappeared.
A new window appeared.
Its letters were darker.
More imposing.
[SPECIAL MISSION]
[A Debt Remains Unpaid.]
Xavier's expression changed.
"What?"
[Mission: Avenge the Betrayal.]
[Those Who Abandoned You to Die.]
Xavier's fingers slowly curled into fists.
He remembered the dungeon.
The portal closing.
The hunter's smile.
'Hold it back a while, porter.'
His jaw tightened.
[Mission Objective: Make Them Regret What They Did To You.]
[Reward: ???]
