Vlad immediately went to the wall next to the wooden door, leaping over the massive wardrobe and bending his knees as he clenched the knife in his right hand, taking deep breaths to control his heart and keep his mind calm.
"¡Boom!"
A blast echoed as a massive claw struck the wooden door with more strength than a metal battering ram could achieve, instantly making a hole in it. Luckily, the wardrobe managed to keep the door in place.
"¡Boom!"
Another blast came from the monster on the other side, this time creating a massive hole in the door, large enough for an adult man to cross. The next second, it pushed its massive head through, blood leaking from its maws from a previous victim.
The monster trying to enter the room resembled the first one Vlad saw, a massive demonic rat the size of a large dog. Just as the monster gazed around the room, looking for a new victim, its left eye caught a black flash. Before it could react, a wave of pain assaulted it.
"¡AHHHHHHHHH!"
The monster unleashed a horrifying scream of pain as the blade pierced into its right eye, embedding itself deeply. It immediately attempted to pull back, but Vlad would not allow it.
Vlad had gauged the monster’s strength and knew that if he allowed it to free itself, he would be as good as dead. He immediately put his left hand on the knife’s handle and pushed forward with all his body’s weight, allowing the blade to pierce deeper.
"¡AHHHHH!"
The rat monster screamed once more, but it ended after Vlad twisted the knife inside the creature’s head, causing lethal brain damage.
Vlad’s entire body was soaked in cold sweat as he extracted the knife from the rat monster’s head, his heart racing. While his memories helped him cope with the stress, his current body was not accustomed to such stressful situations, making it hard to remain calm.
He felt the muscles in his arms sore from the struggle that took all his strength, and he almost lost control for a moment. Just as he was about to stand up, a bright golden energy emerged from the monster and, before he could react, flooded into his body.
"WELL DONE, MY CHILD. OBTAIN YOUR JUST REWARD, AND USE THIS ORIGIN FORCE TO CONTINUE KILLING THE ALIEN AND HERETIC."
The same voice that appeared at the start of the nightmare spoke once more, and it seemed the bright golden energy was Origin Force. Just as Vlad wondered about the purpose of this power, he felt it coalesce in his brain, and the next second, a sense of shock and awe assaulted him.
He saw a massive dark dimension in his mind, the bottom of which was filled with a strange sky-blue liquid of an ethereal aura. He immediately understood this was a real location built inside his mind, and the next second, all the bright golden energy began to gather inside.
The voice returned as Vlad tried to figure out how such a massive structure could have appeared inside his brain.
"CHOOSE, MY CHILD. DO YOU WISH TO FOLLOW THE WARRIOR PATH AND MASTER FORCE OR TAKE THE MAGE PATH AND MASTER MAGIC?"
As Vlad heard those words, a sharp light appeared in his eyes. Although he had no idea where the voice came from or its goal, it seemed to want to help him, offering a choice between two paths.
While the idea of being a mage and throwing fireballs and lightning from his hands was tempting, this was not a game, and right now, survival was the most important thing.
"I choose the Warrior Path."
As soon as Vlad uttered those words, the Origin Force divided into two streams. A small one rose to the ceiling of the dimension, transforming into a white rune the size of a fist. As for the rest, it went down and fused with the sky-blue liquid, transforming a small amount into white water.
Immediately after that, Vlad felt an immense force coursing through his body and a wave of knowledge.
"Warrior Cultivation Technique: Harness the world’s energy to improve the amount of Force Water inside your Sea of Consciousness.
Your Force Water will emanate radiation that constantly enhances your physical power. At the same time, you can channel Force out of your Sea of Consciousness to use it to coat your body or weapons."
Those words echoed inside Vlad’s mind as he focused on the blue rune. He immediately learned how to draw the world’s energy into his Sea of Consciousness, purifying it to increase the amount of his Force Water, and basic knowledge of how to channel his Force.
Vlad was still in shock but did not lose focus. He took a deep breath, and the next second, a white cloak formed around his body. He felt his physical strength grow exponentially higher and understood that this Force could also work as a shield.
However, at the same time, the white water inside his Sea of Consciousness began to grow fainter. Thanks to the Warrior Cultivation Technique, Vlad understood that once he consumed all his energy, the Force Water in his Sea of Consciousness would turn crystalline, and he would no longer be able to use Force to enhance his body.
He also knew that the Empty Force Water acted as a sponge, eagerly absorbing the world’s energy to become Force Water once again.
"The more Force Water I have, the stronger I will become and the more time I will be able to use my Force."
As Vlad came to that conclusion, he remembered the screen that first appeared. As he focused on it, it once again appeared.
[Scanning Vessel...
...
Scan of Vessel completed.
Name: Vlad Xaos
Race: Human
Level: 1 Warrior
Lineage: None
...
Stats:
Strength: 1.0
Agility: 0.8
Vitality: 1.0
Energy Pool (Force): 0.5
...
Gift:
-Samsara Typhoon]