Ouch, that hurts.
With a slight rumble, Johannes fell on his underdeveloped back, almost like he had been standing before. The vinyl floor had to cushion a fraction of Master Atem's impressive might, leaving Johannes in pain again. His back had been aching in sharp, unbearable pain, impairing his vision for a small moment.
Johannes carefully placed his feet to support his stance, bracing for the moment he would stand up. With a last ounce of strength left, he climbed up his bed. His blue slippers felt glued on the ground with unseen weight. He had done it.
In the past week, Johannes had worked out quite a lot and it had paid off. He was able to recognize his own efforts for the first time in his life. This sense of accomplishment, even if it was meant to be only a temporary one, was something nobody could take from him, not even the system.
Now that he stood, something that was even more familiar than the dark room had folded out in front of him - the hospital room he called his own for quite some time now. There it was, the bed he slept in, the overbed table he called his own - even though it was not and last but not least the view out of his room. The starry night shined upon his face, luminescent as always.
How long has it been that I was gone?
Johannes threw a quick glance at the clock. It read 12:01 AM. Barely a minute had passed over the course of time he was away.
Is that even remotely possible? I feel like I was gone for an eternity.
The frail man had no way of knowing whether the system would remain or not. However, its powers had not been revoked yet, which had to be a good sign.
Alright. How should I do this...
"System come forth?"
Nothing happened. Not that Johannes expected something to happen anyways.
That didn't feel natural at all...
"I am the sole leveler of this solo leveling necromancer world?"
... Okay. Tough crowd
His frantic eyes searched for a clue. Johannes felt as if something clouded his mind as he browsed through the deepest ends of its memory. What could I do? No. What would my father do?
Johannes knew the answer - it dawned on him. How could he have forgotten? He ignored basic rules that had been as clear as the sky on his birthdays during the summer.
"I know I am a fighter and will keep using you, Mr. or Mrs. System. You are the one thing my father gave me - there has to be a reason why he didn't use you. And I will not stop until I find out what it was." Johannes felt as if he just spoke from the bottom of his heart, every word brimming with confidence.
A long, heartfelt sigh out his mouth implied a temporary pause.
"It hurts. Not having a father hurts more than I ever thought it would. But today is not the end of this. I won't have failed."
Remembering that the system had always been tied to his emotions, he hoped his speech had made a difference. After a long pause, the sound he had missed so dearly echoed through his head as if he stood under a large church bell.
[Update Notice: System Will Be Gone For Today. It Humbly Apologizes]
Wait... What? Is it seriously telling me that it had been gone for yesterday?
Johannes could barely trust his eyes as they kept watching the mysterious blue screen. Long winded complaints were not the best way to greet the system back, as far as he was concerned. Thus, he kept his thoughts to himself.
[Update Notice: System Is Back]
... Oh my, who would have guessed that one?
A stacking, almost overflowing repetition of a tone rumoured yet again through his hearing. It was as if the system had continuously sent out messages but all at once.
Now you're spamming. I'd call that some kind of overcompensation.
[Congratulations. You Managed To Clear The Quest During My Absence. Quest Reward Is Being Calculated]
...
[Quest Reward: 2 POINT(S)]
...
[Breathing lvl 9 reached]
..
[Standing lvl 10 reached]
...
[Congratulations. You Have Stood Your Ground. Additional Reward For Reaching Level 10 On A Skill For The First Time Is Being Calculated]
...
[Reward: Synthesizer Unlocked. You Can Now Combine Skills That Have Reached Level 10 And Create Stronger Skills]
"Synthesizer?" a dumbstruck scream escaped his mouth. A small pearl of sweat silently manoeuvred down the wrinkles that had just formed on his forehead. His face was coloured crimson red as his gaze darkened. He had a hard time believing what he had just read.
The mere implication of that was too much for Johannes to take in. A vast starlit night of stars that each amounted to a dream extended in front of his vision - dreams he had long forgotten.
This can't be. Am I actually going to be strong enough to become a Diver one day?