NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: A Heavy Heart
Micah finally made it back to the inn, his steps slow and heavy as he pushed the door open. The warm light of the Silver Blossom Inn greeted him, along with Elara's soft voice.
"Hey, Micah," she said warmly, her silver hair catching the light as she looked up from the reception desk. "How are you doing?"
Micah glanced at her and forced a smile, his lips curving upward in an expression that didn't reach his red eyes. "Fine. Awesome, actually," he replied, his voice sounding a little too cheerful.
Elara's smile faltered. She could see right through him. "Micah… are you really okay? Is something wrong?"
Micah turned back toward her, his fake smile widening into a grin. "Yeah, duh. I'm Micah, after all! Nothing can get me down."
But before she could respond, he waved a hand dismissively and started walking toward the stairs. "I'm tired. I'm heading to bed," he said quickly, his voice trailing off.
Elara frowned, watching him go. "Micah…" she called softly, but he didn't turn around.
The Weight of the Day
Micah stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. The soft click echoed in the silence. He dropped his gear by the door, his shoulders slumping as he made his way to the bed.
He sat down heavily, his hands resting on his knees. The memories of the cave came rushing back—the smell, the bodies, the horrors. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he thought he might suffocate under the weight of it all.
He lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "First mission," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "And it was that."
His mind replayed the sights over and over, each image stabbing at him like a blade. But he shook his head fiercely, forcing the memories back. "No. I can't let this break me. Not here. Not now."
Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "Status Screen."
Micah sat up in his bed, the soft blue glow of the Status Screen illuminating his face. His red eyes scanned each line as he read aloud to himself, trying to focus on the details and distract himself from the day's memories.
Status Screen
• Name: Micah Vale
• Age: 17
• Species: Human
• Gender: Male
• Level: 39
• Class: Magic Gunman
• Occupation: Adventurer
• Nickname: "Blue Flame"
• Health Points (HP): 1,500 / 1,500
• Magic Points (MP): 2,000 / 2,000
• Strength: 75
• Agility: 90
• Attack: 110
• Speed: 85
• Luck: 40
• Intelligence: 100
Normal Skills
• Enhanced Shooting: Fire a more powerful, accurate shot that deals additional damage. (Cost: 10 MP)
• Dodge Roll: Quickly evade an attack with a swift roll, increasing dodge rate by 25% for 2 seconds.
• Quick Reload: Reduce reload time for all weapons by 50%.
Ability Skills
• Magic Bullet V2: Bullets now deal elemental damage (fire, ice, or lightning) based on the user's choice. (Cost: 10 MP)
• Elemental Shot (Fire): Fire a flaming bullet that explodes on impact, dealing fire damage to a small area. (Cost: 15 MP)
• Elemental Shot (Ice): Fire an ice bullet that slows enemies by 30% for 5 seconds. (Cost: 15 MP)
• Elemental Shot (Lightning): Fire a lightning bullet that chains to up to 5 nearby enemies, dealing magic damage. (Cost: 20 MP)
• Ricochet Shot: Fire a bullet that bounces off up to 5 surfaces, striking multiple enemies. (Cost: 20 MP)
• Piercing Shot: A bullet that penetrates through multiple enemies in a straight line. (Cost: 15 MP)
• Burst Barrage: Unleash a rapid series of five magic bullets, each dealing moderate damage. (Cost: 25 MP)
• Overload Barrage: Combine two explosive and elemental attacks for a massive area-of-effect destruction. (Cost: 150 MP)
Magic Skills
• Mana Burst: Create a shockwave of pure magical energy around you, pushing enemies back and dealing damage. (Cost: 30 MP)
• Enhanced Magic Shield: Summon a barrier that absorbs 50% of incoming damage for 10 seconds and reflects 10% of the damage back at attackers. (Cost: 25 MP)
• Arcane Shot: Fire a concentrated beam of arcane energy, dealing massive magic damage to a single target. (Cost: 40 MP)
• Elemental Barrage V2: Unleash a volley of elemental bullets (fire, ice, and lightning) in rapid succession, damaging all enemies in a cone. (Cost: 50 MP)
• Explosive Barrage: Fire a volley of explosive bullets that deal area damage. (Cost: 50 MP)
• Storm Chain Shot: Fire lightning bullets that chain between enemies, stunning them. (Cost: 120 MP)
• Teleport Shot: Fire a bullet and teleport to its location instantly. (Cost: 35 MP)
Unique Skills
• Unlimited Ammo (Passive): Ammo count is infinite for all weapons. Reloading is still required.
• Mana Regeneration (Passive): Regenerate 5 MP per second outside of combat and 2 MP per second in combat.
• Bulletstorm: Enter a heightened state of concentration, doubling attack speed and magic damage for 15 seconds. (Cost: 50 MP, Cooldown: 3 minutes)
• Enhanced Phantom Shot V2: Fire an invisible, undetectable bullet that ignores magic barriers and deals critical damage. (Cost: 50 MP, Cooldown: 2 minutes)
Weapons
• Aria Nocturne (Magic Gun): A sleek, silver-and-blue weapon engraved with runes. Fires physical and magical bullets.
• Nova Fang (Dual Pistols): Black-and-gold pistols with explosive rounds. Specializes in rapid-fire and short-range combat.
• Shadow Reaver (Dual Blades/Guns Hybrid): Black-and-purple weapons that transform between blades and guns. Specializes in stealth and high-speed combat.
• Blaze Fang (Shotgun): A fire-elemental shotgun that creates fiery shockwaves.
Items
• Health Potion (x3): Restores 50 HP.
• Mana Potion (x3): Restores 50 MP.
• Teleport Crystal (x1): Instantly return to a safe location. One-time use.
Micah stared at the screen, his heart pounding as he took in the enormity of his growth.
"This is insane," he muttered. "I'm already this strong… but I'll need every bit of it to survive in this world."
He swiped the screen away and lay back down, staring at the ceiling as exhaustion finally caught up to him.
"Tomorrow," he whispered. "Tomorrow, I'll get stronger. I promise."
With that, his eyes closed, and he drifted into a restless sleep, his dreams haunted by the horrors of the cave and the hope of a brighter future.
Next day came, Micah woke up, got dressed, and left his room with his usual joyful self even tho he dreamed about horrors of the cave. He headed downstairs, where Elara greeted him warmly.
"Hey, good morning, Micah," she said with a bright smile.
Micah grinned back. "I'm good! What's for breakfast?"
Elara listed off the options, and Micah's mouth began to water. "Yeah, that sounds perfect!" he exclaimed.
Elara chuckled softly. "Good. I'll bring it out in a couple of minutes."
True to her word, the food arrived, and Micah immediately yelled, "Thank you!" before digging in enthusiastically. Elara giggled at his excitement. "You're welcome. Hope you enjoy it," she said.
A few minutes later, Micah pushed back from the table with a satisfied sigh. "That was amazing!" he declared.
Elara, hearing his praise, blushed slightly but smiled warmly. "You're welcome," she replied softly.
Micah stood up from his seat, stretching a little. "I'm heading to the guild. See you later, Elara."
Elara smiled back. "Have a great day, Micah."
Micah gave her a thumbs-up as he walked out the door. "Yeah, you too!"
The streets were bustling as Micah made his way toward the guild. He enjoyed the vibrant energy of the city, watching happy families and cheerful vendors as he strolled along. However, a few minutes into his walk, he heard voices coming from an alleyway.
Curious, he stopped and looked toward the sound. In the narrow alley, he saw two men standing with a catkin woman. The two men were laughing, their postures overly casual but with a hint of menace.
"Why not join our party, little lady?" one of the men said with a sly grin.
The other chimed in, adding his own opinion, clearly trying to pressure her. The catkin woman looked scared and annoyed as she shook her head. "I told you, I'm not interested," she said firmly.
The men exchanged a glance, their smiles widening as they stepped closer. "Aw, come on," one of them said, ignoring her protest. "We just want to talk."
Micah leaned against the corner of a building, watching the scene unfold. His red eyes narrowed slightly as he decided to observe for a moment longer to see how the situation developed.
To be continued...