(16) Success

May 9th 3019

7:15

Cambridge, Real Household

I'm screaming my lungs out on the floor as Crimson Runes manifest around me. They float in the air and are drawn to each other like magnets. Every time they touch and meld into each other I feel a burning sensation in the depths on my very soul.

Finally the last Rune fuses into the mass and the pain lessens but before I can get a rest it starts up worse than before.

"AAARRRGGHH!!" A screech threatening to shatter all the glass in the house resounds all around. Max dashes to me but David physically holds him back. 

"Let me go! Can't you see he's in pain!?" Max screams at him with anger in his voice

"Don't be stupid, you think I didn't foresee this? he has to go through this himself or he will really never break through again, his foundation will be ruined and his physique will revert to what it was before he awakened even his Core will be ruptured is that what you want!?" David says sternly, Max stops struggling but you can see the pain in his eyes. 

The mass of red energy starts to form the shape of a rock without any symmetry then Splits perfectly in half, I scream again as I feel myself get torn apart. My parents can't take it and just look away. 

Each half of the stone floats and both of their sides become flat and smooth, similar to Scripture Tablets. On one tablet three Runes appear to be carved before dimming down, on the other all the Runes I learned until now resurface again and get inscribed into it. I can feel the pain of needles digging into my skin and dragging across it. Both the tablets finally dim down and the pain stops.

I feel a strange energy flowing through me and the feeling of control, like I could finally choose any of my enhancements at will without failure. The tablets sink into my body and a warm soothing feeling spreads throughout me. The tablets finally reach the inside of my core and stay floating in the red mist, it seems the inside of my core grew a lot too. 

David approaches me and reaches a hand to my back. "Are you ok? How does it feel?" 

"Like It's not over?" 

"Yes you are right, now I need you to activate your 'Silent Stop' Rune"

"Uh ok?" As I do I feel another rush of energy sweep through me and my Vitality sky rocketing it doesn't stop until it bottlenecks again. 

"Congrats you're now an E-Rank you are now able to train your body properly but it will all bottleneck at 30 until we do this again"

"I have to do this again?!" I ask with despair in my eyes.

"Don't worry it won't be as painful" He slaps my back and I feel my Constitution grow. 

"What the hell?" I say confused

"Well your body has been ready for a breakthrough for a long time so it will be very easy until 15 points then slow down until 20 points when you will have a normal growth again" He says matter of factly.

"Oh! that is pretty useful I guess" I say forgetting about the pain already. My parents look at David then at me. 

"How do you feel Kris?" Says dad

"I'm good, tired but good" I say 

"Alright everyone it seems we will end it early today! thanks for everyone who came and" He turns to me "We are going to have to talk" 

"About what?" I ask confused again

"Aldrick told us about your clock being broken again?" Mom says

"I-uh it's fine! it's nothing I feel much better now" I try to stand but don't have the strength, Max pushes past everyone and holds me up

"Hey congrats dude! we are the same rank now although your Con and Agility are still lower than mine" He smirks at me

"David said that I will bottleneck at 30 for each stat again so that means I can reach D-Rank comfortably After that I don't even want to think what will happen" I say grimly

Max ponders for a while before giving his wise advice "Then let's stock up on a crap ton of pain killers" he beams proud of his idea

David chimes in "If you do that you won't be able to improve properly, you will fail the break through and just go through more pain than today, just let it run its course trust me it'll hurt a lot less" Max gives him a stare while I think about it and then agree, it's night time so we head to my room and lay pillows and bedsheets on the floor. 

"Well today was eventful wasn't it?" I ask the guys as the Worring and Rhubarb waddle in and lay near me. The guys and I have a chat about recent events.

"Oh Max, how was your date with Emily?" David says, I sit up straight immediately

"You What!? Her?" 

"I Don't want to talk about it" Max whispers.

"Oh... again?" David and I know what's next, Max always had bad luck with this stuff, he would find someone he likes and ask them out, but because of his build they always think he MUST be sleeping around with others and they always leave him after. The whole school thinks of him as 'The Player', even though Max has never so much as kissed a girl before. It's quite sad really.

"I'm sorry to hear that man but don't worry you got us!" I say

"Thanks guys it, it means a lot" We all quiet down and fall asleep.