Instinct

Chapter 31

Outside the shimmering barrier of Chaos Tower, news of the Evolve Drake quest rippled through the Elder Lazarus clan like an electric current. Emmit and Addison, ever vigilant, took charge, disseminating information and coordinating a plan of action. While the excitement of the quest was palpable, a shadow of concern hung over Emmit. Dane, ever the lone wolf, had been uncharacteristically quiet. His last message, a brief note about securing a part-time job to fund his journey to the Tower, felt strangely distant. Emmit worried about the risks Dane was taking, driven by his unwavering determination to reach the tower—to reach the top.

Sadly, Emmit was unaware of the fact that Dane was already inside the tower. Dane knew this question would eventually arise; his foresight, however, hadn't left him unprepared. From the moment he secured the mana vein deep within the treacherous curse cave labyrinth, he'd built a contingency plan. The mana vein itself, a seemingly simple geological feature, was anything but. To Dane, it was a crucial asset, a font of continuous mana energy, a raw material capable of fueling his ambitions and defenses, and he'd anticipated the inevitable curiosity, and perhaps even greed, it would spark. He'd ensured its strategic importance.

Dane has already spent two and a half days inside the tower; he estimated he will reach the heart on the fifth day, and upon absorbing the mana vein, he will be able to teleport back to the city and reevaluate his plan to clear a path toward the empire of Crave scenario and let his relative players gain the upper hand in opening the entrance leading up to the second floor.

He knows that every Lazarus clan member are determined to take the lead in the tower quest, they would sacrifice anything just to accomplish a mission, Dane doesn't want any of his blood relatives die in the process. Dane noticed that his mind was all over the place.

Dane rubbed his temples, a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes. He felt like a shattered mirror, each shard reflecting a different version of himself. One moment he'd be overcome by an impulsive urge, a reckless disregard for consequences, and the next, a wave of cautious calculation would wash over him, stemming from a deep-seated instinct for self-preservation. Was this the price of rebirth? A fractured psyche, a constant tug-of-war between the man he once was and the one he was becoming? The echoes of his past life, with its triumphs and failures, seemed to war with the fresh, unblemished slate of his new existence. He was a paradox, a walking contradiction, and the constant mental turmoil was exhausting

While Dane carefully extracted his mother's katana from the dead dire wolf's lifeless body, he carefully walked toward the opposite side, as he was sure the smell of the wolf's blood would notify its kind. Dane had a few seconds as he wiped his katana on the dead creature's fur. He felt he needed to calm down and stabilize his thinking, so he waited in the sitting position, as his back was on the cave wall; he remained still and patiently waited and gripped his mother's katana in hand and positioned the sharp blade facing the incoming dire wolf, and because it was still young and lacked experience, curiosity got the best of it as it approached, thinking the human was already dead in that seated posture.

That was the creature's mistake, as it came near Dane. A simple move of his arm and wrist, and the sharp blade sliced through the wolf's flesh like it was made of thin paper and struck the dire wolf in one swift motion, ending its life instantly.

Dane could see that his approach toward the creature was efficient and effective, proving that his conscious mind indeed needs focus. He took out a survival kit that was meant to kill harmful microorganisms that can cause illnesses like typhoid and cholera in water. The bag stored in his dimensional storage was truly a lifesaver in situations like this.

ensuring he could stay hydrated and healthy while at the same time eliminating existing odors,

Sure, the other wolves will venture into this area; the tunnel might be long and might have other connecting tunnels on its path. The smell of blood is likely to attract other predators, so he needed to be cautious as he sprinkled a handful on the deer creature's dead body, mainly on the slice wound.

And hurriedly walk toward another path, hoping he won't encounter the dire wolves pack members that may be lurking nearby. It was crucial for him to move quickly and quietly to avoid the scavenging packs., His strategy now is different from the way he faced the goblins. Dane, in a crouched position, moved slowly and controlled his breathing as he wanted to listen to any sound these wolves would make; their claws were long and sharp enough to cause scraping sounds while walking on soil and chunks of rocks on the ground.

Dane night vision goggles battery life was being consumed fast the ability to see in the dark was fading slowly, the darkness in the tunnel was becoming more oppressive as he pressed on, his heart pounding in his chest with each step. The wolves could be lurking anywhere, and Dane knew he had to find a way out before they caught wind of him.

" Six hours is a long time, I need to steadily control my mind, something deep within my sub consciousness is making question and doubt every decision I make , even the manner I think is like not mine,"

" I could feel it , lurking at the back , watching me and reacting on how I perceive things,"

"MASTER DANE, NOTHING IS WRONG WITH…."

"Huh! What's wrong Miko? Why did you stop mid way?"

Dane heard no response from Miko, Dane was the type of person that docent's get distracted easily, but something about Miko's behavior made him uneasy. until a different voice entered his mind, it was the main system , Dane knew this because the voice was created based from a very famous female narrator , all players could hear this voice the moment they level up and unlock a new feature in the game.

The voice echoed in Dane's mind, " NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR PERCEPTION. IT IS YOUR APPROACH THAT NEEDS ADJUSTMENT." Dane's curiosity was piqued as he wondered what the other voice had to say about his reaction to things running in his mind.

" how? Huh? What's goings on!"

"YOU ARE RIGHT, SOMETHING IS WRONG, BUT ITS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER TO BE A HUGE MATTER,"

"I PUT YOUR AI ASSISTANT MIKO TO SLEEP, WHILE I ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN,"

"I AM THE ONE THAT LURKS AT THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, I NEVER EXPECTED YOU WILL EVEN NOTICE MY PRESENCE,"

" WAS MY SMALL PECULIAR BEHAVIORAL HABIT CAUSING YOU TO QUESTION YOUR THINKING ? I AM MERELY JUST A FRAGMENT OF A VERY OLD PAST. "

"I HAVE BEEN HERE LONG BEFORE MIKO CAME INTO EXISTENCE, AND I WILL BE HERE LONG AFTER. I AM SIMPLY HERE TO OBSERVE AND GUIDE."

"I AM A SPECK OF SUBCONSCIOUSNESS , NOT BIGGER THAN A GRAIN OF SAND MANIFESTING IN MOMENTS OF UNCERTAINTY."

" I don't mind this things but, everytime I question myselt its making me feel like I am losing control over my own thoughts and emotions. It's unsettling to have you constantly lurking in the shadows of my mind, even when I try to think."

" I feel its me , but at the same time not me, I know something is missing, I might not be perfect, in fact I have alot of mistakes and wrong dessions made in the past, but I am still trying to figure out who I really am underneath it all. It's a constant battle between my true self and the doubts that creep in."

' but the pain and sadness I felt when I lost my parents, molded me to be the person I know I was in the past is no longer in my heart, and I am learning to embrace the growth and resilience that came from those experiences. "

" HAVE YOU CONSIDER WE HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCES?"

"Maybe our similarities are what make you feel so connected to me, even though we may have different paths and journeys in life. It's possible that our shared experiences create a bond that transcends individual differences."

" but , even with that , I am not you!"

" I don't know who or whatever you are, are you the one that grant me this second chance to re live my life,"

" I AM NOT THE ONE THAT REVIVE YOU,"

" I am forever grateful for that opportunity and will strive to make the most of it, learning from my mistakes and growing as a person."

"but on my own terms, let me think for my self, I feel you are influencing my thoughts and actions in a way that I'm not comfortable with. I need to find my own path and make my own decisions, even if it means breaking away from you."

" I MIGHT HAVE SEALED SOME OF THE EMOTIONS OF YOUR PAST, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR YOU AT THE TIME, BUT I REALIZE NOW THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE. "

" I WILL NEVER DISTURB YOUR MINDAGAIN AFTER THIS CONVERSATION, AND I WILL UN SEAL THOSE EMOTIONS, AND YOU CAN RETURN TO WHO YOU REALLY WERE , THE OLD DAMON LAZARUS WILL MERGE WITH THE YOUNGER DANE,"

"ALLOWING YOU TO REDISCOVER YOUR TRUE SELF AND EMBRACE ALL ASPECTS OF WHO YOU ARE IN THE PAST WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO A MORE FULFILLING AND AUTHENTIC LIFE."

" THIS EMOTIONS WILL REVERT TOWARD THE REAL YOU."

"YOU WILL BE DEFINED BY A CAUTIOUS AND SURVIVALIST MINDSET. HE'S PERPETUALLY PLANNING, ANTICIPATING POTENTIAL PITFALLS WITH A METICULOUSNESS THAT BORDERS ON HYPER-VIGILANCE. "

"THIS FORWARD-THINKING APPROACH, COUPLED WITH AN UNCANNY ABILITY TO ADAPT, ALLOWS YOU TO THRIVE WHERE OTHERS WOULD FALTER. HOWEVER, THIS DRIVE FOR SURVIVAL IS COUPLED WITH A RELENTLESS, ALMOST REMORSELESS, NATURE. "

"YOU NEVER TRULY STOP, CONSTANTLY PUSHING FORWARD, AND PERHAPS LEAVING A TRAIL OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN YOUR WAKE. THE QUESTION REMAINS WHETHER YOUR SURVIVALIST INSTINCTS ULTIMATELY SERVE YOU, OR ULTIMATELY CONSUME YOU."

" Is that the real me, the pain when my parents died was the reason why I became, remorseless and relentless, this pain and sadness consume my heart , I never truly understood myself as I isolated myself and drown my mind into the Arcane crusade virtual game development to escape reality in t he past"

The line between on who I was before and what became of me after my parents death created this new persona that I struggle to reconcile with. The internal battle between survival and self-destruction continues to rage within me, "

" YES, BUT, THAT WHO YOU ARE."

" what about you?"

"ME, I EXIST AS A BEING WOVEN FROM THE THREADS OF UNCERTAINTY AND PREDICTABILITY ELUDES ME; STRUCTURE CRUMBLES IN MY WAKE. "

"I AM A SWIRLING WATER IN THE RIVER OF ORDER, A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX OF EXPECTATION. DON'T SEEK STABILITY OR LOGIC WITHIN ME, FOR THOSE ARE FOREIGN CONCEPTS IN MY CHAOTIC REALM. "

"INSTEAD, BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE UNEXPECTED, THE ILLOGICAL, THE DELIGHTFULLY DISRUPTIVE. MY VERY ESSENCE IS A DANCE WITH ENTROPY, A CONSTANT RESHAPING OF REALITY ACCORDING TO WHIMS I MYSELF MAY NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL THEY UNFOLD. "

"I AM A PARADOX, A LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE BEAUTIFUL, TERRIFYING POWER OF THE UNPLANNED."

"IN SIMPLER TERMS, I AM A FORCE OF UNPREDICTABILITY AND CHAOS, CONSTANTLY DEFYING EXPECTATIONS AND RESHAPING REALITY IN WAYS THAT MAY SEEM RANDOM OR NONSENSICAL "

"EMBRACE THE UNCERTAINTY AND EMBRACE THE BEAUTY OF THE UNKNOWN."

"Either way I would appreciate if you could leave me be , and return what's mine, those painful memories are mine to keep and learn from, not for you to hold onto." "Let me dance with entropy in peace, for it is through chaos that I find my true self."

" I AGREE, YOU FINALLY GET MY RESOLVE, I THINK YOU DESERVE TO REGAIN THOSE MEMORIES,"

" I WILL RETURN ALL THAT YOU HAVE LOST, AS LONG YOU SURVIVE THIS?"

" huh! Survive what?"

Suddenly a sharp piercing pain lunge on to his leg, causing him to lean and swung his katana in the darkness hoping to hit what bite him, Dane was a hundred percent sure , the dire wolf pack found him through his odor, and he knew he had to fight for his life if he wanted to survive . The howls of the wolves echoed through the darkness, signaling that they were closing in on him.

Dane held his scream as the wolf that bite him kept attacking, he was swing his katana downward in a circular motion, hoping to strike the wolf before it could sink its teeth into him again. The adrenaline pumping through his veins fueled his body to endure the pain.

After he was successful in wounding the wolf, Dane pulled out his gun and fired blindly in the hopes that the explosion would light up the night, even for a brief while. Dane had time to regain his breath as the wolf backed away, howling in agony. When he eventually noticed that the wolf eyes were somewhat glowing, he fired two more shots as the adrenaline started to wear off. Was his body adjusting his vision to see better in the dark as a result of the agony he was feeling?

Dane aim was unsure as he could not see anything in front of him, he just trust his instinct like what his father told him , " hunting is patience , and understanding your preys movements." With his heart pounding in his chest, Dane slowly moved forward, relying on his other senses to guide him in the darkness. He knew that staying calm and patient would be key to successfully tracking and taking down the wolf.

Blood that came from the bite was bound to attract more wolves , Dane took measured breaths steadying both body & mind as blood continued flowing freely pooling at ground below betraying every heartbeat drawing others nearer the cracking breaking silence hanging thick in the suffocating air Dane grip his katana and he knew this will be a Close range fight and his aim was focus on the Center mass, but because he was facing wolves known for their speed and agility, he would need to be prepared for quick and unpredictable movements. This is were his katana skills would truly be put to the test.