Part:9 "The Shining Abyss"
The next morning, inside the academy...
The sun had started to rise, but Alan was still deeply asleep in his bed, unconcerned with everything. Suddenly, Kira entered through the window like a small cat, laughing cheerfully.
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Kira (cheerfully): "Wake up, sleepyhead! You've got a lot of celebrating to do!"
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Alan (eyes still closed, turning over in his bed): "Do I though? Or is it just more chaos coming my way?"
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Kira (sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking him): "Come on! You're the first F-ranker to make it to C without lifting a finger! This is historic!"
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Alan (softly, covering his head with a pillow): "Historic… more like tragic."
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Outside, everyone had gathered in the academy courtyard, preparing for more training. But Alan, still submerged in his bed, wasn't ready to leave his room anytime soon.
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Rodrick (passing by Alan's window, shouting from outside): "HEY, Lazy! Get out here! We need your luck!"
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Alan (from inside, replying quietly): "No one needs my luck. They need a real strategy."
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Kira (looking at Alan as he sleeps): "You're the strategy, remember?"
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But, despite everyone's attempts to wake him, Alan decided to sleep a little longer, fully aware that whatever would happen the next day wouldn't be any less crazy.
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Then… suddenly, after a period of silence, a new figure entered the room...
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Lithia (the demoness) appeared on Alan's window, with her black wings and glowing red eyes, smiling in an eerie way.
"Did I interrupt something?"
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Alan (shivering slightly, then pulling the pillow over his face): "Can't you knock? I mean, you're literally breaking and entering..."
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Kira (laughing lightly): "Guess she's not really into that 'rules' thing."
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Lithia (with a mischievous smile): "Rules are for the weak. And I'm not weak, am I?"
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Alan (looking at her over the pillow): "Yeah, we got it. You're not weak. You're just... too much."
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Lithia (laughing bitterly, then flying around the room): "I came to remind you, dear Alan… your luck may not always save you. And when it runs out, you'll be very, very sorry."
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Alan (ready to escape): "Thanks for the warning, but I'd rather not deal with any more bad luck today."
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Then, as Lithia hovered around him with her wings, Alan could feel something strange. The word she had said about "luck" was starting to worry him.
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After that, everyone left the room, and they found themselves facing an unexpected event in the courtyard...
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In the academy courtyard...
The atmosphere was tense as the students gathered, preparing for the challenges of the day. Alan was at the front, forced to participate in a new training session, but he knew it wouldn't go smoothly. Today, he felt like his luck was about to betray him.
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Kira (approaching Alan): "You don't look so confident today, Alan. What happened to the lucky guy I know?"
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Alan (wiping his sweat, giving a nervous smile): "I'm starting to think my luck ran out. Today feels... different."
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Rodrick (from afar, shouting): "Come on, Alan! Show us how it's done! We've got your back!"
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But Alan knew things wouldn't go as expected. From the moment the training began, something strange started to appear. It was like luck had completely abandoned him.
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First Test:
In the first challenge, Alan had to navigate quickly through a field full of moving traps. As he ran, he suddenly felt something heavy slam into his leg. When he looked, he discovered he had fallen into a hidden trap, resulting in a severe cut.
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Alan (yelling loudly): "NOOO!! NOT THE LEG!"
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But after a moment, as usual, his severed leg began regenerating rapidly as Alan tried to wipe the blood off his clothes, seeking some comfort.
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Kira (watching from a distance, laughing): "That's one way to lose a leg... and then get it back. Typical Alan."
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Alan (turning to her, feeling frustrated): "I swear, if this is a sign of things to come, I might just give up."
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Second Test:
Then came the next test, where Alan had to face a strong opponent in hand-to-hand combat. At first, he seemed capable of handling the situation, but then, unexpectedly, his opponent struck him hard in the stomach, tearing part of his body. However, despite this, Alan didn't give up, as his body quickly healed unnaturally, though he tried to hide the pain.
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Alan (standing after his body completely regenerated, breathing heavily): "Great... just great. I get my intestines ripped out, and then they grow back like nothing happened."
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Rodrick (in a worried tone): "Alan! Don't overdo it! You're pushing yourself too hard!"
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But Alan had no choice. The fight was ongoing, and he had to fight if he wanted to win or even survive.
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Third Test:
The battle reached its climax when he had to climb a tower covered with dangers and traps. As he climbed, he suddenly felt something stick to his hand, only to discover later that his hand had been torn by a sharp edge. However, his hand started regenerating quickly, as if nothing had happened.
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Alan (bitterly laughing, trying to hold on to the wall): "Why is this happening to me? Why do I always end up being the test subject for bad luck?"
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Kira (laughing behind him): "Because you're Alan. And nothing can keep you down for long!"
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Rodrick (watching closely): "Let's just hope your regeneration keeps up with your bad decisions."
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As the battle continued, Alan began to realize that, despite everything happening to him, he was ultimately surviving thanks to his regeneration ability. But each time, he returned weaker, feeling as if luck was testing him more than ever before.
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And in the end, when the battle was over, Alan stood victorious, despite his torn and battered body.
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Alan (wiping his bloodied face with a bitter smile): "Guess I'm lucky after all, huh?"
While Alan stood in the middle of the battlefield, battered from numerous wounds but smiling proudly despite it all, he raised his hand into the air as if celebrating the end of this exhausting nightmare.
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Alan (smiling despite the wounds): "I did it! I'm still standing! Let's celebrate this—if I can still move!"
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As he raised his hand high into the air, he suddenly felt something enormous wrapping around him. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he found himself surrounded by thick clouds of raging winds.
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Alan (in shock): "Wait... What's happening?! What is that—?!"
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At the moment he screamed, he heard a mighty sound approaching, followed by a series of gusts that made the place feel like it was collapsing. Then, something massive appeared in the sky in front of him.
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Kira (looking up in astonishment): "Is that a... dragon?"
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Suddenly, a giant dragon appeared soaring through the sky, surrounded by a glow of fire and smoke. Its eyes glowed red, and the ground shook under its powerful wings. But what astonished everyone the most was that it was heading directly towards Alan.
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Rodrick (shouting): "ALAN! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
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But before he could give him any chance to move, the dragon lunged at him swiftly, lifting him into the sky with rapid strides.
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Alan (screaming as the dragon flew him away): "WHAT IS THIS?! WHY IS IT CARRYING ME?! I JUST WON!"
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But the dragon didn't care about his screams, continuing to soar at an incredible speed through the sky, leaving the academy behind as Alan dangled from its mouth, held tightly as if this was part of his fate.
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Kira (watching in awe): "Is he... going to be okay?"
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Rodrick (calmly watching): "If anyone can survive this, it's Alan. But I have a feeling this isn't the end of his troubles."
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As Alan flew through the sky, he felt his body shaking from the force of the wind, but he knew that, despite everything, he would return to fight again. However, he had no idea what awaited him in that next moment.
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Alan (trying to catch his breath in the accelerating air): "...So much for being lucky, huh? What kind of test is this now?"
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As Alan flew through the sky, the giant dragon surrounded him, and the faster they went, the closer he felt to his end. He felt the ground pulling away from him faster, and he might meet the fate usually found in stories; yet, he was not ready to accept that.
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Alan (thinking quickly to himself): "Wait... there has to be a way out of this... there's always a way out. Think, Alan, THINK!"
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Yet, as his thoughts raced, he noticed that the dragon was gripping him tightly by his foot, seemingly attempting to carry him toward the unknown. At that moment, an unbelievable idea struck him... an incredibly stupid idea, but it was all he had.
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Alan (whispering to himself): "Alright, if I cut off my foot, I'll fall and regenerate! Easy, right?"
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Alan grabbed his sword with all his might, staring at his foot trapped between the dragon's jaws. He sighed deeply, ready to execute the craziest plan of his life.
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Alan (voice trembling): "Here goes nothing..."
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Then, with all his strength, he struck his foot with the sword. The blade passed through skin and bone, and in an instant of intense pain, Alan felt his foot completely severed. At that moment, he felt something strange—as if the world had paused for a moment. And when he looked at his severed leg, new cells began to sprout at an unbelievable speed. His new leg began to regenerate, and tissues formed rapidly, but the pain was unbearable.
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Alan (screaming in agony): "AAAHHH!! THIS IS... THIS IS AWFUL! I CAN'T FEEL MY LEG... OH GOD!"
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But the pain was worse than ever. Despite his ability to regenerate, this fall was not easy at all. Gravity was stronger than his body could handle, and the speed of the fall made the pain something impossible to ignore.
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Kira (shouting from below): "Alan, NO! What are you doing?! You're insane!"
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Despite the excruciating pain tearing through him, Alan insisted on staying alive. As his leg regenerated quickly, he felt a deeper pain, far stronger than anything he had faced in his previous battles.
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But as he fell from the sky, his body began to regenerate again in a terrifying way. His leg reformed, the wounds healed faster, but he still screamed in pain.
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Alan (falling through the air, in a daze): "Maybe I shouldn't have tried that... I... CAN'T FEEL MY LEG!"
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Then, at the last moment, he crashed to the ground violently, tumbling across the earth from the force of the fall. When he finally settled, he looked at his newly healed leg, breathing heavily.
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Alan (breathing deeply, trying to catch his breath): "Well... that was… dumb. Never again..."
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To be continued...