I couldn't hold on to my awareness much longer. The world was fading, and all that I could truly perceived was pounding of my heart and the constant System notifications

  -Warning! You're taking heavy damage! Either finish or escape combat to recover!-

  -Condition: Lightly injured - Injured-

  -Condition: Injured - Moderately injured-

  -Condition: Moderately injured - Severely injured-

  -Condition: Severely Injured - Severely injured-

  "I'm really going to die here..." The words came out almost in a sob. I was going to die because I couldn’t catch the hint. The last thing my ears heard was the swishing of wind, five thuds almost at the same time, and "Dumb kid."

  _____________________________________

  -?'s Perspective-

  A slight and agile silhouette stood in a tree, high above the Wastes Boundary. She surveyed the forest before her.

  “This is the correct time, yes?” She muffled, from under several scarves. Fidgeting with a timepiece, back and forth, over and over, she complained once more.

  “Thankfully we’re not close to a monster wave this year, but Systems Above am I bored. It should be now, right?”

  Her eyes changed position to watch the plains between the Wastes Boundary and Tundras Kiss. Finally, she saw a small form darting for the woods. She flattened herself to the tree to stay hidden, waiting for him to enter the boundary.

  “At least you’re predictable. I’ll follow you for now, I saved you too early last time.”

  ______________________________________

  ? had been following him for the past 10 minutes and she was starting to really think he was an idiot. He didn't have any Cards channeled and ready to cast if a monster showed up, and he managed to piss off every Mound Bunny in the area. Careful not to be noticed, she took out about 12 Mound Bunnies before he finally made his first contact.

  He was obviously angry, since he hadn't seen a single beast or monster the whole time he was going through the woods, thanks to her interventions, he just happened to kick a Mound Bunnies snow hovel instantly gaining aggro. Instead of springing to help, she watched it play out, the look of fear that formed on his face.

  He was obviously angry, not having seen a single beast or monster the whole time since entering the woods, thanks to her machinations. On his own, though, he stumbled right into a Mound Bunny hovel, gaining instant aggro. Instead of leaping to help him, she watched how this would play out, curious where the fear striking his face would take his instincts.

  "Finally he's trying to cast a Card," she observed, watching to see how this would go.

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  The Card miscast, and then everything went to hell. He panicked and started running, angering another 4 Bunnies of which she only took out one.

  "I can save him easily from 5, but he really needs this lesson." Without regret, she watched them beat him to an inch of his life before rushing in to save him.

  "Dumb kid," she said with a click of her tongue. "Let's get you home."

  ______________________________________________

  For seemingly the third time today, I flew awake in a rushed panic, just to slam my head against the ceiling once more.

  "Shit.." I hissed under my breath, laying my head back against the pillow. 'What the hell happened, how am I alive? Was that all a dream?'

  -Condition: Critical!-

  -Combat ended! Exp earned: 1

  --Congratulations!, you've survived your first combat. Maybe look before leaping next time!--

  -Warning! You are bleeding! If the bleeding isn't stopped in the next hour you will die!-

  -? Has invited you to their party! Accept Y/N?-

  --Due to being unconscious, no hostile intent, and in critical condition, consent waived in favor of survival-

  ---You've joined ?'s Party---

  Without prompting, the System started to catch me up on how truly close I was to death. What surprised me the most was that someone had saved me from my untimely fate, and there were still more messages to go through.

  'I should learn if I can adjust these to be accumulative updates. Let's look at the older messages first'

  -Combat Initiated-

  -- Ice Blade cast, -0 --

  ---Spell Misfire, unable to complete cast---

  'So it did misfire, but I feel like I was missing something when I cast it'

  --You've been Struck By Mound Bunnie lvl.3 x23 --

  'Oh? The System seemed to have been listening to my complaints about walls of text.’

  -Condition: Healthy -> Moderately Injured-

  -Aggro grabbed, Mound Bunnies x7-

  "But, there were only 5, was my savior watching me?" Still confused, I checked the last of the notifications that came after I passed out.

  ? Casts light as a feather, weight lowered by 25% for 10 minutes, movement speed increased by 15% for 10 minutes.

  -Warning! Moving faster than current Tier can handle! Bleeding status increased to Heavy Bleeding, find medical attention in the next 30 minutes or you will die!-

  'That one's not concerning at all, saved me and almost killed me right after.'

  -Brimiri Casts Joyous recovery, Condition raised from Critical -> Lightly injured-

  -Brimiri Casts travelers chronicle, your recent past has been read!-

  "Oh, she's gonna be pissed when she sees I'm awake." I groaned and started to roll over just to make eye contact with Brimiri sitting at my Desk patiently watching me, I swallowed hard.

  "Well look who's awake, again?" The flat look and thin smile told me everything I needed to know, I'd screwed up and made the one person who still worries for me worry harder. Worst of all, I think I betrayed her trust and made her use abilities that strain her immensely.

  "I knew you’d wake up soon enough. When I found you laid out on the front step of the Cathedral bleeding out, I didn't know what I would do with myself!" Her voice was starting to raise from a soft tone as her words went on.

  "Not only did you not follow instructions to awaken your starter pack or Essence in the main Cathedral hall, but you went out and tried to get yourself killed!" By the end she was on her feet and pretty much shouting at me.

  As Brimiri started to lecture me, I crawled out of bed and sat on my legs on the floor, hands on my knees, and my head bowed. Every word that came out of Brimiri's mouth stung more than the last, over the years she'd never felt the need to yell or shout at me, even with all my antics. I waited for Brimiri to speak her piece, took the time to listen to it before I responded.

  "I'm sorry," my word hitched in my throat "..I'm sorry Brimiri." Tears I didn't know were there started to flow and fall unbidden as I continued "It felt like a dream, all of it did, and I started treating it as a game, I’m so so sorry."

  Everything that happened since I woke up started to replay in my mind, colored with my new realizations, 'I'm really an idiot to not start catching on with the first jolt against the ceiling.'

  Since waking up in Detlmar, I hadn't taken a single thing seriously. I even willingly walked myself into an incredibly dangerous situation for where I am. After a time my eyes finally raised to meet Brimiri's again, tears were in her eyes too but they wouldn't fall.

  "At least you seem to have learned your lesson properly," was all I heard before her arms were around me and my sobs started back up. I didn't know how long we'd been there truly, but we were there at least long enough for me to soak one of Brimiri's shoulders.

  "There, there" she patted my back the whole time.