Chương 11: Time Lost

Joe felt like he had been slapped. Two years? How was that possible? He saw no reason to doubt Sarah, but the idea was staggering. How could that have happened? How had they lost so much time? Leaning back on the couch, he stirred a cloud of dust that billowed up around him. Feeling the egg press against his back, he sat forward again quickly. The egg gently shook against him. He peered over his shoulder at it. Was it trying to communicate with him?

That thought passed through his mind, but he quickly turned back as Kai spoke up.

"Two Years? Are you sure?" Kai asked.

"We were only inside the Gate for two months. Then, when we came out, everything was destroyed." Sarah stared at Kai. Did she believe what he said? Joe couldn't tell.

"I'm very sure," Sarah said firmly. Then, turning to Joe, she asked.

"You're Joseph, right?"

"Yes, sorry, I know we've only met once before," Joe replied Sarah shook her head.

"Why do you both look so different?" Sarah asked, her gaze flicking between them.

"And why do you both look so… healthy?" Joe recalled how much their appearances had changed when their race grades evolved. Before he could respond, Sarah waved the question away.

"Never mind. That's not important right now. I don't know where you've been or how you got here at such low levels, but it's not safe in London. We must leave; we are very close to the Lion's territory." Joe paused for a moment. Did she know their levels? Then he remembered the skill Identify. He looked at Sarah and activated it. Identify: Sarah, Human, Warrior level 28 Joe noted her level, twenty-eight. He was surprised it was so low, considering she claimed almost two years had passed.

He was already level nine, just from killing some wolves on the way here. As his thoughts ticked over, he began to wonder what could have caused them to lose two years. Did time move differently inside the Bloodline Gate? Was two months in there equal to two years outside? He had no answers, but it was the only explanation he could think of, unless Sarah was wrong.

"Kai, are you okay?" Sarah asked, her voice full of concern.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in," Kai replied, burying his face in his hands. Joe leaned forward.

"Sarah, this is going to sound crazy, but bear with me for a minute, okay? Kai and I aren't lying. To us, it's only been two months since the gates appeared. And we were stuck inside one, the entire time. We have no idea what has happened over the last two years." He paused, watching her reaction. She nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful but cautious.

"One more thing," Joe continued.

"We… kind of killed an Alpha Savage Lion when we came out. I got a quest saying it was a Gate Boss Beast. Is that the Lion you were talking about?" Sarah's eyes widened.

"What?" she said, shaking her head.

"I believe you about the gate. It would explain your low levels, but killing one of the Gate Beasts? The one that's killed thousands of people?" She looked at Joe, incredulous.

"Please don't joke about something like that." Joe glanced at Kai, then back at Sarah.

"Okay, sorry," he said quickly, not wanting to push the subject further. He could see she wasn't ready to believe him, and pressing the issue wouldn't help. Still, the conversation left Joe with more questions than answers. The quest had said one out of one hundred. Could it be that they were the first to kill a boss Beast? That didn't seem possible. In two years, someone must have defeated at least one Gate boss. Surely, he thought.

"Like I said before, it's not exactly safe here, so we should go," Sarah urged.

"Where are you going? Is there somewhere safe nearby?" Kai asked.

"I came from a camp eight miles north of here. A group of Divers runs it. If we go there, we'll be safe." Sarah hesitated, her voice trembling slightly.

"I came here… with a friend. But… he died." A tear slid down her cheek as she looked away.

"I don't know if we can make it without him. The journey will be dangerous." Joe could see the pain in her eyes. He wanted to show more compassion, but he still had so many questions he wanted to ask.

"Is that where my parents are?" Kai asked.

"No," Sarah said, shaking her head.

"They went up further north to Hertford. There is the main camp where most survivors from London are."

"Why didn't you go to that camp?" Kai asked.

"I stayed behind with some friends who wanted to help guide others," Sarah replied.

"Then we met the Divers, and we've been with them ever since."

"What is a Diver?" Joe interjected, curiosity piqued. Sarah gave him a tired look.

"Right, you don't know anything," she said.

"Divers are the survivors from the Tutorial gates. They are the strongest people around and are the ones who can kill the Beasts and keep areas safe." Joe mulled over the term. Divers? That name sounded pretty lame to him. He hoped no one would ever start calling him a Diver.

"I know you have questions. We should go soon," Sarah walked over to her bag and pulled out a water bottle. She took a long sip, then offered the pair some. Kai took a sip happily, but Joe decided this was a good time to address something that was irritating him to no end.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked.

"What? Oh… I had a small bit of bread yesterday. Why? Do you guys have food on you?" For the first time, Joe saw a slight sparkle in Sarah's eye as she spoke.

"Even better, I'm going to borrow your kitchen and cook something up real quick," Joe stood and strode from the room, entering the kitchen. Sarah stood, mouth hanging open, unsure what was going on. Kai sighed but placed a gentle hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"He has a magical stove. The food is delicious, though." Kai gently pushed a confused Sarah into the kitchen after Joe. Joe set up the stove on a cleared countertop, giving it a quick wipe to remove the dust, and pulled a plate from one of the overhead cabinets. Two large slabs of meat floated above his magical stove, sizzling as they browned. The rich aroma filled the air, bringing a small smile to his face. His gaze shifted to Sarah, staring at the scene with wide-eyed confusion.

In just three minutes, the meat was fully cooked. Joe handed her a plate with the two steaming pieces of wolf meat. She didn't hesitate. Sitting at the nearby table, she began shovelling the food into her mouth without a word.

"Oh, msa gaod. Ths iiss amamazif," She mumbled through mouthfuls. Kai sat beside her while Joe stood by the counter, his attention flicking to his mini-map. Two dots had appeared, moving toward them along his grassy trail. They were still far enough away that he wasn't concerned, yet. Turning back to the table, he watched Sarah. Her pale, gaunt face seemed to regain a bit of colour as she ate. She glanced up at him briefly, her eyes wandering to the large bag on his back before returning to her plate.

He chuckled, realizing how odd he must look, walking around with a large red egg strapped to him. After she had finished eating, her demeanour noticeably shifted. She looked less stressed, though the sadness in her eyes hadn't entirely faded.

"Thank you," she said simply. Joe waved a hand dismissively.

"It was nothing. I have plenty of meat." She gave him a questioning look but said nothing. The two dots from earlier had just arrived on the street outside, not far from the house.

"Kai," Joe said.

"Two wolves outside, heading this way. I'm going to deal with them quickly." He turned to Sarah.

"Come watch." Sarah's eyes widened in panic as Joe walked out the front door.

"What is he doing? How does he even know there are wolves outside?" she asked, her voice filled with fear.

"You should go see for yourself," Kai replied calmly. He knew Joe's personality and wasn't surprised by his actions. He also knew that showing Sarah how easily Joe could handle the wolves might help her understand that her worry, at least about these Beasts, was unnecessary. Kai led the way outside, with Sarah reluctantly following behind, her steps hesitant and filled with unease. Joe glanced back and saw Kai and Sarah standing in the doorway. He sighed and turned his focus to the pack of wolves ahead.

Only two wolves had initially been walking on the grass, but now there were far more. The dots had appeared on his mini-map as soon as he exited the house. He counted six wolves in sight, but unease gnawed at him. Something felt off. He pulled out his Quarterstaff and activated Mana-Coating, the familiar feeling spreading over him and across his staff. He waited for the first wolf to make its move, and he didn't have to wait long.

Two wolves leapt at him simultaneously, mouths wide open, saliva dripping from their snarling jaws. He heard Sarah gasp behind him, but didn't let it distract him. With fluid grace, he swung his quarterstaff, bringing it down in a high-to-low arc. The first wolf's head separated cleanly from its body, and blood sprayed in a gruesome arc. Not breaking momentum, he rotated his body and turned the next strike into a powerful left-to-right sweep.

The staff smashed into the temple of the second wolf, shattering its skull and slicing cleanly through. Blood splattered sideways in a grotesque trail. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. System Message You have slain Wolf Level 22 You have slain Wolf Level 22 Joe marvelled at how effortlessly his body moved. The skill Diabolical Quarterstaffmanship made him feel like his mind had been imprinted with the techniques of a master combat specialist.

He could replicate every motion perfectly without needing to train. The remaining four wolves in his line of sight charged him together, showing no hesitation despite the swift deaths of their packmates. Joe wondered if these Beasts even understood the concept of fear. Their relentless aggression suggested they didn't. He raised his quarterstaff once more and, with a smooth upward-to-down motion, decapitated another wolf.

As another wolf lunged at him, its jaws snapping dangerously close, he stepped back just in time to avoid the attack. Instead of using his staff, he punched the wolf square in the gut as it passed. The force of the blow sent it tumbling into one of the wolves on his left, buying Joe enough time to sweep his staff to the right, crushing the skull of another wolf with a single decisive strike. He ducked quickly as yet another wolf leapt toward his throat.

Its jaws snapped shut on the space where his neck had been moments before. He tilted his staff toward the attacking wolf, jabbing the end into the underside of its jaw. The force knocked it unconscious, its momentum carrying it off to the side. That's when Joe noticed that this wolf had been hiding, likely waiting for the right moment to ambush him. If his reflexes weren't as fast, thanks to his skill, it might have succeeded. Holding his quarterstaff made him feel invincible.

Every defensive movement came instinctively, as though his body knew exactly how to react without hesitation. He felt like a cheat character in a game, an overpowered player sweeping through enemies with ease. A small smile tugged at his lips as he strode toward the unconscious wolf and delivered a swift, killing blow to its head. System Message You have slain Wolf Level 23 He was a little surprised at how calm he felt. A day ago, he had never killed a living being.

But now, he was dispatching wolves every ten minutes without a second thought. Maybe I've become a monster, he thought, though the idea didn't bother him as much as it probably should have. He glanced back at the two wolves that had collided earlier. Both were getting to their feet, but the one he had punched was limping badly. He noted with some satisfaction how strong his Mana-Coating made his punches. He kept it up, trying to avoid getting himself covered in even more blood, like what had happened with the Lion.

When they'd reached the River Thames, he'd cleaned off as much as he could, but his clothes still looked like they'd been dipped in red dye. At least his cloak, looted from the Lion, seemed to have a self-cleaning function. Blood simply slid off it without staining. Joe approached the two wolves, and as expected, the uninjured one lunged at him, jaws snapping. He sliced its head clean off with a sidestep and a smooth downward strike.

Blood splattered toward him, but he had Mana-Coating active, so it started to slide from him immediately. He thought it was a very wise idea to keep the skill active at all times while he fought. That would be the best way to keep himself relatively clean. The limping wolf didn't last long, falling quickly to a clean strike. System Message You have slain Wolf Level 22 You have slain Wolf Level 24 Joe turned toward the last wolf. It stood in the shadows of a nearby house, staring at him. Something about it was off.

Unlike the others, this one wasn't charging blindly at him. It was observing him. He hesitated, then used Identify. Identify: Pack Leader Wolf level 33 This was the highest-level wolf he had encountered so far, and its more detailed name made him cautious. It wasn't like the others. This wolf was a few inches taller, its posture more confident, and its eyes sharper, almost calculating. As it approached with its head low and snarling, Joe tightened his grip on the quarterstaff.

"That's a pack leader!" Sarah shouted from his right.

"Be careful, it's a lot…" She didn't get to finish her warning. The wolf abruptly changed course, sprinting toward Sarah and Kai instead.

"No!" Joe shouted, panic flooding through him. He sprinted forward, trying to intercept the wolf, but it moved fast, too fast. He realized with dread that he wasn't going to reach it in time. Desperation clawed at him as he raised his quarterstaff, preparing to throw it like a spear. But then, a sudden thought struck him. He had a skill he hadn't used yet. Skill Nature's Steps(Magic) - As Nature's Custodian, it is your job to protect everything you deem worthy of your attention.

You not only promote growth wherever you go, but you also have the ability to trace your steps. With blinding speed, as long as at least one of your feet touches the grass around you, you can move to any other spot of grass in your line of sight. May your enemies never choose to fight you in Nature. For they will soon realise your steps can not be traced or stopped. Joe moved so fast it looked like he had teleported, crossing forty metres to stand on the patch of grass in front of Sarah's house.

The wolf's eyes widened in shock at his sudden appearance, but Joe gave it no chance to react. With all his strength, he swung his staff, aiming for the beast's neck. He expected the strike to decapitate it, as he had done so many times before with the lower-level wolves. This time, however, his staff met a neck far more resilient. The blow didn't slice through but instead landed with a sickening crack, breaking the wolf's neck. The Pack Leader crashed to the ground under the force of the strike.

Joe raised his staff and delivered one final blow, crushing the beast's skull. System Message You have slain Pack Leader Wolf Level 33 Ding! Class Farmer has reached level 10 - stat points distributed Congratulations, you have reached level 10, Skill Seeds Will Grow(Magic) Obtained. You have reached the level cap of levels achieved per 24 hours. You have lost experience. You cannot gain experience for 10 hours, 12 minutes, and 21 seconds.

"Twenty-four-hour level cap? What kind of crap is that?!" Joe shouted in dismay. He truly hated this system. The idea of losing experience because of an arbitrary cap made his blood boil. He couldn't gain any experience for the next ten hours. Distraught, he didn't even think to check the details of his new skill.

"Kai! I'll loot these guys. You two okay?" he called out, trying to focus on something else. Kai and Sarah stood frozen in shock, staring at Joe as he methodically looted the bodies of the fallen wolves. The silence stretched until Sarah finally regained her senses and spoke.

"How did you do that?" She asked, her voice filled with awe. Joe paused for a moment, suppressing a grin. He could imagine how watching someone so effortlessly dispatch a pack of wolves clearly impressed her. If most people were as weak as she seemed to be, it might explain the constantly decreasing survival number on his quest. Did I just think of her as weak? Joe tried to push that thought away.

"I got some lucky skills that made me strong," he said casually.

"You teleported. That was amazing. I thought we were dead," Sarah said, her words tumbling out in disbelief. Joe hesitated for a moment.

"It wasn't quite a teleport," he explained.

"I just moved really, really fast."

"Wow."

"Hakeem was right. You have too many OP skills, you monster," Kai added with a shake of his head. Joe brushed off the comment.

"Anyway, I just got a new skill at level ten; let's go inside for a moment, and then we can head to this camp. Sound good? Or are you still worried?" He didn't wait for her response, turning on his heel and walking back into the house. He didn't mean to be so dramatic, but his frustration with the system's unfair restrictions still simmered beneath the surface. Kai glanced at Sarah, who was staring at Joe's retreating figure with wide eyes.

"Ignore him; he's weird," Kai said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Sarah mumbled, still processing everything.

"How did he make the bodies disappear?" __ Sarah stared at Kai as she sat on the chair opposite him. He was explaining something about a skill that allowed them to loot the wolves they killed. She barely heard a word he said, her mind still reeling from everything she'd just witnessed. Joe's fighting had been unlike anything she'd ever seen. He had been entirely in control, moving gracefully and precisely as if the battle had been choreographed. It wasn't a fight, it was a demonstration.

And he hadn't even gotten a single scratch. But it wasn't just Joe occupying her thoughts. She couldn't stop noticing how different Kai looked now. Why was he so handsome all of a sudden? He was taller, more muscular, and even carried himself differently than he had before. The thick beard covering his face gave him a rugged, almost heroic appearance, one she couldn't reconcile with the Kai she remembered. It didn't make sense to her. How had this happened? She grimaced at her appearance, looking haggard and gaunt.

She had lost so much weight in the past six months. But that meal Joe had fed her might be the single most delicious thing she had ever eaten. Her body felt full of life and energy. She no longer doubted if she had the strength to return to camp. She felt like she could run a marathon right now. Her gaze shifted briefly to Joe, who had only left a vague impression on her when they met before. Even so, she could tell he looked even more drastically different from Kai.

She remembered photos of them from social media, neither unattractive but far from what she saw now. Now, they looked like characters pulled straight out of a fantasy novel. It was overwhelming, but she felt herself being swept along. Whatever these two suggested from here on out, she thought she had no choice but to follow. The weight of losing a close friend, though still present, was temporarily pushed to the back of her mind.

Today's events were so extraordinary that they left no room for sorrow, only confusion and awe. For the first time in over a year, she felt a spark of hope blossom within her. __ Joe sat on the couch, patting his egg absentmindedly as he reviewed his new skill. Seeds Will Grow(Magic) - As a farmer, you excel at making plants grow. With a touch, you can plant and make a seed grow. The current list of seeds can be accessed from your new interface tab, farming. You can learn new seeds to plant by studying. He frowned.

He wasn't sure what to make of this skill. The ability to plant and grow seeds sounded practical; he could feed the hungry, which was a good thing. Right? Still, he couldn't help feeling disappointed. It lacked the immediate impact or excitement of a combat-oriented skill. Curious, he opened his new farming tab on his status to check the list of seeds he could grow. Farming Tab: Seeds: The following seeds are currently available: Vines, Wheat, Rice, Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Persimmons. Joe sighed heavily.

"I hate this class," he complained under his breath.

"Get a good farming skill?" Kai asked, glancing over at him.

"Seeds, I have a skill to plant seeds…" Joe grumbled.

"Your Class is Farmer?" Sarah asked, her surprise evident.

"But you were amazing at fighting those Wolves. Were you a Martial Artist before the tutorial started?"

"No," Joe replied.

"I got the quarterstaff and skill when I became a Farmer."

"Oh," Sarah said, her tone thoughtful. She now wore a backpack with a sword strapped to her hip in a leather sheath.

"Well, whatever it is, it works," she added.

"The only people I've seen as strong as you are some of the best Divers in the camp." Joe stood up and pulled his egg onto his shoulders. Sarah gave him a strange look, opening her mouth as if to say something, but she seemed to think better of it. Instead, she turned toward the door.

"We should go; it's a long walk," Sarah said. The three of them had been walking for about five minutes when Kai stopped suddenly, staring straight ahead. Joe recognized that look immediately and felt a knot of worry tighten in his chest.

"What happened?" Sarah asked, glancing between them.

"I got a new quest," Kai said, his voice tense.

"A quest? What do you mean by a quest?" Sarah asked, confusion etched on her face.

"You haven't been given a quest before?" Joe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Sarah said, turning toward him.

"Have you?"

"Yes, I got one when I… killed some big beasts." He almost said "lion" but caught himself.

"Fuck!" Kai exclaimed suddenly, snapping their attention back to him.

"We have a big problem," He turned to Joe, his expression grim.

"What is it?" Joe asked hesitantly.

"I just got an emergency quest for my Class. It has a timer, it's counting down from one hour," Kai said.

"That's not a lot of time. What does the quest say you have to do?" Kai's face darkened.

"It's a lot. The quest is called City Building: Claim what is yours. It's something…" Joe stopped listening.