When Jason appeared back in his apartment, he was surprised to find it much cleaner. Katie was doing the dishes and turned to look at him as he returned.

  “Your back! You were telling the truth. It sounds absurd, but you really are being summoned to another world.” Katie said, eyes wide. “Tell me what happened.”

  Jason rubbed the back of his head. “Well, it wasn’t all that exciting. My summoner had me fight a skeleton.” Katie moved to stand in front of him. “You look different, like more muscular and maybe taller.”

  “Oh yeah, I was leveled up. The squirrel wants me to be really strong. The squirrel also has this rabbit that can use healing magic.”

  “Wait! Did you say rabbit?”

  “Yes, there is this small white rabbit that likes to eat shrooms and has the ability to not only heal but buff me as well.”

  Katie’s eyes bulged. “Really, I wish I could go to another world.”

  “Ive died several times. It is definitely not a nice place.”

  “I selected yes to go, but I was just too late.” Katie said as she looked away.

  Jason was about to say something when he was engulfed in a green light. “Looks like I gotta go fight a boss.” Jason said with just a hint of a smile on his face.

  “Okay,” the squirrel said in a somber tone. “This guy is the guardian to the boss room and is no joke. He is a level ten knight.”

  The next moment, a golden glow surrounded Jason and strength filled him like nothing he had ever felt before. “Do try and not die.”

  With that, Jason moved forward slowly. He knew the skeleton wouldn’t even register his presence till he stepped onto the stairs. Stopping right before the stairs, he looked over his opponent.

  He wasn’t sure how the squirrel knew its level and that it was a knight. But the skeleton looked like a knight. And that huge black sword. Jason’s eyes lingered on the sword. He would need to avoid getting hit by that at all costs.

  He wished he would have taken that shield from the last skeleton. Though that sword would likely break his arm if he tried to block despite his newfound strength.

  Stepping on to the stairs, the skeletal knight immediately turned to look at him. It then raised its enormous sword as if to block an incoming attack.

  Jason thought the gesture was odd till a beam of golden light slammed into the sword and dissipated.

  The next moment, the skeleton started running at Jason while dragging the tip of the sword on the ground behind. “Okay, let’s do this!”

  Jason took off towards the skeleton, mace in hand. Right before the skeletal knight reached him, it came to a complete stop while swinging its sword over head.

  Time seemed to slow down as Jason watched the sword that was at least as tall as him come crashing down onto his shoulder, smashing him into the ground instantly.

  Then there was nothing but an empty void as far as he could see. Nothing even seemed to exist in this place, aside from the words that floated in front of him.

  You Died

  No sooner than he read the words he was standing back in his apartment.

  “Oh, you’re back!” Katie said as she ran over.

  He thought she was going to hug him, but stopped just before doing so and just stood in front of him awkwardly before speaking again. “You were gone for a while that time. Does it normally take you that long?”

  “It wasn’t any longer than normal. Although that time I died,” Jason said, while looking around. His apartment was impeccably clean. It seemed like forever ago when it looked this nice. Before he had a chance to comment on how nice it was, Katie’s eyes widened.

  “You died? What happens when you die?”

  “Uhh nothing. Well, other than losing some sort of points. At least that’s what my summoner said.”

  “There are no consequences at all?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I just come straight back here. Maybe I just haven’t died enough times to trigger it. How long was I got for?”

  “Three days.”

  “Three days? Seriously!” Jason said, eyes wide. If that was the case, did that mean the squirrel was dead now? Surely he would have summoned him back before three days. Or maybe time warped when he died or something.

  Strangely enough, he didn’t want the squirrel to die. He liked the idea of leveling up, even if he didn’t get to choose the way he got stronger. He was hoping to get that sword the skeleton had.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Umm, so. I had been eating your food… and there wasn’t much here. And I have cleaned everything like you asked.”

  “Okay awesome. There is some cash in the middle drawer dresser in side a sock. You can just get whatever you think I need. If you prefer a card, then I…”

  Green light surrounded Jason. “Just buy whatever food you want,” Jason yelled out before he vanished.

  Jason appeared right behind the skeletal knight as it swung its enormous sword down at the rabbit. The rabbit moved so quick the skeleton didn’t even get close, but it looked scared to death. Somehow, the skeletal knight’s health was down to nearly half.

  “Attack it.” The squirrel said. Jason had no idea where the squirrel was, but he didn’t hesitate. The damned skeleton had killed him once already.

  Running up behind the skeleton, he swung his mace as hard as he could at the skeleton’s armored head. The skeletal knight stumbled forwards but didn’t fall.

  Jason swung twice more with all the strength he could muster. This caused the knight to stagger. He went to swing again, but his green bar bottomed out and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

  An overwhelming sense of dizziness nearly caused Jason to collapse to the ground.

  The knight, still off balance, swung its sword in a backward arc, catching Jason with just the tip of the blade.

  This glancing blow took nearly all his health and sent him flying back like a rag doll.

  “You have to be kidding me!” The squirrel said. “Ben, can you heal him?”

  A golden light surrounded Jason and his pain addled mind slowly began to lessen. Then the enormous sword slammed on top of him.

  You Died

  Jason looked around, eyes wide. He was in some sort of empty void. He felt as he had been here before. There was also this odd sensation that someone or something was looking at him.

  “Hello?” Jason said.

  The next moment, he was standing back in his apartment. He had expected to see Katie.

  “Katie? Are you here?”

  His first thought was that she had decided she didn’t want to be here. He couldn’t blame her. He kinda just randomly offered her this job. It was also possible she had just taken his sock money and made a run for it.

  There was a couple thousand in the sock. Sighing, he walked to the fridge and grabbed the first thing in sight.

  After stuffing his face with some left over pepperoni pizza, he grabbed a plate and loaded up a few more slices. Carrying his food over to the table, he noticed a note. If not for his apartment being so clean, he would have missed it.

  Jason, it has been several days. I’m going to go check on my dad. There is food in the fridge. I’ll be back soon.

  “Shit.” Jason headed for the door only to be engulfed in a green light.

  I was irritated, to say the least. I couldn’t do anything to help fight and my familiar kept dying. All I could do was crawl around on the ceiling and distract the knight from time to time. Ben would run back across the path to rest from shooting heals at it. Then I would distract the skeleton so he could run back across.

  I felt useless even my yellow bar couldn’t help. All it could do was slow time. Which would be useful if I could do any sort of damage. But it was just a waste. I couldn’t do anything.

  Luckily heals did damage to the undead. And Ben was able to whittle its health down while waiting on the thirty minute cool down for me to summon Jason.

  As soon as Jason appeared, I gave him orders.

  “Attack, and pay attention to your stamina bar.”

  Jason took off. I hoped he could kill it this time. Level ten was just ridiculous. Or maybe it was the armor the knight had.

  Jason whacked the knight on the head twice before he backed up. I knew one hit could kill him, so I told him to run up the stairs.

  Ben started shooting heals at the knight again, which drew the aggro. We had talked about this, but we weren’t sure if it would work. Ben darted back across the path while Jason came up from behind and hit it in the head with his mace.

  Once its back was turned, Ben shot heals at it while I ordered Jason to back up.

  The knight would turn to chase Jason and Ben would attack it, causing the knight to turn and move towards Ben on the narrow path. Then Jason would attack it, causing the knight to turn and face him.

  All I could do was watch and order my familiar around. I had hoped the knight would have chased Ben across the path and get hit by the axes but no such luck. Also, how did it even get up here?

  I couldn’t wait till I gained access to ice magic. I felt so useless.

  A few more times of Jason hitting it with his mace and Ben hitting it with his arrows, the flitter sticking knight finally died.

  Skeletal Knight level 10, defeated.

  1399 essence obtained.

  Would you like to split this essence with your familiar Yes/No?

  Would you like to give all this essence to your familiar Yes/No?

  This was by far the largest amount of essence I have received yet, but in my opinion, it wasn’t nearly enough. Though I was unsure how it was split or how much Ben received, as he had done most of the damage.

  Sighing, I selected to split the essence. It would be enough for me to reach another level along with my familiar. Especially since my familiar had lost all his essence, though it was only eighty-nine essence. I was just grateful I was allowed to retrieve it.

  Suddenly, Jason took on a red glow and began floating up as if being pulled up by his chest. He also fell unconscious. I didn’t even get to question this before I received a notification.

  Would you like your Familiar Jason Storgan to learn the skill Blind Rage Yes/No?

  Selecting yes, as I wasn’t sure why I would say no to him learning a skill, the page closed. I then opened up his skill page and looked over the rage skill.

  Blind Rage-

  Skill Rank: Basic

  25% to attack speed when in blind rage.

  25% to all attributes when in blind rage.

  25% less stamina consumption when in blind rage.

  85% reduction in all pain receptors while in blind rage.

  (Note: Blind rage may cause user to attack allies.)

  I had a few questions, such as how long it would last, how to activate it and what exactly caused my familiar to learn this skill? Was he angry at the skeletal knight? I knew I was.

  Glancing over Jason’s page, I saw nothing different, so I looked at his essence. He had received six ninety-nine of it where I received seven hundred, meaning his share was rounded down. Not that a single point made any difference.

  I used the essence to level Jason up and dismissed him. I would place his points later.

  “That was hard.” Ben said. “It was a good idea to bait out the knight like that.”

  “Thanks, I’m just happy it worked.”

  “Me too. I gained enough to get a level out of that!”

  “Thats awesome. We will need every edge if we plan to fight the boss.” I said as we began heading up the stairs.

  “I need to rest and let my mana refill first.” Ben said.

  “Do you think we are ready to take on a boss?” I asked.

  “Mother would have not sent us if she didn’t think so.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t trust the Mother Tree as much as the rabbit, so I just kept making my way up the stairs. Once we reached the top, my eyes widened.

  “About time we get some treasure!”

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  #26467 to #20963 with the first one and then to #17642! I most certainly was not refreshing the page periodically to see this...