Harlow

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  “What the fuck, my body! What is happening?” Harlow screamed in agony and pure pain. His body was unrecognizable. Where Harlow’s skin once resided, now was open, flayed, flesh. It appeared as if Harlow was an undead zombie; however, Harlow’s body was covered entirely in white bandages.

  “Uncle, they're awake,” a soft and tender voice called out.

  “No way, they survived. I’m sure they were a goner for sure,” a deep voice answered.

  “My…b..o..d..y… I can’t take this anymore.”

  “Hush, shh. We are going to help you. You will survive this,” A young brunette girl stood over Harlow, she appeared to be the same age as him. He was bedbound, and the room resembled a small and cozy cabin. The crackle of the fire could be heard. A single rocking chair was the only furniture in the room, aside from the bed that Harlow occupied.

  “Ell, seriously, don’t give the kid a false sense of hope. The gods are going to purge the System of him, that I know is true,” the man with the deep voice speculated.

  “You’re wrong!” The girl protested. “You’ll see,” she added.

  “Damnit, Ell, we don’t have the Mana to waste on the kid,” the man demanded.

  “I DO!”

  “Three days, you have three days and I’m kicking them out. And you’re not getting my Mana. That’s a fact,” The man stormed out of the room.

  “Gee, uncle, I’m so glad you’re such a compassionate person that values the lives of others. What a guy,” Ell muttered.

  Harlow was going in and out of consciousness. He would scream occasionally, then would pass out due to the extreme pain. Ell found Harlow half-dead on their farm, not responsive, and spent the better part of the morning bandaging him up. Madden, Ell’s uncle, protested straight away about how much keeping Harlow alive would cost. If Madden had it his way, he would leave Harlow in the forest so the System could de-initialize him in peace. Truth be told, Harlow’s condition was so bad that Ell and Madden weren’t sure if Harlow was a boy or girl.

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  Ell rubbed her hands together, focusing on drawing as much Mana as she could. While she wasn’t a Duelist, she could draw more Mana than most Users. Her hands manifested radiant energy, and it transferred into Harlow. Despite her efforts, it still didn’t appear to have any effect on Harlow.

  When Harlow came to, some time later, he did not scream out for the first time. “Where am I?” He asked. He still appeared out of it.

  “Hey there, partner, you’re on the Outskirts of the Cedar Spire,” Ell answered.

  “Never… heard—”

  Hey, hey, save your energy. I’m going to get you some porridge,” Ell had a kind and gentle voice. She left the room.

  “Well, she’s a good one, isn’t she,” a booming voice declared. Harlow looked over and saw a figure sitting in the chair, rocking back and forth. Due to his vision, he couldn’t make out what the figure looked like. The only thing Harlow knew was that he liked the girl’s voice and not the man's.

  “I need to get home,” Harlow whispered. “I need to make sure Cyrus is okay.”

  “You are a fighter; I’ll give you that. You have my attention, which is difficult to come by. The only thing I know is you’re not of this world.”

  “This world,” Harlow’s memories came flooding back. Of the duel and him trying to punch Xander in the face. This must be my punishment, Harlow thought. He wondered what happened to Cyrus and Tera and wished that their fate was different than his. He truly prayed for the first time in his life. He felt a little better about the situation because he was the only one who chose violence. Something he would do again in a heartbeat, if it meant protecting his friends.

  “Surely, that is the least of your worries, friend. You will die. Though you are strong, I’m not sure I’ve ever known a User to last this long with the damage you’ve sustained,” the voice pointed out.

  “Lucky me, but I’m not going to die. I need to find my friends.”

  “Add delusional to the list of attributes,” the voice laughed in almost a sinister tone. “Alright, your drive is palpable, and I’m feeling generous today. Let me help you. With my powers, I can heal you fifty percent quicker.”

  “How is that possible,” Harlow questioned.

  “Remember when you got here? Probably not on account of you almost dying and all. The System is all around us. It gives us great energy and powers called Mana. The System also talks to us through our mind, body, and soul. Form a partnership with me, and you’ll have access to great power?”

  “Will it take away my pain?”

  “Yess,” the voice hissed.

  “Okay, okay, I accept,” Harlow’s voice full of desperation.

  Does User accept pact with Apopis?

  [Y] [N]

  Harlow didn’t care that the notification was right in front of his eyes. He begged and pleaded, yes.

  The System now recognizes you as a Duelist. However, due to your condition, Duelist data cannot be loaded. Structure deck cannot be accessed.

  Ell came back into the room with a bowl of hot porridge.

  “So, what now?” Harlow demanded.

  “We wait for you to heal,” Apopis answered.

  “What was that?” Ell asked.

  “Nothing, I’m talking to your friend.”

  “What friend, we are the only ones in this room.”

  “Sitting in the chair,” Harlow protested.

  “That fever must be bad, my uncle is the only one who lives here, and he went on a Monster Hunt days ago.”

  Suddenly, a cold shiver crept up Harlow’s spine.

  “What the fuck,” he whispered.