Chapter 31: Three Times

Henry's mouth was gaped looking over Yelena's stats.

From the very second tab, her information was already getting censored. Her health tab was censored, her Mana tab was the same and among the uncensored details, there was a stat that numbered over 1000. And the Stat was 'Intelligence'?

He clicked on the censored tabs and opened smaller description windows. The censored tabs refused to open so the only worthwhile information Henry was able to gain was about her most interesting uncensored tab;

[Intelligence;

A stat that must be possessed by all Magic wielders and is required to understand Arcane Scripts and attain Arcane Knowledge. I.e Cast spells.

The higher your Intelligence Stat, the more powerful spells you can learn and the more efficiently you can utilize the spells you do know.]

Henry's expression went from one of confusion to one of understanding.

'This must be the Stat I'm missing and the reason I couldn't understand that spell scroll.

Devon didn't have it either and although I'd like to think it's because he's not intelligent at all, I think it's safer to assume that it's because the 'Berserker' class is also unsuited for Arcane Knowledge like my 'Gunslinger' Class.

But Yelena's intelligence is at 1500… If we're going by what I've seen from other stats, then this is a very big deal.

The System has not separated anyone by levels besides me but if my 6 Stat points per level up remain consistent, then I'll need to reach over level 200 to have a stat that high. This is… insane.

Yelena, just who are you really?'

As Henry thought that last question, he looked up from the Witch's Stat screen and into her beautiful face as she cupped her hands and let loose a powerful wave of magical energy that spread all over the room.

<Circle of Healing>

Henry was hardly paying attention to the spell casting. He just kept staring at the caster, as though the more he looked at her, the better he would understand her and gain insight into who— what she was exactly.

She still owed him a question and his mind was working slightly hard on how he could phrase the question and get himself answers.

'I promised her it would be a simple question but I hardly think I can keep it simple with my curiosity so high.'

"Are you ready?"

Her voice, gentle with a touch of sadism reached Henry's ears and pulled him out of his thoughts, Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Hmm?" He let out in slight confusion.

"What do you mean 'Hmm'?" Yelena asked as crackling dark energy began to form into tendrils that became curtains in front of her face, striking the ground at intervals and promising devastating attack power.

It was just like the last time she had cast it but back then, Henry had looked at the display and wondered how she was able to do it. Now, he looked at it, knowing exactly how; Her censored stats.

Her Mana that he could not read was sure to be higher than even her Intelligence. The thought caused Henry to shiver. Just how high was it?

In the second or two Henry spent thinking, Yelena congealed the Arcane tendrils together into a singular blast.

She had laid down the precautions to ensure he survived and had even made it stronger just to ensure nothing went wrong so why wait? If she allowed herself to think about it, she was sure it would dawn on her just how moronic this all was so better to get it done as quickly as possible.

Right before she fired, Henry realized Yelena was not even giving him time to prepare himself and he stretched out a hand to placate her,

"Wait—" he started but Yelena had already fired.

The tendrils struck Henry's body and for an agonizing second, he remained frozen in place. Yelena had not been kidding when she said she was going to make it as painful as possible. Henry felt every bit of the destruction of his organs.

Henry felt his skin crack and break apart before he was sent flying back a few feet to slam against the wall in an impact that would surely have ducked his Hit Points by half had he not already died by the time he made contact.

[You have lost 40 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 0/40]

[You have died.]

Yelena watched as Henry's limp body slumped to the ground and for a second, she just eyed him with her hand still stretched out as it had been to fire the attack.

She shook her head with a soft expression,

"You won't actually die on me, will you? You won't do that to me, right? You won't make me a murderer, will you?"

A minute passed as the energy of her <Circle of Healing> flooded into Henry's body and all his wounds healed but his eyes remained closed and his heart, which had burst in his chest from the sundering impact of the Arcane tendrils, was still not beating even though it had healed up completely.

"You won't do that… will you?" Yelena asked again in a whisper while biting her lower lip.

And then,

*Gasp*

Henry's eyes snapped open and he let out a long gasp. The time he spent in the darkness this time felt longer than the last and, for some reason, it had felt to him like he was drowning. Hence the aggressive intake of breath when he was finally living again.

Although his injuries were healed, the memories of his wounds remained and he winced at it as he struggled to get back to his feet.

Yelena let out a secret sigh of relief before placing her hands on her hips and scoffing at Henry,

"So, how was it? Still want to die?"

Henry wasn't sure yet how to answer. He was waiting —hoping— for something.

[You have Cheated death… Again.]

[You have accomplished an Incredible feat]

[You have Received 150 Exp]

The frown that was starting to form on Henry's lips turned into a happy grin at the arrival of the Notifications he had been waiting for.

"Yes," he said while nodding to answer Yelena's question, "Again, please. If you don't mind."

Yelena eyed him and then with a sigh, she called out the Tendrils and fired the strike.

'Fuck!' Henry let out in his head as he was struck.

He had been very prepared but it had hurt him almost even more than the last time. It was like his brain had gotten used to this particular sensation of dying so his body didn't go into shock and he was left to feel it all in its entirety.

[You have lost 40 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 0/40]

[You have died.]

Henry returned to the darkness. He found that he was unable to breathe and he didn't try too hard. He was currently dead and could not possibly 'die again' so there was no reason to despair. Whatever discomfort he felt, he had decided to endure.

[Yelena's <Circle of Healing> is in effect…]

[All injuries have been healed and all Status Abnormalities including Death have been reversed.]

[You have recovered 40 Hit Points]

[Hit Points: 40/40]

The pull finally arrived and Henry left the darkness and returned to his healed body.

Yelena said nothing and just watched him. She saw the frown on his face and the look of anticipation like he was waiting for something and then that look of anticipation became one of satisfaction.

'So strange,' Yelena thought, her green eyes glistening with curiosity.

Even if Henry had denied it, she had still thought, on some level that the root of his desire to die was masochism but she was not so sure anymore. His look of pleasure wasn't perverse —Not in a sexual way, at least—, rather it was a look and an expression of accomplishment.

What he could possibly be accomplishing, she had no idea and the fact that his eyes would search through something unseen and he'd occasionally mumble to himself cemented her observation that he was insane. But was that really all there was to it?

[You have Cheated death… Again.]

[You have cheated Death Three times.]

'Four, if you count my past life,' Henry thought cheekily.

He felt good about himself. This was already a feature of the System, he had just managed to take advantage of it for his own gain.

[You have accomplished a Legendary Feat]

[You have received 350 Exp]

[You will no longer receive an Exp bonus from any further resurrections utilizing this Method]