In a world where swords and magic were real, a man found himself drenched in his own blood, enduring the excruciating pain inflicted by the serpent. His clothes lay in tatters; could he even consider himself fortunate? Sheltered from the sunlight, his wounds festered, exposing him to the risk of greater harm and potential demise in this unfamiliar realm.
"Jeez! I can't keep enduring this..." His eyes turned bloodshot as the monster's footsteps drew closer.
Multiple slashes across his body and a stabbing blow to his stomach resulted in severe bleeding. His mana pool remained insufficient to employ abilities like [Fly] or [Fire Claw] to intimidate the monster.
No matter how the situation is examined, Riku managed to complete it. But why? He had been slowed, lacking the strength to swing his sword once more until...
Boom!
A fresh explosion erupted, sending tremors across the area where Riku Hirota lay. Following the monster's collision, a cluster of stones near the lake came crashing down.
Phew!
Riku coughed repeatedly, spitting blood from his mouth. Even through his blurred vision, he witnessed the creature being inexplicably blown away.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The monster's feet pounded the ground, causing Riku to bounce slightly each time a new creature's feet made contact.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
He tumbled to the ground as the fresh monster plowed through the Naga with its bulky body. As the new monster drew closer, its appearance became discernible. Resembling a deer, it stood upright like a human, boasting muscular bulk, a dark countenance, sharp teeth, and fiercely red eyes.
"Why is the wendigo here?" Riku weakly questioned himself, concealed amidst the green bushes.
While the typical wendigo was slender, this particular creature was a rarity in this world. To put it simply, it stood as one of the forest's most formidable monsters.
Riku had a notion about why this unexpected monster had emerged. The scent of his blood seemed to have aroused the creature's curiosity, hinting that more monsters would undoubtedly converge here.
Zing!
At that moment, the system notified him of a new message promising to swiftly replenish his health power.
[Suggestion! To recuperate from your losses, consume fresh flesh! ]
In a critical moment, the game system presented a revolting suggestion. Although he had found nothing of the sort in this place, he didn't mind it much.
Thud! Thud!
"Was the Naga monster trapped on that chunk of stones?" Riku inquired as the other monster relentlessly assaulted the Naga.
The wendigo employed its massive hands to deal substantial damage, momentarily stunning the Naga. The wendigo was determined not to let the Naga bolster its physical strength.
"The wendigo now has the upper hand? Will it slay the Naga?" His vision focused on the red blotch, aware that severe bleeding would soon claim his life.
He shifted his body gradually, eventually leaning against a tall tree, awaiting someone's demise. Unable to end his own life, he reckoned it would be preferable to die by another's hand.
Boom!
The Naga monster broke free from the stone chunk, engaging the Wendigo in a fierce skirmish. Wendigo wreaked havoc with its elongated nails and sharp fangs, while the Naga countered with its claws and hefty tail.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Riku experienced the impact of each blow, dust and a gust of wind brushing against his face and ruffling his long black hair.
Having poisoned Naga with its fangs, Wendigo then thrust its sharp nails into Naga's back. Naga retaliated by delivering a forceful bite, aiming to administer its own dual poisons.
Rawr!
The Wendigo and Naga groaned in agony, oblivious to the human on the brink of death. If this continued, both creatures were destined to perish.
"Is there still a chance?" Riku wondered aloud, his eyes widening as a new idea dawned on him. Naga's liberation resulted from those stabs and the ensuing poison. However, it seemed improbable that both of them would survive.
A few moments passed. The monsters, having exhausted themselves with relentless attacks, now staggered, teetering on the brink of collapse.
With a firm grasp on the tree behind him, Riku gradually regained his footing despite his weakened legs.
[HP: 11/100]
As he failed to staunch the severe bleeding, his health points dwindled by one every minute. If this trend continued, he would undeniably meet his end. Thus, his foremost objective became consuming the Naga monster's flesh. He disregarded the considerable contamination from the wendigo's poison and lifted the Naga's body.
"I-It should be safe to consume the Naga monster's flesh since the poison was confined to its fangs," he stammered, advancing slowly toward the battleground.
The confrontation between the monsters persisted for about three minutes. Riku's health had dwindled to eight points, leaving him vulnerable to even minor injuries.
The copious bloodshed had saturated the parched earth, permeating the entire area with a potent metallic scent. Furthermore, the two monsters collapsed to the ground, spent from their mutual onslaught.
Riku couldn't help but entertain the thought that perhaps someone was intervening on his behalf in this place. He had noticed that every time he stood on the precipice of death, a lifeline would materialize.
"This isn't sheer luck; it seems like someone is preventing me from perishing," he muttered, shaking his head. He reminded himself not to dwell on that possibility, as he remained uncertain if survival was still within reach.
In the interim, he reached the scene only to find the monsters lifeless. Ideally, if he were the one to slay these creatures, Riku would gain valuable experience points.
"I shouldn't squander my time here..."
Riku sprinted towards the Naga, withdrawing his wooden-handled sword. Acknowledging that cutting the monster's scales was a formidable task, he opted to use his might to carve out some flesh.
Blood sprayed around him as he swung his sword, targeting the monster's chest—the area with the least fortified scales.
Swish!
With the last of his strength, the sword pierced the monster's body. He spun the blade, managing to carve out a portion of flesh.
Splash!
Blood with a putrid scent splattered onto his face. Holding up the one-centimeter-wide piece of flesh, green on the exterior but red within, he pondered how he could possibly stomach this repugnant morsel. It oozed a viscous, translucent liquid that was difficult to swallow.
Gulp!
Suppressing his revulsion, he uttered, "I know this is revolting, but it's a matter of survival!" His voice reverberated through the forest.
With his mouth wide open and eyes closed, he hesitated to fully comprehend the vile nature of this flesh. In an instant, he thrust it into his mouth.
For some inexplicable reason, the image of a crow feasting on a carcass flashed in his mind.
The flesh entered his mouth, its slimy texture gliding down along his sword.
'Fuckkkkkkk! Why am I eating this?!
Riku struggled to find words to describe the taste of the flesh. All he could manage was that it was repulsive, and the transparent liquid tasted horrendous.
...
His heart raced, palpable in his chest. Besides that, he sensed a transformation within his body.
"What's happening to me? What's transpiring within my body?"
Ding!
[The consumed flesh isn't sufficient to fully heal your wounds! +20 health points added! ]
[HP: 24/100]
Having barely scraped by in that dire situation, Riku shuddered at the thought of enduring that flesh once more.
"This isn't the time for preferences!" Riku picked up three more one-centimeter sections of flesh. He didn't need to restore his health to 100 percent; he simply aimed to stay alive until the next opportunity.
+20
+20
+20
With some of his strength regained, Riku drank water, hoping to cleanse his mouth of the lingering taste of the flesh.
"I'll never do this again!"
One thing became abundantly clear to him: a human would go to any lengths to survive or gain an advantage.
...
Riku spent several days in the forest, tending to his still-fresh wound. However, he knew he had to locate Solomon once more within this forest to complete the quest.