"Ah… F*ck…"
Scattered around Cal were mountains of withered bones and pale green bodies, each with wild cuts painted across their chests. Most civilised men would feel their lunch struggling to come out of their mouths due to the putrid stench that they emitted, Cal looked as if he were immune to this and looked forwards with a pained expression.
The creatures around Cal were in a pitiful state yet any bystander would feel the most pity for the young man struggling to stay standing.
Cal gripped his sword's handle tightly and drove it into the dirt with all the force he could muster. His legs had stopped working a few minutes ago and he had made the decision to turn his sword into a glorified walking stick instead of allowing gravity to pull him into the earth. He was a proud man and wanted to stay upright even during times of struggle.
Cal opened his mouth and choked out a few words.
"D-… Deva system… open my status…"
A pale blue screen popped up in front of the young man, he looked up to address it but not before opening his mouth and letting the accumulated blood drip out; the dry dirt floor had been dyed a deep crimson.
Cal paid it no mind and focused intently on the large rectangle that showed up.
-------------------------------
{STATUS}
[BASE]
• Species: Human
• Age: 19
• Name: Cal
• Job(s): Warrior C, Mage F-
• Affiliation: Black Bear Guild
[STATE]
• Health: 4/1032
• Ki: 0/400
• Mana: 15/94
• Wisdom: 78
• Agility: 306
• Constitution: 980
[SKILLS]
INNATE SKILLS
-> Relentless || Level MAX (E)
-> Will || Level MAX (D)
AQQUIRED SKILLS
-> Medium level swordsmanship (B-)
-> Low level archery (A+)
-> Low level martial arts (B)
-> Low level Herbalism (C+)
-> Low Level Foraging (C)
-> Low level Cooking (E-)
Active effects:
-> [Crippled (Body irreversibly damaged)]
-> [ Extreme Bleeding ( -0.5 health per minute) ]
-> [ Extreme wounds (You will feel incredible pain)]
Active Buffs: Null
WARNING!!!
-> USER IN IMMINENT DANGER, WILL PERISH IF NOT TREATED!!!
-------------------------------
"Sh- shit…"
Cal was forced to undergo simple education from a young age for times like this, a deduction of 0.5 health per minute with only 4 health left only gave him 8 minutes of life to spare.
Cal gritted his teeth and his stomach churned from his inner turmoil.
'Is this… really it?' Cal thought.
'Is this… all I'm destined to become?'
"EHUK! COUGH COUAHK!"
Cal gripped his chest and let go of the sword, he was acting on pure instinct and didn't have the foresight to predict that if he let go of his "walking stick", a mouthful of dirt would be what awaited him after he collapsed.
*THUMP*
"PPFFTHGH!!"
Cal spat out the dirt in his mouth and moved his arm from under his chest, better his arm gets crushed by a lone goblin than by his own chest.
"It hurts…"
Cal wanted to scream and curse his luck, such a horde of monsters should never appear this early on in the dungeon, he only went to areas in which he was confident his skills would be sufficient enough to slay the monsters that lived there. This number of monsters would be tough for him to face even with his party members by his side.
Cal pushed down on his elbow down and rolled over, facing the jagged stalactites that ominously pointed at him from the cave's ceilings.
"Huaahhh"
Cal heaved a big sigh, unconsciously he had been holding his breath since the fight started and hadn't been able to relax till now. A wistfully sad smile crept up his face
'How many other hopeful adventurers had passed away, staring at this ceiling like me? I was always annoyed by all the sob stories I heard about unlucky adventurers but to imagine that I became one of them… heh... how careless of me.'
Cal mused his thoughts silently. He was someone who loved to talk out loud to get his thoughts in order but talking took too much effort for him to do right now.
'Shit…'
'I'm so sorry gramps.'
'I don't think I'll make it.'
Cal lapsed into a state of despair. His regrets and dreams started to sprout out in his mind, teasing him while the boy bled out on the floor. He wanted to take his own consciousness and beat it up for annoying him at a time like this.
'…'
'…'
'…'
Cal's fist started to bleed, not from a monster injury, but from his fingers pressing against his palm. His fist was clenched, pale, and shaking as he was reminded of all he wanted to accomplish, the people he wanted to hug, the places and sights he wanted to see!
'No.'
'What if there's another person just beyond the corner? A healer with a full bar of mana, a kind noble with a truckload potions, a monk with acres of talismans! What if just lying in this shitty cave and pitying myself is me just abandoning my chances of living?!'
Cal steeled himself. He knew what he should-
No.
Cal knew what he had to do.
*THUMP*
Cal threw his right arm out and dug his fingers into the ground, the boy ignored the pain and continued on with a determined face.
*THUMP*
Cal's left arm also dug into the dirt.
*SWOOSH! *
Cal gripped the dirt with both hands and pulled with all his might! His body slowly scraped forwards as his shaking fingers ripped the ground apart.
'Once more!'
*THUMP THUMP*
*SWOOSH*
'Again!'
*THUMP THUMP*
*SWOOSH*
'Don't stop Cal!'
*THUMP THUMP*
…
Even with the pain, Cal continued and pulled himself forward with ever-increasing fervour. The system started to give out notifications but Cal just attributed it to more warnings and paid it no mind, focusing on the task at hand.
*DING!*
-----
SKILL LEVEL UP:
[Relentless || Level MAX (E)] ->-> -> [Relentless || Level EX (E)]
[Will || Level MAX (D)] -> -> -> [Will || Level EX (D)]
----
'Oh shut up!' Cal thought, a little pissed that the system was supposedly showing his health dropping in numbers when he could already feel the life slowly seep out of him.
Cal closed himself off from its incessant dings and focused on the main goal, survival!
'But at this rate… it won't be enough!' Cal thought desperately.
'Too slow… I'm moving too slow!'
'I have about 8 minutes of life left… I can't waste any time!'
With a grimace on his lips and clenched teeth adorning his mouth, he pulled himself forwards with greater ferocity.
'I know I'm meant for more than this… this is no place to die!' Cal pumped himself up, using his inflated ego to help him for once.
*THUMP! THUMP!*
*SWOOSH!*
*THUMP! THUMP!*
*SWOOSH!*
'Ignore the pain Cal! Ignore the pain!'
-----
SKILL LEVEL UP:
[Relentless || Level EX (E)] ->-> -> [Relentless || Level EXX (E)]
[Will || Level EX (D)] ->-> -> [Will || Level EXX (D)]
----
'There's no way in hell that I'm gonna die in a dungeon and turn into a shitty undead! There's no way that I won't be back home in time for dinner! There's no goddamn way I'm not getting outta this hellhole!'
Cal's fury and motivation drove him forwards with greater ferocity.
-----
SKILL LEVEL UP:
[Relentless || Level EXX (E)] ->-> -> [Relentless || Level EXXX (E)]
[Will || Level EXX (D)] ->-> -> [Will || Level EXXX (D)]
----
'Push harder… keep going!'
-----
SKILL LEVEL UP:
[Relentless || Level EXXX (E)] ->-> -> [Relentless || Level EXXXX (E)]
[Will || Level EXXX (D)] ->-> -> [Will || Level EXXXX (D)]
----
*THUMP THU-*
On the way to the next grip, Cal's right arm dropped midway through and smacked into the ground.
'Shit…'
'I can't feel my right arm.'
Cal looked up frantically as his once strong sword-bearing hand lay limp on the floor. He tried to move his fingers, close his fist, shake his wrist; nothing worked.
'DAMMIT!' Cal started to panic.
'…'
"HUOOOOHHHH!"
Cal braced himself and took a deep breath. Memories of his family and friends flashed before his eyes, their warmth clashed with the cold dungeon floor he saw before him.
'I need to get back.'
'If my right arm's gone… '
'I'll push forth with my left!'
*THUMP!*
'Come on! Pull! Pull!'
*DING!*
-----
SKILL LEVEL UP:
[Relentless || Level EXXXX (E)] ->-> -> [Relentless || Level EXXXXX (E)]
[Will || Level EXXXX (D)] ->-> -> [Will || Level EXXXXX (D)]
----
Cal once again pushed the annoying dings out of his mind and dedicated his being into doing anything in order to preserve his life. For some reason, he felt like pushing himself was much easier now than it was before.
'Grandpa… brother! I'm gonna get back home! I'm gonna pull myself forwards and… and I…'
'I'm gonna…'
*THUMP*
The boy's left arm smacked the ground. No longer moving.
'…'
'It's... dark...'
'Why is it… so dark…?'
Cal felt his consciousness begin to slip from his grasp.
'Ah.'
'Shit.'
*DING!*
-----
You have died
-----