Despite the system's message appearing before him, Ren's focus on returning to the starting point made him ignore it completely. After what felt like an eternity of crawling, he finally reached the starting point, where his leg began to heal, and the pain gradually subsided.
"Pant, pant! What the heck was that? This tutorial is way too difficult. How am I supposed to complete it with my feeble body?" Ren exclaimed, frustration evident in his expression.
"Just look at all the blood I've lost. Almost 70% of it has gone to waste," Ren muttered, glancing at the pool of blood on the ground.
Then, a sudden idea dawned on him. "Wait, let's see if this works," Ren mumbled, activating his ability. Blue light began to emanate around the line of blood he had just lost.
*****************************
[DING…]
[SUCCESSFULLY EXTRACTED! YOU HAVE EXTRACTED THE BLOOD ON THE GROUND. +0.2 OF STRENGTH, SPEED, STAMINA, AND MANA STATS HAVE BEEN EXTRACTED FROM IT.]
*****************************
"Wow, it actually worked! The pain feels somewhat worth it now. Let's check the Status window again," Ren said, a smile on his face, and activated his status window.
*****************************
[STATUS WINDOW]
[NAME: REN DAVIS]
[AGE: 18]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[LVL: 1]
[EXP: 0/100]
[STRENGTH: 1.2]
[SPEED: 1.2]
[STAMINA: 1.2]
[MANA: 1.2]
[INNATE ABILITY: ENDLESS EXTRACTION & FUSION]
[SKILL: LOW RANK PAIN TOLERANCE(0.7%)]
(Note: Average stats of any being at level 1 are 5, the (%) beside the skills is called skill proficiency and it can only increase by using this skill more and more. Upon reaching 100% the skill totally becomes a passive skill, and the user can use it anytime without a problem.)
*****************************
"So my stats really did increase, and it seems I awakened pain tolerance when I was crawling around earlier. Ah, I heard that Ding sound then," Ren thought as he examined his status.
"Okay, now that I know I can grow stronger by enduring pain, I'll do just that," Ren declared with a smirk, leaving the starting point.
Steeling his resolve, Ren held his dagger high, looking at his left arm with a gulp. He swung the dagger, cutting his own arm like butter.
'AAARRRRGGGHHHH!'
"It hurts, it hurts! ARGHHHH!" Ren screamed in agony, falling to the floor. His vision started to blur.
"No! Not now, I need to lose more blood. Otherwise, it will be useless," Ren muttered weakly, his frustration and pain evident.
[After 10 minutes]~
As Ren's vision faded, he summoned his last bit of strength, returning to the starting point. His severed arm began to heal and a new arm materialized.
"Huff, Huff! I never expected to sever my own arm, but I need to do this again and again to make it out alive from here," Ren stated weakly.
*Sigh* "I sound like some masochistic," Ren thought with a sigh, leaving the starting point and repeating the painful process countless times.
__________
"Hahh, it seems I've hit the limit of level 1. I can't increase my stats anymore until I reach level 2. Let's check my Status," Ren muttered, activating his status window.
*****************************
[STATUS WINDOW]
[NAME: REN DAVIS]
[AGE: 18]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[LVL: 1]
[EXP: 0/100]
[STRENGTH: 10]
[SPEED: 10]
[STAMINA: 10]
[MANA: 10]
[INNATE ABILITY: ENDLESS EXTRACTION & FUSION]
[SKILL: LOW RANK PAIN TOLERANCE(7.5%), LOW RANK HAEMORRHAGE RESISTANCE(2%), WILL(5.8%).]
*****************************
"That was a significant improvement. I'm full of strength now. Even my slim, skinny body has become muscular, and every muscle is brimming with energy. It feels like I could break a tree with just one punch. Now it's time for me to start clearing this floor," Ren muttered, determined, as he moved towards the direction of light.
As he continued walking, Ren remained fully focused, prepared for any potential attack.
After about five minutes, arrows began to shoot at him. With his enhanced strength and heightened senses, he sensed the arrows' approach and swiftly dodged them.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
More steel arrows flew towards him from different directions, making them impossible to track. Ren crouched low and rolled forward, even managing to cut some arrows with his dagger.
Puck! Puck! Puck!
Out of nowhere, three steel arrows struck his back with such force that he lost his balance, blood pouring from his wounds. Instantly, he activated his ability, extracting the spilled blood to heal his injuries on the spot.
Managing to straighten up, Ren pressed himself against a wall, minimizing his exposure to the unpredictable attacks he'd learned to face the hard way.
However, traps had also been set up behind and below him. Without realizing what was happening, an arrow pierced deep into his left thigh, causing immense pain. Despite feeling like he might lose consciousness, Ren gritted his teeth and turned around, activating his ability once more to heal the wound.
Puck! Puck! Puck!
Arrows struck his back again, this time penetrating his left shoulder, forearm, and ribs.
'ARGHHH!!'
Numerous notifications appeared, but Ren ignored them, focusing solely on enduring the pain.
Though it felt as if his arm had been torn off and he struggled to breathe, Ren was accustomed to such sensations. He held tightly onto consciousness, having endured a series of torturous challenges before, making this pain bearable.
Quickly assessing his condition, Ren noted, "My left shoulder and forearm took direct hits, but the arrow only grazed my ribs. The wounds look bad, but I can heal them to some extent with my ability."
Once again, he activated his ability, partially healing the wounds, before swiftly stepping back. "It appears that the traps were triggered as I crossed a specific point."
Meaning the traps were concentrated in one area, and Ren had to run until he passed it. As he retreated, steel arrows continued flying towards him. Initially, there were only one or two arrows, but after a certain point, four or five would fly out simultaneously. He moved cautiously, trying to minimize his exposure to the projectiles.
**********(TO BE CONTINUED)**********