Nevsky Prospekt, cloaked in the soft darkness of the night, under the gentle moonlight. The stone-paved streets echoed with hushed steps, and shadows danced in the corners, concealing stories yet untold. Streetlights painted a warm glow, offering a glimpse into the city's history, while the dark sky cradled numerous mysteries.
Under this night sky meant for peaceful enjoyment, recent events shattered the tranquility. Strange violet lights, sudden gunshots, and even a grenade frightened the residents nearby. Attempts to call the police only heightened the worry—phones refused to connect, and no one answered. In the neighborhood, where people had evacuated from the gunfire, all eyes fixated on a narrow alley. Even after the gun sounds ceased, fear held them back from exploring.
This small community, close to where it all unfolded, remained on edge. As the echoes of gunfire faded, an uneasy quiet settled. Curiosity battled with fear, yet no one dared step into that enigmatic alley, keeping it at the heart of their night.
Meanwhile, lying in the middle of the bloodied alleyway was Bittu. His emotionless face betrayed no thoughts.
After a while, he stood up and searched for the first aid kit. Retrieving it, Bittu ascended the building where the old man had stood, holding his wound to minimize blood loss.
Seated atop the small building, Bittu took out the forceps bullet extractor from the kit. Examining his wound, he steeled his nerves and began extracting the bullet. Climbing the building offered a better view of his wound, increasing the chance of success.
Fortunately, the bullet's initial penetrative power had diminished, thanks to the garbage that were in the way, preventing a more serious situation. After some time, Bittu managed to remove the bullet amid pain and misery. He proceeded to take out bandages, cotton, and antiseptic, applying them to his wound.
After attending to his wound, fatigue overcame Bittu. The events of the day, escaping and fighting multiple times within the span of a single evening, had taken a toll. Despite his heavy eyelids and wearied body, Bittu resisted the urge to succumb to rest.
"No... I need to leave the city."
Decided, Bittu collected magazines from the old man and stashed them, along with the first aid kit, into the bag for future use. Moving out of the alleyway, his body grew heavier with each step.
After just ten steps, his body trembled, steps unsteady. Ten more steps, and he was on his knees, laying on the ground with his back to the sky.
As his eyelids threatened to close from their weight, Bittu decided a short nap wouldn't hurt. Just as his eyelids closed, a chill ran down his spine, and Bittu abruptly opened his eyes.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
Terrified, he took deep breaths. Closing his eyes for a moment, he felt that if they remained shut, he might not open them again, facing death.
His adrenaline, once running high, now depleted, anxiety, fear, and terror threatened to shatter his mind. Panic set in; his first thought was to stand and find a doctor in the neighborhood. However, his mind and body disagreed. No matter what Bittu attempted, his body budged only a little. Unbeknownst to him, his high adrenaline had overworked his body, forcing it to shut down to cope. Compounded by amateur first aid, blood loss continued from both injuries. In this critical situation, he needed immediate help, but no one dared venture near.
In this dire moment, Bittu turned to the system, calling out. A status appeared in his eyes.
Name: Bittu Sah
Age: 19
Race: Human (male)
Stats:
Strength -> G
Agility -> G
Stamina -> G
Constitution -> G
Spirit -> Locked
Perception -> F
[Abilities: None]
[Alias: None]
[Equipment: None]
[Inventory: Empty]
Before Bittu could seek help, a familiar cold, robotic voice echoed.
[ You have new notifications; would you like to see? ]
Remembering the previous messages, Bittu, filled with hope, mustered his strength and said,
"... Y.. Ye.... Yes"
[ You have killed a player. You have been rewarded with one platinum coin. ]
[ You have killed a human. You have been rewarded with one gold coin. ]
[ You have killed a human. You have been rewarded with one gold coin. ]
[ You have killed a human. You have been rewarded with one gold coin. ]
[ You have killed a skill user. You are the first person to kill a skill user. You have been rewarded with one crown coin. ]
[ You have killed a human. You have been rewarded with one gold coin. ]
[ You have killed a skill user. You have been rewarded with two platinum coin. ]
Thrilled at the mention of platinum coins, Bittu ignored the rest. Without much thought, he instructed, "Use all the platinum coins."
[You have spent three platinum coins; please choose the stats to increase:
Strength
Agility
Stamina
Constitution
Spirit: Locked
Perception]
Bittu already had in his mind what he would choose. He immediately said, "Put all the coins into Constitution." Bittu said that because he knew that in his current situation only this stat could save his life. With the improvement of his constitution his body would have better natural healing and his blood loss could also be solved due to the help granted by the system while upgrading the constitution. While Bittu thought this, the AI crushed his expectations with its answer.
[Error.... Error,]
[..Constitution can't be increased this rapidly. It can only be upgraded one step at a time.]
[ Addressing to the given command..... One coin is spent on Constitution. Player, you would be knocked unconscious in ten seconds to upgrade your constitution.]
[10, 9, 8.....3, 2, 1]
Bittu was shocked and in disbelief when he heard the system deny his request. Before he could even ask the AI, why was his comman denied, he was knocked unconscious by the system right in that alleyway.
[Found that two coins are still unused. Would like to use them?]
[Emergency!!!..... The player is in a critical situation. Please, choose a stat.]
[No stat is selected. Random distribution is activated.]
[Congratulations, your Constitution has increased;
G -> F ]
[Congratulations, your stamina has increased;
G -> F ]
[Congratulations, your stamina has increased;
F -> E ]
Bittu was still unconscious when all these messages were produced by the system. He would only find this out the next time he checks his status.
************
As the moon set and the sun rose, it cast away the tension-filled night of the city and the neighborhood with its brilliant light.
In the early morning, Bittu lay unconscious on the floor of the alleyway. If he were awake, he would notice four policemen checking the bodies in the abandoned house, while numerous medical personnel examined the bodies too. Two medical personnel were carrying him to an ambulance. After the cops identified him as the sole survivor of last night's gunshots, two policemen were assigned to keep an eye on him. However, they hadn't identified Bittu as a fugitive due to the incident last night light incident, and with most of the cops being busy in that incident, the news hadn't traveled far in the city.
The policemen sat in the front of the ambulance as the medical staff placed Bittu inside.
Bittu's eyes fluttered, and his consciousness returned. As he opened his eyes, he saw two people in nurse outfits trying to climb into the ambulance.
Confused, Bittu looked around and realized he was in an ambulance. Now aware that he was being taken to the hospital, he recognized the two people as nurses who had likely put him there.
A thought struck him: 'I need to escape; if medical personnel are here, the cops must be too.'
Without further thought, Bittu got up and rushed out of the ambulance. The nurses, who were about to get in, were shocked when someone suddenly emerged.
Stunned, they remained silent for a moment, watching the escape. One of the nurses, overcoming the shock, shouted, "Officers, that guy is running away!" in a loud voice filled with disbelief. Despite seeing his critical condition, needing immediate treatment to survive, Bittu was running away as if nothing had happened.
The two policemen in the ambulance were equally shocked, getting out to ask where the guy went. They arrived before the nurses who were once again stunned and speechless, unable to speak. They were astonished by how quickly Bittu disappeared from their sight, blending into the crowd gathered to witness the events of the previous night.
The nurses after a while said, ".....That guy vanished in the crowd."
The other nurse continued,"... Yes, a moment ago we could see him, but a moment later we couldn't." The first nurse nodded in agreement.
The police almost cursed these people but refrained from doing so, remembering that they were doctors not policemen. The cops immediately said the crowd to move away. But, no one was found even when, they moved away because Bittu has already left the crowd behind.
One of the cop then asked, " Has anyone seen in which direction he has run off to?
No one said anything, these people were afraid that getting entangled with the police or being in the bad side of a criminal was not a good idea so, no one said anything and remained quite.
Both the officers clicked their tongue at the same time seeing the crowd remain silent..
Meanwhile, Bittu has already run far from that place. Currently, he was buying a bicycle with all the money he found on those people. After buying the bicycle, he also bought some food and immediately started to paddle away from the city.
Bittu continued to paddle for about ten more minutes before he reached the end of the city. From here onwards he could at a distance see a forest. He could also see the river that initially helped him escape, going into the forest.
Bittu without wasting anymore time started to paddle and rush into the forest. He couldn't wait to escape the city and finally find some peace.
Within this mysterious expanse lies an expansive and biodiverse tropical rainforest, often referred to as the "Lungs of the Unknown." Enveloping an undisclosed stretch of land, this lush wilderness boasts a dense canopy of towering trees, creating a complex ecosystem that supports an incredible array of unidentified flora and fauna. The forest is home to an estimated billions of individual trees, belonging to numerous unknown species, many of which are found nowhere else in the universe. A winding river, the second-longest of its kind, gracefully navigates through this vast unknown, enriching the soil and sustaining the enigmatic biodiversity that thrives within.
Amidst this vibrant ecosystem, the unknown Rainforest shelters an extraordinary diversity of wildlife, from elusive creatures resembling jaguars and colorful avian species to a plethora of unidentified insects. The interconnected web of life extends to unknown indigenous communities, who have cultivated a unique relationship with the forest over an undisclosed span of time. Despite its unknown ecological importance, the Rainforest faces ongoing threats from mysterious forces, including deforestation, unidentified climate changes, and industrial activities. Preserving this enigmatic ecosystem is critical not only for its unidentified ecological significance but also for the millions of unidentified beings and countless unknown species that depend on its existence for survival.
After about twenty minutes of ride Bittu managed to enter the forest.
Bittu after entering the forest was surprised to see the greenery and freshness in the forest. He felt nostalgic seeing these lush greenery.
He remembered that back in his hometown when he was a kid, he would often venture in these kind of forest to play with his friends. Those forest were obviously weren't this huge but he still remembered those happy and golden old days. After coming to the city to live and study he hasn't been able to see such greenery for a long time. A smile was on Bittu's face while he though of those days.
In the nostalgia, he even ignored that he was still running from the cops and they could arrive here at any moment. Due to the happy memories Bittu's tension and stress also left him making him feel relived. What Bittu didn't know was that the cops has lost him and didn't know that he has left the city.
He kept venturing deep into the woods slowly while enjoying the beautiful sight. Bittu didn't know when but he had left the original paved sand path and moved at an unknown place in the wood.
As Bittu walked, after a while he came to know he has left the original path. Bittu didn't mind at all, as he was sure that he could get out of the forest with his experience of playing in the forest for a long while.
As Bittu looked around, Bittu saw various fruits on the tress nearby. Bittu first decided to search for the river. It is basic to search for water in the forest. Bittu knew that the river was flowing in the North direction but he couldn't identify the directions so, he decided to climb a tree to see where the river was.
The tree that he decided to climb was standing tall and proud, the simple tree extends its woody arms into the sky, creating a natural spectacle of interconnected branches. Its sturdy trunk, textured with rough bark, provides a reliable foundation for the intricate network of limbs that sprawl in various directions. The branches, like outstretched fingers, reach out to embrace the surrounding space, forming a welcoming canopy of lush green foliage.
The tree's branches are numerous, offering an abundance of opportunities for climbers to ascend its height. Each branch, adorned with leaves that flutter in the breeze, presents a potential foothold for those seeking adventure in the natural ascent. The overall shape of the tree suggests a harmonious balance, with branches extending both horizontally and vertically, creating an engaging and climb-friendly structure in the heart of nature.
Bittu climbed the tree and after about five minutes reached the top of the tree from their he managed to see...