Within the camp, nearly 25 orcs stood guard, all of them armed and prepared for battle. For orcs, battle was synonymous with honor and great pleasure, so my jumping into their midsts only served to get them fired up.
"Loki, Ash, and Silver! Eat them all up!"
"Wooo!!"X3
"Toraaaaaa!!!"
"Toraaaaa!!!" the orcs shouted.
*Doom! BOOM! DOOM!* their war drums were struck.
My wolves began their offensive, their snarls and growls echoing through the night as they tore into the ranks of the orcs with primal savagery. I followed close behind, my blade gleaming in the moonlight as I waded into the thick of battle.
"Fuck! Just die!" I shouted.
The clash of steel and the roar of battle filled the air as we fought tooth and nail against our enemies. The orcs, driven by their primal instincts, fought with a savage ferocity that bordered on madness, their blows raining down upon us like a torrential storm.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT!!" I shouted with the full power of my lungs. My mana [Enhancement] formed a thin layer over my entire body and my sword moved as swiftly as the wind. Heads continued to fall one by one. My head was no exception.
Death loomed ever-present on the battlefield. Time and again, I felt its icy grip tighten around me as I fell beneath the weight of the orcs' relentless assault. But with each death came a rebirth, a second chance to unleash my wrath upon the enemy. Every time the darkness devoured me, the crimson energy would flow and I would be ripped back from death's clutches.
Axes struck my skull, spears pierced my body and yet I still lived. The pain however was unbearable, more agonizing than ever. In the first place under the [Curse]'s effect, even a small cut felt like a bullet had struck me, not to mention the countless deaths.
[You have die-ERROR ERROR..]
"FUUUUUUUCK!! IT HURTS!!"
[You have die-ERROR ERROR..]
.
.
.
.
[You have die-ERROR ERROR..]
With each resurrection, I fought with a renewed sense of rage, my blows striking true and my resolve unbroken. And with each kill, I felt a grim satisfaction wash over me, knowing that I was one step closer to victory. The effect of [Cold Heart] made it so I couldn't stop until I avenged every strike and returned every blow. A curse almost worse than the real [Curse].
Soon, only my wolves and I were still standing. The nearly 30 wolves all lay dead. Yet, the notification for completion still hadn't appeared.
"It's over! We did it wolves!"
"Wool!" they replied their shadowy furs still covered in orc blood.
"The notification still hasn't appeared yet? There's still a cave over there, they must be hiding inside." I said as I walked towards a cave opening in the very back of the camp.
Victory was never easily won. As I reached the back of the camp and entered the cave, its depths shrouded in darkness. I realized that this was no ordinary ambush – it was a trap laid by the cunning orc chieftain, a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of battle in his favor.
"You bastards are sneaky!" I shouted.
I charged into the cave, my wolves at my side. The orcs within were ready and waiting, their weapons drawn and their eyes filled with malice.
My blade flashed in the dim light as I cut a swath through the enemy ranks. I realized something was wrong. I didn't know what yet, however.
"….I don't like this.."
The fight that followed was fierce and bloody, the walls of the cave echoing with the sounds of clashing steel and dying screams. But despite the odds stacked against us, we fought on with rage
Soon, the last of the orcs fell before us, their bodies littering the cave floor like discarded puppets. That was when a light split the cave's darkness. An ominous red light moving at an incredible speed, like a rocket set on its target followed me no matter how I dodged.
"Fuck! Is that magic?"
"Kreuck kreuck!! Score!!!" shouted the orc mage, a rare being that I never imagined would be in a D-rank dungeon.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
The fire magic struck true, each ball aimed at one of us, I wouldn't allow such a thing to happen of course. I recalled my wolves in a split second and took all of the magic directly.
The effect of fire on human flesh was rather obvious, annihilation was an understatement, my arms were charred and my body was nearly destroyed, only my spine cyberware was left unharmed as I was practically torn apart. Do you know what that feels like? Of course, you don't!
It hurts like hell!
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I let out a shrill cry. The pain threatened to destroy my mind, and soon it did. But like a light switch, my consciousness was always restarted again and again and again.
Within the infernal flames, I died again and again and again and again….
Finally, the orc mage's Mana ran out and the flames extinguished, I was already nearly ash, and yet the crimson energy didn't seem to notice as it grabbed my soul, mind, and body and threw them back together.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUHH!!!"
FUUUUUUUUUCK!!"
Soon, my body was whole again, I stood up and through my own ash, I walked anew. The orc mage in the corner of the cave was frozen solid, fear filling his mind and his eyes shaking as his pupils dilated and constricted crazily. With every step I took his body would shake and his sweat would increase and his bones would shake.
Soon, I arrived. My brain filled with the beautiful energy of transcendence I placed my hand on his head and said a single word.
"Burn."
"K-K-K-Kreeee!!!- GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!"
The flames stemming from my palm covered his body and he burned again. And yet unlike me his pain was not doubled twenty times over nor could he experience the pain of death countless times.
[Orc Dungeon Complete! Thank you for entertaining the gods.]
[Rewards will be distributed immediately!]
The exit gate opened and a chest appeared.
"This better be good." I thought.
I touched the chest and a notification appeared.
[You have obtained rare C-Rank treasure [Gem Of Inertia]!]
"A fucking gem? I died that many times just for a gem? Fuck, I need a cigarette!"
I left the dungeon and soon I was at a gas station.
"That's all thanks."
I scanned my wrist and my purchase was paid for. A pack of reds and garno, a new-world alcohol for the poor. I wasn't completely poor anymore but old habits tended to die hard.
*Snap!*
I snapped my fingers and a flame was born lighting my cigarette in an instant.
"[Projection] huh? Useful stuff. Right, I should have a few good things. Status."
I'm an instant, a panel displaying my information appeared.
NAME: John Crane
LEVEL: 25
RACE: Human(#9998)
GIFT: [Transcendant].
CURSE:[The Immortal].
STATS: Physique-29, Mana-20, Spirit-23
STAT-POINTS: 60
CLASS: Can be chosen.
SKILLS:[Enhancement(A-rank)],[Projection(B-Rank)],[Pain Tolerance(SS-rank],[Cold Heart(SS-rank)]
[SHOP](Open)
"A lot of new things popped huh? Split the stats evenly again. It's looking pretty good for now but I can't just keep going solo. I should call william and see if he wants to tag along."
Just as I pulled tapped my wrist to call him, a notification appeared.
[1st Class Change is available.]
"A class change, I guess I am level 25 already. If I didn't level up slower I'd already be level 50 with how much exp I've gathered hunting a whole dungeon solo. Use the class change."
[You have (3) Available classes:
[Class [Warrior]: A class suited for [Enhancement] .]
[Class [Mage]: A class suited for [Projection].]
[Special-Class [Curse Master]: ERROR ERROR ERRO… ]
"Huh? The [Curse] is affecting even my class change? I'll go with the special one I guess, I only 1 skill slot left anyway so the other two classes are useless to me." I said as I tapped on [Curse Master].
[You have chosen ERROR ERROR ERROR…]
"I guess I'll just check directly then. Status."
NAME: John Crane
LEVEL: 25
RACE: Human(#9998)
GIFT: [Transcendant].
CURSE:[The Immortal].
STATS: Physique-49, Mana-40, Spirit-43
STAT-POINTS: 0
CLASS: [Curse Master]
SKILLS:[Enhancement(A-rank)],[Projection(B-rank)],[Pain Tolerance(SS-rank],[Cold Heart(SS-rank)], [Curse Absorption.]
[SHOP](Open)
I tapped on [Curse Master] and its description appeared.
[Special-Class [Curse Master]: A class unique to the 12th and final bearer of ERROR curses. One skill is granted for having this class. Skill [Curse Absorption]is granted.]
"[Curse Absorption]?"
I tapped on it and a simple description appeared.
[Skill [Curse Absorption]: You can absorb curse bearers' curses or cursed weapons. Some curses cannot be absorbed.]
"I can absorb them? then I should be able to absorb [Wolf' Ravaging Edg-"
*BOOM!*
Loud explosions resounded as the earth began to shake wildly, even as a hunter with stats surpassing humans I almost fell to the ground. The cracks that spread through the ground brought forth by the shaking painted a familiar image.
"Is this another [Calamity]?!"
….