"Is it dead?" Phillip muttered while looking intently at the collapsed building. However, the thick fog of dust prevented him from seeing anything.
James and Ralph didn't say anything. The sudden turn of events surprised them and they were unable to give a response.
Phillip turned his gaze to the two and said. "We should leave while it's still buried in the rubble."
James hesitated.
He didn't want to leave the person who tried to help them, but he was also worried that the monster was still alive.
When Phillip saw him hesitating, he frowned. "We still have to find the others! We don't have time to waste here! We should worry about ourselves over some stranger that we just met!"
James took a deep breath before he nodded. "Let's go!"
James took one last look at the collapsed building before he left with Phillip and Ralph.
***
After an unknown amount of time, Rendell opened his eyes.
"Urgh!" He groaned in pain when he tried to pull himself out of the rubble. He looked down and saw the lower part of his body trapped under a pile of large debris.
"Why do I always find myself in this kind of situation?" He complained about his bad luck.
He looked around and found the huge monster buried in a much larger pile of rubble. His steel sword was also stuck in the creature's mouth.
Rendell carefully lifted the debris off of his body. After he took the last big piece, he slowly pulled his way out.
When he finally pulled out his leg, he found out that his legs had turned purple which he thought was caused by internal bleeding. Luckily, he could still move them, but it was excruciatingly painful.
Rendell rested for a while. He then stood up and walked towards the corpse of the huge monster.
He felt like his legs were being stabbed by a knife in each step, but he gritted his teeth and dragged his bruised body through sheer willpower.
His labored breathing echoed within the collapsed building.
When he was only half a meter away from the corpse, he fell to his knees. Thick beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks before falling into the ground, slowly forming a small puddle.
He propped himself up with his hand and slowly lifted his body. His legs shook and almost caved in, but he quickly leaned against the broken wall to prevent himself from falling.
Rendell grabbed the hilt of the steel sword that was firmly stuck in the creature's mouth. He exerted some strength and pulled it out. "Urgh!" The veins on his face nearly popped out as he pulled the sword with all his strength.
After pulling out the steel sword, a series of notifications appeared in front of him.
You have slain a [Level 10 Giant Millipede]!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
You gained 3 stat points!
The sudden holographic prompts almost made him stumble.
"So that thing is a Level 10 creature. I leveled up again and I even gained three levels at once." He muttered while looking at his status screen.
The series of unscientific encounters made him numb and he was already starting to get used to the incomprehensible reality.
"I should look for the items it dropped." Rendell patiently searched the corpse and found three items.
You have collected x20 Gray Tokens!
You have collected x3 Lesser Healing Potion!
You have collected x1 Exoskeleton Breastplate!
Lesser Healing Potion
- Speeds up recovery and cures light injuries upon consumption.
Exoskeleton Breastplate [Common]
- A tough armor made from the hardest part of the Giant Millipede's exoskeleton.
+ 10 Defense
The Lesser Healing Potion was a red liquid inside a small glass container.
Rendell grabbed one and opened it, closely inspecting the red liquid inside. The consistency of the liquid was similar to that of blood and it smelled horrible.
He brought the small glass container to his lips and hesitated for a moment before he drank the contents in one big gulp.
"Ekh!" He let out a disgusted sound after drinking the entire glass. Just like how it smelled, the taste was incredibly horrible.
After a few seconds, he felt a warm sensation traveling down his throat and towards his chest. The feeling lasted for half a minute and during this duration, the pain in his legs slowly disappeared. "What an incredible potion!" He exclaimed.
He carefully wrapped the remaining two potions using his torn shirt, using it as a temporary bag.
He then turned his gaze to the Exoskeleton Breastplate and immediately put it on.
The armor felt cool and soft on his skin which was a sharp contrast to its dreadful appearance. It also didn't feel heavy and it fit perfectly to his body.
Rendell Madrigal [Level 6]
Strength: 12 —> 15
Agility: 11 —> 14
Vitality: 16 —> 19
Stamina: 10 —> 13
Endurance: 17 —> 20
Mana: 13 —> 16
Available Attribute Points: 3
Gift: Regeneration (Epic) ⭐️
His stats increased dramatically after leveling up three times. His stats started low because of his weak constitution, but after reaching level 6, he now had some decent numbers.
Rendell tied the makeshift bag to his waist and grabbed the steel sword. He then climbed his way out of the collapsed building.
Looking at the dark sky, he frowned. "I have to return to the supermarket as soon as possible." Danger lurks everywhere and it was especially difficult to spot the evolved creatures at night. He didn't want to encounter them given his current condition. The Lesser Healing Potion didn't cure all of his injuries. Other than healing the internal bleeding in his legs, it only increased the recovery rate of his body.
He looked for the backpack he left behind in the school building and put the potions inside.
After stowing the potions, Rendell carried his weary body back to the supermarket.
The streets were dark and only the moon's light provided him with some lighting. He was on high alert the whole time and he was prepared to take action. Luckily for him, he didn't encounter a single monster and arrived safely at the supermarket.
"Hm?" Rendell frowned when he saw that the items he placed in front of the door were gone.
"Who is it? Is it them?" Rendell thought about the ungrateful students he saw earlier. He was angry that they had left them there buried in the rubble when he came to help them.
Thinking about this, Rendell walked towards the storage room with heavy footsteps, his hands resting on the hilt of the steel sword.