[Congratulations on finding the new dungeon. Explore more to progress next.]
A notification popped up in the middle of the sandy desert, jolting him back to reality.
"Damn it! How could I have overlooked the mission to locate the dungeon entrance? The moment I found out about V-Chips, I let my disappointment cloud my judgment and completely forgot about this."
Arlo was filled with regret, but he soon composed himself, understanding that fretting over things beyond his control was futile.
He was encircled by a towering mound of sand, standing at its base. The sun's rays were searing his skin, and even though he was clad in flip-flops, the heat was palpable on his feet. His shirt was soaked in sweat within minutes of his arrival.
He trudged on for what seemed like an eternity. The sun appeared to be stationary, hanging directly overhead, its heat growing more intense with each passing moment. To Arlo, it felt as if the sun was tailing him, its heat growing more unbearable the longer he walked.
"Why me? Why couldn't it be that jerk Remi? Or anyone else. Why me?" Arlo gasped for breath.
He barely mustered enough energy to scale the final sand dune that lay ahead.
Upon reaching the summit, a cool breeze caressed his face, revealing a vast expanse of pine trees planted at regular intervals. Nestled in the heart of the forest was a towering Sherman tree, stretching nearly 90 meters into the sky. He was too exhausted and thirsty to feel either awe or fear at the sight.
Unable to muster the strength to descend, he stumbled and tumbled down towards the trees.
As he collided with one of the trees, a notification appeared:
[Welcome to the Haven, a resting area for player.
Rejuvenates player's health and status.]
As he lay immobilized on the ground:
"FLOW..."
The sound of gushing water echoed in his ears. The moment he heard it, he forced his trembling legs to stand and sprinted eastward with the last vestiges of his energy.
After navigating through the pine tree forest, he came upon a colossal river that seemed to originate from nowhere and vanished into oblivion after a certain distance.
He had a hunch that the river flowed from the entrance of the forest and terminated at its exit.
Without a second thought, he plunged into the river. He drank his fill until his vision cleared; his eyes were stinging from the sweat, and his throat was parched.
The river's current was just right; he floated atop it, swiftly being carried along. Despite the harsh sunlight, the water was pleasantly warm.
Suddenly, he had a realization: ever since he entered the sanctuary, the sun's heat wasn't as oppressive as in the desert.
Forgetting his mission, he simply let himself drift along the river.
"GRRR..." "GRRR..."
Arlo abruptly heard a growling sound, but he dismissed it as the river crashing against rocks. However, within seconds, he sensed a massive figure drawing near.
"What was that? Did the current become violent? I feel like I'm being watched."
"GRRR..." "GRRR..."
As the growling grew louder, Arlo became increasingly bewildered.
Arlo submerged himself underwater and spotted a colossal black crocodile, its tail as long as a boat's oars. The crocodile was flapping its tail, advancing slowly yet cautiously.
Arlo was seized with panic. He attempted to swim back to shore but found it challenging. His frantic movements caught the crocodile's attention. The moment the crocodile detected Arlo's movements, it surged forward at an even greater speed.
Despite the considerable distance between them, the crocodile closed the gap in an instant.
Arlo, still struggling to swim efficiently, fortunately neared the shore. He felt a wave of relief wash over him upon reaching it, but that was short-lived as he suddenly experienced a searing pain in his leg. He glanced back to see the crocodile clamped onto his left leg, tearing his flesh and staining the water red.
"ARRRGGGHH!"
Arlo howled in agony as the crocodile yanked his leg, swinging him around like a gruesome paintbrush. Using Arlo's blood, the crocodile painted its macabre masterpiece on the river's canvas, aptly titled 'The Crocodile's Feast.'
[Hp: 5]
[Hp: 3]
Arlo screams filled the air, the pain overwhelming him, he gradually lost consciousness. Until his last breath, he felt as if his entire body was being consumed by fire as the crocodile ripped his flesh apart piece by piece.
[Hp: 0]
[Player Arlo Templeton – You are dead]
---BLANK--- ---BLANK---
Arlo felt a burning sensation engulf his body from within.
He retched, finding himself at the entrance of the pine tree forest atop the sand pile. His entire body was wracked with pain; he could still feel the sensation of the crocodile crushing his bones like boulders.
"Die, I die," Arlo mumbled.
A notification appeared:
[Player Died: Lives: I II III
Lives remaining: 2]
Arlo slowly crawled into the forest, he made his way to the river to quench his thirst. He approached hesitantly, but the need for water outweighed the fear he felt from the crocodile attack.
When he reached the river, the scenery was exactly as he remembered — nothing had changed. Similarly, only the crocodile's snout-like nose was visible, but Arlo could tell it was fixated on him.
He decided to drink from the river's edge and climb a tree if the crocodile drew near. He drank warily, but the crocodile maintained its distance; it remained as far away as before.
After Arlo had quenched his thirst, his body stabilized slightly, and he ventured deeper into the forest, where he spotted the massive Sherman tree in the center.
Even as he delved further into the forest, both Arlo and the crocodile continued to lock eyes.
[End of Chapter]