At the break of dawn, William entered the Sequence Game, his mind set on the tasks ahead.
The abandoned mine was eerily silent, shrouded in darkness. Shadows stretched ominously, filling every crevice. With a steady hand, William relit his torch, the flames crackling softly. The light flickered like a distant candle, barely holding back the heavy darkness. The warmth was a small comfort in the mine's cold, oppressive air.
Despite the deep unease that darkness once stirred within him; no doubt a lingering effect of his demonic traits, William had learned to adapt. In the past, the claustrophobic tunnels and the oppressive shadows would have triggered anxiety, but now, he remained calm. The mines had become familiar to him, and there was no urgency to leave. This forsaken place, with its winding tunnels and lurking monsters, was the perfect training ground. Here, his skills could grow sharper, his strength could expand, and he could upgrade his level in relative isolation.
The demonic essence within him was now a part of who he was. It could no longer be purged, and William had come to accept it. Why fight what cannot be changed? As the saying goes, if you're already covered in lice, what's one more itch? With that thought, he pressed deeper into the mines, holding the torch high as the flames cast dancing shadows along the tunnel walls.
The mine's paths branched off like a sprawling spider web, with countless intersections. Unlike the social creatures that gathered in swarms at Crow Hill, the demonized monsters here operated differently. They seemed to claim individual territories, scattered evenly through the labyrinthine tunnels, rarely congregating. It was as though they had an unspoken understanding of where they each belonged, maintaining a fragile equilibrium. This was something that had been observed by earlier players, the monsters never crowded the same space, making it easier to encounter them one by one. But it also meant each battle could be dangerously unpredictable.
Reaching a fork in the road, William paused, studying the darkened paths. Without hesitation, he picked one and ventured deeper into the mine. It wasn't long before the silence was broken.
A soft growl echoed through the corridor, followed by the system's cold message flashing before him:
[Battle Alert: You have encountered a demonized zombie!]
This one looked more formidable than the last. Its eyes glowed faintly in the dark, and its grotesque form lurched toward him with unnerving speed. William braced himself, the tension in his muscles growing. The fight was brutal from the start.
William's dagger slashed through the air, carving deep gashes into the zombie's flesh. He struck again and again, leaving seven or eight gory wounds in its rotting body. But this monster didn't go down easily. It was stronger, faster. The usual quick strikes weren't enough. William had to change his strategy. With a surge of raw energy, he switched to his fists, pummeling the creature with relentless force. His blows landed with bone-crushing impact, yet the zombie kept coming. It was a war of attrition now, and William was determined to win.
Finally, with a burst of desperation, he grabbed the zombie's head. Using every ounce of strength, he slammed it against the stone wall. Again. And again. The sound was deafening, like a battering ram crashing into a fortress gate. The wall itself cracked under the force, leaving a shallow pit where the zombie's head collided repeatedly. Blood and decayed matter splattered in all directions as the creature's skull caved in, the once-fierce glow in its eyes flickering out.
The battle was over.
[You killed the demonized zombie, experience +9!]
[Experience: 29/40]
William let out a shaky breath, feeling the adrenaline ebb from his body. His chest heaved as he collapsed to the ground, propping himself up with his hands. His entire body was drenched in sweat, muscles trembling from exertion. But he could feel the change already—the subtle strengthening within him.
[Your talent of killing to prove your truth takes effect]
[Physical value +0.11, Spirit value +0.03, Energy value +0.04]
[Your talent has absorbed some of the demon's extraordinary characteristics]
The system's notifications echoed in his mind, but William paid little attention. The feedback was similar to what he had felt after fighting the previous monsters, yet the increase in his physical and mental attributes was undeniable. He was growing stronger.
He tilted his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, catching his breath in the oppressive silence of the mine. Each battle took a toll, but each victory brought him closer to his goals. There was no room for hesitation in this world, only progress, one fight at a time.
Just moments ago, I had been completely absorbed in the battle, adrenaline pumping through my veins, pushing me past my limits. The thrill of the fight had carried me through, but now that the danger was gone, I could feel the toll it had taken. My muscles ached, my limbs felt like they were weighed down by lead, and exhaustion settled over me like a heavy blanket.
William took a moment to catch his breath, sitting down to recover. His heart still pounded in his chest as he wiped sweat from his brow, the remnants of the fight still fresh on his mind. After resting for a while, he decided to inspect his gear. His leather armor had taken quite a beating. There were visible scratches and small tears from where the zombie's claws had raked across it, but overall, it had held up well. He let out a breath of relief. If it weren't for this armor, facing a zombie in close combat would have been suicidal.
He knew that despite being at the same level as the zombie, it had one significant advantage over him, physical strength. The creature's physical attributes were far superior, like a student who excelled in one subject but failed the rest. William, on the other hand, had a more balanced set of skills, which worked to his advantage in different ways. However, when it came down to raw power, the zombie had the upper hand.
His fighting style didn't help much either. William fought like a brawler, brute force, no finesse. He didn't have fancy moves or well-honed techniques, just raw aggression and survival instinct. He knew it. His attacks were wild and untamed, relying on his sheer physicality to overwhelm his enemies. But that suited him just fine. The monsters he fought weren't human, so he had no need for refined techniques. After all, human fighting skills like Taekwondo or Karate weren't going to make much of a difference when fighting creatures like zombies.
Learning advanced combat skills wasn't an option either, not in the short term. Even if he wanted to, there wasn't enough time to master any complex techniques, and William was fully aware of his limitations. It wasn't like he was going up against other players in a controlled setting where skills mattered more. No, this was survival in the purest sense, and in his mind, that meant brute force would always reign supreme.
He thought back to the "fruit and vegetable masters" and the so-called "douche masters" he'd encountered before, those players who had relied on their technical prowess rather than their physicality. Sure, they had their tricks, but William knew that in a head-to-head fight, their skills wouldn't matter much. "They can't match me in physical fitness," he muttered to himself with a smirk. "One punch from me, and they'd be on their knees, begging for mercy."
As William reached level 5, he had come to a realization. Fighting styles like Taekwondo and Karate? They might work against other humans, but against monsters? Useless. He chuckled at the thought. Even if someone like Mike Tyson in his prime showed up, William was confident he could pin him to the ground with brute force alone. Sure, Tyson might land a few blows, but William knew that with just one of his own full-powered punches, bones would snap, tendons would tear, and any human opponent would be down for the count.
"Humans were meant to fight each other, not monsters," he thought, shaking his head. William had no interest in competing with other players in terms of combat techniques. His focus was on raw strength and survivability. Sure, there were areas where he lacked skill, but in his mind, those gaps could be filled with sheer power. "No problem can't be solved with high base attributes," he mused.
As he sat there analyzing his current situation, William sorted through his thoughts. The real key to his success lay in his physique. Of the three primary attributes; physical, mental, and energy, physicality was the most critical. It wasn't just about strength or speed; it was a combination of everything, from reflexes to stamina, and even his health.
Speaking of health, William noticed his physical fitness had taken a hit during the battle. His stats had dropped significantly, his physical value falling from a healthy 5.7 down to a worrying 2.5. He looked like he had been seriously injured, his energy drained from the intense fight.
But despite the alarming drop, William didn't panic. He could see his body was already on the mend. His physical value was slowly recovering, rising bit by bit. Every few moments, the numbers would tick up, and he could feel his strength returning. In just a few more minutes, he estimated, he'd be back to near full strength, ready for whatever challenge came next.
As he watched the steady recovery, William felt a renewed sense of confidence. Sure, the fight had been tough, and his lack of skills was something to think about, but at the end of the day, his raw physicality would carry him through. And as long as his body continued to recover like this, he knew he'd be able to handle whatever came his way.
William reflected deeply, piecing together the mechanics of his physical value. "I get it now," he muttered to himself. "The physical value shown in my attribute column is directly tied to my mobility. When I'm at my peak, fully rested and uninjured; my physical value reaches its maximum. But when I'm exhausted or injured, the number plummets..."
He realized that his physical value wasn't just a representation of health; it was much more than that. The connection was twofold. First, it was linked to his health bar, the real indicator of his life force. Second, it reflected his physical strength, which was more of a temporary state. The latter, he noted, acted like a "fake" health bar, if he overworked himself, his strength would drain, but it was a depletion that could easily be remedied with rest.
But this value could be deceptive. If William were to push himself to the point of complete exhaustion, unable to even lift a finger, his physical value would show an alarmingly low number. Yet, that wouldn't mean he was near death. In those cases, all he needed was rest, and his strength would return.
However, if his physical value dropped due to injury, that was a different story. Recovery would depend on his body's natural healing ability, which could be slow without intervention. He remembered his earlier experiences in the game when he had nearly bled out after a tough battle. It was only Little Red Riding Hood's enchanted apple that had saved him, stopping the bleeding just in time.
Since then, his physical endurance had improved dramatically. With each increase in his physical attribute, his body seemed to grow stronger and more resilient. What had once been a state of heavy bleeding in battle had now become only minor wounds, and his body could regenerate blood faster. After a good meal and some sleep, he would wake up fully healed, his strength restored.
"Constitution really is a universal attribute," William mused, noting how his tolerance for pain and his stamina had both skyrocketed since leveling up. While most people would need days to recover from intense physical exhaustion, William could now shorten that recovery time significantly. His body rebounded faster than ever.
Out of all his attributes; physical, spirit, and energy, physical fitness was the one that William could feel improving the most. With every point he added to his physical stat, there was an immediate, tangible boost. His strength surged, his stamina lengthened, and his capacity to withstand damage grew noticeably.
He glanced at the path ahead, his mind racing with possibilities. "I was right to stay in this abandoned mine," William thought, his eyes narrowing in determination. "The monsters here are ideal for leveling up. They give me plenty of experience points. If I kill two more zombies, I'll definitely reach the next level."
It was simple math. To move from level 5 to level 6 required only 40 experience points, and each zombie he fought gave him between 8 and 9 points. A few more battles, and he'd be ready for the next stage.
But then, a dilemma crossed his mind, how should he allocate his attribute points after leveling up?
Up until now, William had distributed his points equally, balancing between physical, spirit, and energy values. It had worked well enough, but now he hesitated. Should he continue with the balanced approach? Or should he go all-in on physical fitness, like a sports student specializing in one area? After all, the benefits of a high physique were undeniable. With more strength, fighting monsters wouldn't be as grueling. He could take them head-on, brute force against brute force, without worrying so much about tactics or even his leather armor. In his mind, he could envision strangling his enemies with his bare hands if need be.
On the other hand, his spirit and energy values were also important, though their effects weren't as immediately noticeable. He could feel a faint sense of improvement in his mental clarity and energy reserves, but those weren't as obvious as the raw power of his physical stats. The advantage of a strong body was crystal clear.
"If I have a high physique, killing monsters won't be so hard," William reasoned. "Worst case, I'll just charge in and crush them with raw strength. I won't even need armor; I'll just overpower them. But… what if I'm making a mistake by neglecting the other attributes?"
A sudden thought made his stomach drop. "What if I'm adding the wrong points?" His brow furrowed in frustration. "Does anyone know if this game lets you reset your points? What if I'm stuck with whatever choices I make?"
William sighed, feeling the weight of uncertainty. He doubted the game would allow for any easy way to reset stats. It felt permanent, like every point spent was a decision he'd have to live with. His choices now would shape his character for the long haul, and the thought left him torn between sticking with balance or fully committing to physical dominance.
For now, he was stuck in a state of indecision, unsure of the best path forward.