In the stifling silence of the dark mine tunnel, time seemed to stand still, wrapping William in an eerie, endless quiet. The darkness was thick, pressing down on him like a blanket, and without even the faintest sound to break the monotony, it was easy to lose track of how long he had been wandering these cursed tunnels.
But William wasn't the type to succumb to despair. His mind was quick, his instincts sharp. He had already begun to devise a strategy.
"Balance," he thought, recalling his experiences so far. "I need to become a triangle warrior, to grow in a balanced way."
There was a subtle smile on his face as he mulled over his realization. Being a "bucket number" – someone with no glaring strengths but also no weaknesses – might not sound glamorous, but it certainly wasn't a bad way to go. "If I spread my growth evenly, I won't excel in any one thing, but I won't fall short either. Sometimes playing it safe is the best way forward."
His gaze darkened as he reflected on his three key attributes: Constitution, Strength, and Agility. Constitution, it seemed, was universally valuable, a shield to endure the horrors of this world. As for the other two, he had yet to fully understand their importance. "It's only a matter of time before I uncover their true potential," he thought. "Once I do, they'll be just as vital to my survival."
His talent, [Killing to Prove the Way], was the perfect tool for this kind of slow and steady growth. As long as he continued to fight and survive, his attributes would rise naturally. Even now, battling the relentless hordes of zombies, his physical strength had grown significantly. "No need to rush my development. The monsters give me what I need."
William's thoughts settled as he mapped out his future. His physical strength had recovered to a solid 5.3, though not quite fully restored. The recent zombie battles had left him battered, with scratches crisscrossing his body. His leather armor, while durable, could only cover so much, leaving him exposed in places. He could feel his stamina returning, but not quite enough to feel whole.
Determined not to waste time, William pressed deeper into the mine. As he entered another tunnel, his eyes narrowed in on a new foe – another demonized zombie. This one put up a decent fight, but in the end, William's blade struck true. As the creature crumpled to the ground, a system notification flashed: +8 experience points.
The zombies, he realized, varied in strength. Some were formidable, with bodies hardened by the demon essence that lingered in the tunnels. Others were weak, practically falling apart from the inside out. "Just like people," William mused. "Some are built strong; others, not so much. It's the same even in death."
Each zombie he defeated was a small mercy, putting their tortured souls to rest. William had grown accustomed to this grim task.
With only three more experience points needed to level up, William approached an intersection deep within the mine. Several paths sprawled out before him, their inky blackness stretching on like endless voids. He stood at the mouth of one of the tunnels, poised to continue, when a sudden wave of unease washed over him. It was like a creeping chill that spread from his spine to every corner of his body, making his skin prickle with the sensation of being watched.
Instinctively, William stopped. His pulse quickened, but his mind remained focused. "Something's in there," he thought, narrowing his eyes. The darkness ahead seemed to pulsate with danger, as if some lurking creature was waiting just beyond his sight, ready to strike.
Without fully understanding why, William trusted his gut. Something dangerous – something potentially deadly – was in that tunnel. His intuition had saved him before, and he wasn't about to ignore it now.
Just then, a system message flashed before him, confirming his worst fears:
[Demon Tip: A powerful demonic creature is sleeping ahead of you. Kill it! Loot it! Defeating it will allow you to ascend further along the path of the demon!]
The system's voice was cold, mechanical, urging him forward. It left no room for hesitation. But another message followed:
[Demonic Characteristics: 3\200]
The number sent a ripple of surprise through William. "Three demonic traits?" He quickly pieced it together. Each time he killed a demonized zombie, a portion of its essence had been absorbed into his body. These traits were now part of him, giving him an edge in this dark, twisted environment. "Could this... act as a kind of detector?" he wondered. "Can I sense these creatures now?"
It seemed that way. The mine was like a vast, living network, with each tunnel occupied by a creature guarding its territory. The monsters, William noticed, never crossed into each other's domains. It was as if they had an unspoken agreement – a balance of sorts.
Some of these creatures, like the zombies, had only inherited faint traces of demonic power. They were easier to defeat. But others, the stronger ones, had absorbed much more of that ancient, dark energy, and William could feel it. The creature in this tunnel was one of those – a formidable opponent that would not go down easily.
His heartbeat quickened, but William's resolve hardened. He could turn back, avoid the danger. But that wasn't his way. "I've come this far. I'm not backing down now." With his sword in hand and his body poised for the fight, he prepared to face the unknown threat that awaited him in the suffocating darkness.
At the end of the path he was about to take, William sensed it, the presence of something far more dangerous than the zombies he had been facing. His instincts, sharpened by his demonic traits, warned him of this creature. It wasn't just an ordinary monster; it was something stronger, more menacing. The three extraordinary characteristics he had absorbed seemed to do more than just help him navigate the darkness, they also gave him a strange sixth sense, an instinct to seek fortune and avoid peril.
But this left William puzzled. He paused, brow furrowed, contemplating the strange stability in the mine.
"Why is it so quiet here? Why don't the stronger monsters just wipe out the weaker ones?" He muttered to himself. "Isn't it natural for big fish to eat the small fish?"
It didn't add up. From what he had observed, none of the monsters seemed to be absorbing the traits of the others. "That doesn't make sense," he thought. "Monsters should be evolving, gaining strength, right?"
He considered the zombies he had encountered. They weren't mindless, but their movements lacked strategy or growth. "Maybe they just don't have the intelligence to evolve," he mused. But that explanation didn't sit well with him. There had to be something else at play, something deeper that he couldn't yet grasp.
Whatever the reason, it was clear that these demonic characteristics had another function. Like an air raid siren, they alerted him to danger ahead, practically screaming that charging into the deeper tunnels would be reckless. "Rushing in now would be suicide," he thought grimly. He needed to be smarter than that.
So, William shifted his focus. He followed the subtle sensations in his body, the demonic traits acting as a guide, pointing him toward less dangerous paths. He was on the hunt for easier prey, creatures he could defeat without risking everything.
---
A battle alert flashed in front of him:
[Battle Tips: You have encountered a demonized bat.]
The creature swooped down from the shadowy ceiling of the mine, its glowing eyes locked on William. He reacted quickly, his sword slicing through the air in a precise arc. In moments, the bat was dead, its demonic essence dissipating into the air.
[You killed the demonized bat, experience +7!]
The kill was enough to push him over the edge, and a new notification appeared.
[Your level has been raised to level 6!]
With the level up came new power, and the familiar screen of stats appeared in his mind.
[You have obtained 3 attribute points, which can be distributed freely.]
A warm sensation spread through his body as his talent, [Killing to Prove the Way], activated once again.
[Your talent of killing to prove your truth takes effect.]
[Your physical value +0.03! Your mental value +0.08! Your energy value +0.06!]
[Your talent has absorbed some of the demon's extraordinary characteristics.]
His progress was undeniable, and his stats were proof of it:
[Player ID: Wallace Beethovenish]
[Level: 6]
[Experience value: 4/80]
[Constitution value: 5.8]
[Spirit value: 6.1]
[Energy value: 5.5]
[Attribute points: 3] (can be freely allocated)
William had already made up his mind about how to distribute the points. He focused on balance, the idea that had been guiding him since he first entered these cursed tunnels.
"I won't just mindlessly stack Constitution," he thought, his fingers hovering over the stats panel. "But I need to be strong enough to take hits. I've seen the monsters down here, and I can't afford to be fragile."
He allocated 2 points to Constitution, knowing he would need more resilience. With the last point, he boosted his Energy, his weakest stat. It wasn't enough just to be strong; he needed endurance to survive the long battles ahead.
---
[Constitution value: 7.8]
[Spirit value: 6.1]
[Energy value: 6.5]
The stats shifted before his eyes. William couldn't help but feel satisfied with the changes. His Constitution, once his strongest stat, now surged ahead, and his Energy had gained a much-needed boost. Yet, ironically, his Spirit, which once led the way, had now fallen behind.
Still, William was content. He knew he was growing, and each step forward was a testament to his careful planning and strategy. "I'm not here to become mindlessly strong," he reminded himself. "I need balance. I need to be prepared for anything this place throws at me."
With his new strength, William felt ready to push deeper into the tunnels. The road ahead was still dark and filled with unknown dangers, but he was no longer the same person who had stumbled into these mines. He was stronger, wiser, and most importantly, prepared for whatever came next.
At this stage, William knew that his priority had to be clear, focus on physical strength, but ensure that his other attributes didn't fall too far behind. Physical prowess was, without question, his greatest asset for the moment. It was the foundation of his survival in these cursed mines. He could always balance the scales later when the time came, but for now, brute strength would get him through most of the challenges that awaited.
"For now, improving my physical fitness will give me the biggest advantage," William mused. He understood that while his body might carry him through most fights, it wouldn't be enough to defeat every monster lurking in the shadows.
He glanced down at the corpse of the demonized bat lying at his feet. The creature's wings were spread out, almost as tall as half a man. This bat was different from the zombies he'd been fighting. Its methods were more cunning, more mystical. Its attack style reminded him of the black crows from Crow Ridge, creatures that relied on magic rather than brute force.
This bat, he realized, could cast mental illusions.
When William first encountered it, he had felt disoriented. His vision had blurred, and the walls of the mine seemed to twist and warp. In the dark, he'd even seen a strange flicker of light, almost like the kind of hallucinations one would get after consuming poisonous mushrooms.
It wasn't until the system flashed a warning that William realized he was under a mental assault.
Even though his mental strength was relatively strong, it wasn't enough to fully protect him from the bat's illusion. The closer he got, the more muddled his thoughts became. The lines between reality and hallucination blurred. He could feel himself slipping, but William wasn't about to let that stop him.
He had a plan. William reached for his slingshot, a trusty weapon with a near-magical property: it never missed. He lit a torch and flung it forward, illuminating the darkness that had hidden the bat. The instant the creature was exposed, he attacked, firing precise shots with his slingshot, disrupting its spellcasting. Even though his mind was foggy, William's hands were steady. The bat screeched as its magic faltered, and in that moment of weakness, William moved in for the kill, stomping the creature underfoot before it could recover.
The system's cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind, delivering the post-battle details:
[Demonized Bat: A bat that strayed into the abandoned mine and was trapped by the call of the devil. It waited for days in the depths, slowly absorbing dark magic, and finally evolved into a powerful demon bat.]
[Devil Bat Wings: Magical materials tied to demonic creatures.]
William studied the bat's lifeless body. "So, this one came later," he said to himself, noting the difference between this creature and the demonized zombies. While the zombies had been cursed residents of the mine, this bat had wandered in after the curse took hold. Over time, it absorbed enough demonic energy to transform into something far more dangerous.
The bat's physical attributes weren't particularly high, but its mental and energy values had grown considerably. Its evolution had focused on magic, making it a powerful foe in its own way. But for William, it had been a relatively smooth battle compared to his zombie encounters.
Still, there was a cost. During the fight, his torch, which had been burning for nearly four or five hours, was extinguished. He had been using magic resin as fuel, a substance that greatly extended the life of a flame, making the torch nearly impervious to the harsh conditions of the mine. Now, however, only glowing embers remained.
William bent down and picked up what was left of the torch, watching the last sparks flicker and die. The mine's oppressive darkness returned, threatening to engulf him. But William wasn't as vulnerable as he had been when he first entered the mine. After absorbing the fourth demonic trait, his adaptability had increased.
"It's dark, but not impenetrable," he thought, his eyes scanning the murky shadows. The outlines of objects around him had become clearer, even in the absence of light. It wasn't perfect; the details were fuzzy, like a half-formed memory, but it was enough to navigate without crashing into the walls.
He took a deep breath and reviewed his progress. Leveling up was becoming more challenging now, he needed 80 experience points to reach level 7. But the grind would be worth it. Each increase in his attributes would make the next battle easier, and William knew that stronger enemies lurked deeper in the mines, waiting for him.
Still, despite the growing challenges, William couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. His body was stronger, his mind sharper, and his demonic traits were evolving. He was becoming something more than just a survivor. And with each step forward, the darkness that had once seemed so overwhelming now felt like an ally, a place where he could thrive.
He tightened his grip on his slingshot and moved deeper into the mine, ready for whatever awaited him next.