Chapter 13
The shadow surged toward Damon with alarming speed, its glowing red eyes locked onto him like a predator sizing up its prey. Instinct kicked in before fear could paralyze him. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a massive clawed hand that smashed into the ground where he had been standing.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the forest floor, scattering leaves and debris. Damon scrambled to his feet to take a good look at his opponent.
It was a monstrous creature, about 10 feet tall, with dark, leathery skin that seemed to ripple like smoke. Its body was humanoid but grotesquely distorted, with elongated limbs and jagged spikes protruding from its back. The creature's mouth split into a wide, toothy grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"A low-level player," it growled, its voice deep and guttural, reverberating through the air. "How disappointing."
{Inspect has been activated}
[Entity: Abyssal Stalker]
Level: 20
HP: 13,000
Skills:??}
A level 20 monster? Damon's throat tightened. His HP bar blinked faintly in the corner of his vision, almost mocking him with how fragile it looked. He was outmatched in every possible way.
The Abyssal Stalker lunged again, its claw slicing through the air with terrifying precision. Damon darted to the side, narrowly evading the attack. His mind raced as he tried to think of a plan. He didn't have the firepower to take this thing down, but maybe he could outmaneuver it.
He spotted a cluster of trees nearby and sprinted toward them, weaving through the thick trunks in an attempt to put some distance between himself and the creature. The Stalker roared, shaking the air as it barreled after him, smashing through the trees as if they were paper.
Keep moving, Damon told himself, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He needed to find an opening, a way to escape. But every step he took seemed to bring the creature closer, its heavy footsteps thundering behind him.
Suddenly, a notification message appeared on a screen in front of him:
{Emergency Safe Zone Detected}
Distance: 200 meters
Damon's chest heaved with relief.
'If he could just reach the Safe Zone, maybe the Stalker won't be able to attack me,' Damon thought. He pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he sprinted through the forest.
With each passing minute, The Safe Zone marker grew closer and closer, the faint glow of a protective barrier becoming visible through the trees. But the Abyssal Stalker wasn't giving up. It roared again, leaping forward with terrifying speed.
Damon threw himself into the barrier just as the Stalker's claws swiped at his neck. A surge of energy crackled around him as the Safe Zone's shield activated, repelling the creature with a violent burst of light.
-20
The stalker's claws had barely touched Damon neck but such a high amount of damage was done to his HP bar.
The Stalker howled in frustration, slamming its claws against the barrier, but it couldn't break through. After a tense moment, it growled and retreated into the shadows, its glowing red eyes disappearing into the darkness.
Damon collapsed onto the ground, his entire body trembling. Damon's high speed stat was the only reason his HP bar wasn't down to zero. The emotional toll of the encounter was staggering. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so close to death in a VR Game. Then again Hell's Foundation was more than just a Game.
After catching his breath, Damon looked around. The Safe Zone was a small encampment surrounded by a shimmering dome of energy. There were other players here, some sitting around campfires, others tending to wounds or examining their inventories. The atmosphere was tense, but it was clear that this place offered a rare moment of respite.
A man wearing battered leather armor approached Damon, his face lined with exhaustion. "First time here?"
Damon nodded, still struggling to steady his breathing. "Yeah. What… what the hell was that thing out there?"
"Abyssal Stalker," the man replied grimly. "It's one of the new mobs that showed up after the first server update yesterday. You're very lucky to be alive. Most players don't survive their first encounter with it."
"Server update?" Damon frowned.
The man raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been in the Game much, have you?"
Damon shook his head. "I've been… training outside."
The man let out a dry chuckle. "Well, you've missed a lot. The first 24 hours were bad enough, but the update changed everything. The mobs are tougher, more aggressive, and some areas have been completely overrun. The devs aren't pulling any punches."
Damon's stomach sank. If the Game had already become this dangerous after just two days, how much worse could it get?
He decided to gather more information. Walking through the camp, he struck up conversations with other players. Most were cautious, their eyes darting nervously toward the barrier as if expecting it to fail at any moment.
One woman, a healer, explained how Safe Zones like this one had become lifelines for players unwilling to risk the open world. "The government might've built the shelters, but they're not perfect," she said, adjusting her robes. "If a monster's strong enough, it can breach the barrier. We've already lost two Safe Zones today."
Another player, a wiry teenager, talked about the Arkenstone.
"It's what everyone's after," he said, his voice tinged with both awe and fear. "The devs said it's the key to ending the Game, but no one knows where it is. People have died just trying to get close to the rumored locations."
Damon listened intently, piecing together the fragments of information. The Game wasn't just about survival anymore—it was evolving, becoming something far more dangerous and unpredictable.
As he sat by the campfire later that night, his thoughts swirled with uncertainty. He had entered Rivia to find answers, but all he had found were more questions.
And yet, despite the fear gnawing at him, a spark of determination flickered in his chest. He couldn't let the Game break him. To survive, he needed to adapt- to learn, to grow stronger, and be smarter than a regular player.
For now, though, he had to rest. The battle with the Abyssal Stalker had drained him, and the prospect of facing what came next demanded every ounce of strength he could muster.
Damon laid on the soft grass in the sleeping bag he was offered. At first, when he closed his eyes, the faint feeling of vibrations caused by the bangs of monsters against the barrier of the Safe Zone kept him awake, but soon he zeroed them out to sleep. In the real world, falling asleep would automatically send a person to Rivia. It is only when a player falls asleep in Rivia that he can truly rest his mind and body.
Players had to be careful where they slept as they would be vulnerable to attacks from monsters… And other Players.