Sol heard something, something loud enough that would stun him but only he could hear. It became louder and louder as the monster got closer to him, making him let out a small weak chuckle.
'Is it my heartbeat?'
Time seemed like stopped only leaving him and the sound of his beating heart, everything fell into an eerie silence but he didn't panic, not only that he felt calmer than ever before.
"C'mon, it's not like my first time facing death. You aren't exactly the worst encounter I had with it you know."
He wasn't sure if he said it out loud or in his mind, he wasn't even sure if that was true.
He didn't know if he could do it in time but he did it anyway, he twisted his body as he made his move time started moving again but luckily what little movement he did was just enough to avoid the full brunt of the monster's attack. The bug's claws grazed his side, searing pain tearing through his ribs. Blood soaked his already battered skin, his face grimaced but something was burning in his eyes.
Stumbling but refusing to fall, Sol let out a guttural cry and drove the shard upward with every ounce of strength he had left. The jagged wood met resistance and then pierced through the soft chitin beneath the creature's thorax.
'Gotcha.'
A shriek split the air, piercing and otherworldly but sounded so distant to Sol's ears. The bug writhed violently, its wings flailing in chaotic arcs. The force of its struggle knocked Sol backward, and he hit the ground hard, his vision went blank seeing flashes of small lights in the darkness.
Gasping for breath, the world returns to normal, his vision blurrier than ever and unknown ringing attached to his ears he looked at the monster. Black blood gushed from the wound, staining the emerald-green grass. The shimmering wings beat erratically, scattering fragments of light before folding in on themselves.
Sol blinked, his chest heaving.
'Is... it dead?'
As if in answer, the creature let out one last shudder before collapsing into a motionless heap. The forest fell eerily silent, the only sound was Sol's ragged breathing.
For a moment, disbelief washed over him. He had survived. Against all odds, he had killed the monster.
The pain quickly brought him back to reality. His entire body throbbed, and every breath sent a jolt of agony through his ribs. He pressed a trembling hand to his side, feeling the sticky warmth of blood.
"Great,"
He muttered hoarsely without even the strength to move his body.
"If the bug didn't kill me, blood loss probably will."
[Rejoice, you have drawn your first blood, you have proven your worth of going through this trial.]
[You have slain an Inhuman Creature, Stone Ladybug, and you have earned 10 Gate Coins.]
'Right, there is you... the reason I am somewhere like this in the first place...'
He didn't have any more strength left to do anything, even his thinking was muddy and slow. Even his painting body can't make his mind feel refreshed anymore.
'Gate Coins...?'
He thought weakly, he does remember hearing of them.
'Now... how the hell do I use it again?...'
He remembers listening about it from some old audio file he found. Something about focusing on himself and supposed to see something like a holographic screen, he feels so tired.
Sol let out a shallow breath, willing his muddled thoughts to focus. His body begged for rest, every nerve frayed and raw, but the faint glimmer of survival instinct clawed its way back to the surface.
'Focus... Just think about it... like they said in the file.'
As soon as a transparent system interface appeared in front of him, filled with various unknown runes he could understand their meanings completely.
***
Name: Sol
Honored Name: --
Title: --
Rank: Inhuman (Not Awakened)
Species: Human (Creature)
Artifact: --
Summon: --
Powers: --
Abilities: --
Status: [Bleeding], [Fragile Body], [Broken].
Gate Coins: 10
He doesn't need to read their description to understand what those three status effects meant, it was obvious from their name. His breath hitched, instinctively pressing his hand against his side. The faint warmth of his blood continued to seep through his tattered clothing.
'Well, that's just great,'
He thought bitterly.
'I become a walking corpse when I just regained my will to live.'
[Do you wanna start awakening?]
'What will that do? Will heal my injury?'
It didn't reply to him, without much of a choice he mentally commanded it.
'Yes, I accept.'
Then it rushed to him, the feeling of warmth and unnamed power, he could feel his body getting better, his mind getting clearer and his body becoming lighter. But that was it, it didn't stop the bleeding or heal his injuries. Perhaps subsided the pain a little bit and helped him regain a little bit of his stamina back but nothing more.
He checked his interface once again.
Name: Sol
Honored Name: --
Title: --
Rank: Inhuman(Low)
Species: Human(Creature)
Artifact: --
Summon: --
Powers: --
Abilities: --
Status: [Bleeding], [Fragile Body], [Broken].
Gate Coins: 10
'...'
After taking a deep breath and mentally cursing the Gate he started crawling since his mind returned to a somewhat somber state he decided to get away from this place first. Here is so much blood only god knows what kind of creatures that will attract.
Each drag of Sol's body across the blood-stained grass sent jolts of pain through his ribs, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward. His breath came in shallow gasps, and beads of sweat slicked his forehead. Despite the Gate's supposed "awakening," it didn't do anything about his injuries — just dulled the pain and sharpened his senses.
'Great upgrade, now I can feel myself dying even more clearly.'
The thick scent of iron clung to the humid forest air, and the sight of his blood pooling around the ground was a stark reminder that time was not on his side. Well, he wasn't sure what was on his side in the first place anyway.
A low rustle echoed through the foliage behind him.
Sol's heart skipped a beat. His body tensed as adrenaline surged anew through his veins. He pushed harder, dragging himself toward the small hole he saw that was formed between the ground and a giant tree root, in size, it could barely fit him in. Since he still can't get up and run there is no other choice but to drag himself into it. Each movement was agony, but survival demanded it.
'Almost there... C'mon, just a little farther...'
Branches scratched at Sol's arms and legs as he dragged himself across the forest floor, inching closer to the narrow gap beneath the roots. His vision blurred at the edges, the world spinning with each agonizing breath. Memories flashed inside his mind from time to time, none of them were happy ones but precisely because of that he forced himself further.
"Just a little... more..."
He whispered through gritted teeth.
The rustling behind him grew louder, accompanied by a faint clicking sound that set every nerve in his body on edge. Whatever it was, it had caught the scent of the blood in this area.
Sol clenched his jaw, summoning every ounce of strength left granted to him by the adrenaline in his battered body. He lunged forward, half-tumbling into the cramped shelter formed by the tree roots. The rough bark scraped his already scrapped back, but he didn't care. He was safe under the tree — he hoped so.
Panting heavily, he pressed himself against the dirt wall, peering through the gaps in the roots. The forest was a blur of shadows and flickering green light. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out the faint sounds of the forest.
The creature emerged from the undergrowth, and Sol's blood turned cold. It was smaller than the bug he'd just killed but no less menacing — spindly legs, gleaming eyes, and sharp mandibles glinting in the faint light. It skittered across the blood-streaked grass, mandibles clicking as it sniffed the air.
'Curses... another one?'
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His mind raced, desperate for a solution. He had no strength left to fight. The shard he'd used was lost in the struggle, and his body was barely holding together. Anymore movement than this and he probably died because his heart failed him not because monster.
He couldn't help but say at the Outskirts, if you kill the big make sure to slay the small too because if you won't they will come for your head later.
'Aren't you supposed to wait till you grow up? And I should escape from this world while that's happening.'
The creature crept closer, its head swiveling toward the tree roots. Sol held his breath, his body rigid.
'Please... just move on.'
For a moment, it seemed like the creature would retreat, but then it stopped. Its antennae twitched, and it let out a low, guttural hiss.
Panic clawed at Sol's chest. If it found him now, he was dead.
***
The small bug after smelling the blood and scent of its caretaker arrived here in a hurry to find the corpse of its caretaker in rage it followed the scent of blood after all its caretaker managed to harm it greatly. Seeking revenge for its caretaker it slowly headed to the where target was located it was hiding in a small gap between tree and soil.
But to its surprise, once it peeked through the gap it saw nobody, no living creature only a bottomless pit that leads to endless dark abyss.