Introduction Arc: Chapter 12.
◆ [ Mitigating debuffs and side-effects. Survive. ] ◆
BRICKS notified, working diligently behind the scenes. At this current time, it was doing everything that it could to provide support, supplementing healing and significantly spiking adrenaline. The warrior death knight was thrashing the whole cave, seemingly infuriated by the now missing red orb.
It gave ample time for Winter to recover. The manifested undead had a single directive: protect the red orb, and since it failed, it could only lash out. However, this tantrum wouldn't last long. Winter, now somewhat recovered, slowly crawled away, heading for a small opening in a wall.
Winter's was befuddled, eyes still watering from both the physical and mental pain. The fear of death had crept in; he didn't want to die. The warrior death knight was still thrashing, and it destroyed the dirt pedestal that the red orb formerly resided on.
Winter crawled through an opening, comfortably fitting his tall body. A family of small critters was disturbed; they bit his right hand and scurried away, but he ignored it. Prioritizing his safety from the manifested undead first.
Winter curled and puked up blood. "Bricks, help me, please, save me. I don't want to die."
◆ [ Steady your breathing, don't let the warrior death knight know your position. ] ◆
BRICKS said with a steady voice. The warrior death knight has finished its tantrum and is now wandering about the area, looking for Winter.
◆ [ A hero can recover strength and stamina by a 'level-up'. The same applies to you. How soon can you level up? ] ◆
BRICKS asked, mostly unaware of the concept. It was only somewhat aware of it due to remembering past conversations with other players Winter interacted with.
Winter tried to steady his breathing, but it was difficult due to the intense pain in his back. The pain was slowly subsiding due to Bricks' intervention, but it was doing so at a slower rate.
The backstabbing trio's attacks have left a wound on Winter's rear. It was no longer bleeding, but the wound was still fresh. It needed medical intervention.
"I don't know. There's no system here. I can't even check my stats. It's not like the stories." Winter said with a shaky breath, he was slowly losing consciousness, but not because of the wound. There was a pulsing sensation in his right hand. He glanced at it and found that it was swollen and numb.
(The fucking bugs!? I thought they were spiders or something else with a negligible venom!?) Winter thought, his eyes teared up, and dropped on the cold, hard ground. The betrayal caused him a lot of stress, and now imminent danger was closing in. He couldn't take it anymore.
He never felt this intense pressure before due to living a passive and inoffensive life. *Cram!*
The warrior death knight pierced a hand through the opening and inserted another, forcefully widening the opening. Winter could only nauseatingly turn his eye upwards, devoid of any hope. However, there was still a persistent voice inside his head.
It was Bricks, offering solutions. However, he couldn't quite understand it due to the haze.
◆ [ Proceed to.... esca.... iv... ru... ] ◆
◆ [ The allevia.... de..... flee.... ] ◆
◆ [ Please... ] ◆
The warrior death knight roared and raised its sword before delivering a downward strike, ending it all.
....
....
....
*Clang!* The warrior death knight mumbled a confused snarl. He had struck something metallic instead of flesh.
"Get that adventurer out now!" A rough voice said.
A man had parried the warrior death knight's attack with a huge iron shield. However, it was quite clear that the man was straining, barely able to block the warrior death knight's attack. The man was quivering in pain, his arms were almost giving out due to the force of the warrior death knight's attack.
A gust of wind passed behind the shield-bearing man, and a woman dashed and picked up an unconscious, injured young man. This happened in less than three seconds.
The man with the huge iron shield then roared and redirected the overpowering pressure pinning him along with his shield by flinging the shield sideways. The warrior death knight staggered, creating a small opening.
The woman then stomped on a piece of paper, creating a glowing rune on the ground. The warrior death knight exuded a malevolent aura, noticing that the prey was getting away again. It dropped its two swords and shield, leaping forward with desperate and reckless aggression.
*Wham!* The warrior death knight hit its face on the cave wall, smashing hard and causing its body to convulse before wildly flailing around in intense infuriation.
....
....
....
The soft chirps of the bird echoed throughout the trees, while the sun's early morning rays pierced through a half-opened window, and it hit the eye of a young man. The expression on his face was serene, as if he slept without any trouble or nightmare.
The early sun then shone brightly on all the man's face.
Winter slowly woke up, eyes fluttering. There wasn't any sign of pain or discomfort; he had slept wonderfully. He found himself sleeping on a tidy bed and then cautiously rose, massaging his temples.
The room was neat and clean, and not a single dust particle was flying around the room. There was a chest near the door and a cabinet full of books with minimal fonts. The whole room was almost barren of any furniture, unlike his old room from before.
Winter's eyes then widened, remembering the ordeals. He was betrayed by three people he thought were good people.
(Those lying sons of bitches. If I had known they were snakes, I would've decapitated their fucking heads. Those goddamned animals.)
He cursed, but the animosity then died down, replaced with a calming serenity. He noticed the sudden change and exactly knew what it was. It was Bricks' doing.
◆ [ Your anger and frustration will only provide more stress and shortcomings. It's better to suppress and address them early on. ] ◆
Bricks appeared, causing Winter's frustration to pile then fade away. He could only sigh in disbelief and in slight annoyance. (Bricks can influence your emotions. I hate that, but at the same time, it's useful. I don't want to lose my cool.)
(Now, where the hell am I?) As soon as he thought that, the door opened. It revealed a woman dressed in casual tunics, her face was smooth and freckled, sporting long reddish hair. The woman's eyes were a radiant green while her soft lips were pink and thin.
(A beauty...) Winter thought, but he immediately released his impression, aware that beneath an innocent beauty may be a deceiving vixen.