THUD!!
THUD!!
THUD!!
THUD!!
A distant rumbling crawled through the ground beneath Kaito, snapping him back.
"What, I am still here."
Darkness stretched endlessly in every direction, he couldn't tell where the rumbling came from. He tried to push himself up, only for his head to scream in protest. He hissed through clenched teeth, his left hand flying to his temple as the rumbling approaches closer.
"Whatever is that, it's on it's way and I doubt it's gonna be help." he whispered, voice trembling despite his attempt to keep it steady.
The sound was singular anymore.The closer it get the more multiplied it sounded.Heavy impacts followed the rumble, like dozens.....no, hundreds of massive bodies pounding against the ground.The image forming in his mind sent shivers around body.
A herd of animals running, and they were on their way to Kaito.
He could help but wonder, how can a place like this have inhabitants.There is nothing that lives out here except for one.
"Ooh no.."panic invaded with realization.
"Move,"he told himself hoarsly."Move, move, move."
He forced his body to respond,dragging himself towards a jagged boulder nearby.He barely tucked himself into the shadows, prssing his back against the cold surface and covering his mouth to silence his breathing.
The noise came closer, too close that this time he could now see what was making the rumbling. And whatever it was came to view.
Kaito couldn't believe what he is witnessing.
They were...impossibly abnormal looking. Some had too many eyes while other had a few. Their teeth were sharp as broken glass for sure their carnivals(Another reason he had too hide).Their skins were rotten like they were hit by acid drops. Some moved on four, others moved on too many limbs. Their bodies were in a wrong way, like animals being chopped then brought back but a blind person. Some had horns on their chests while others had eyes where the nose was suppose to be.
"Animals...?"he whispered, eyes wide. "No...that's not right."
One of the creatures let out a terrifying growl.
GRRRRNNNNNNK
They weren't animals, and weren't humans either. But they had the vague shapes of animals.
Corrupted Core Spirits, a lot of them.
Dozens of them thundered past his hiding place, their collective presence, suffocating. It was the first time he seen this types of Corrupted Core Spirits, they are different from the ones he saw. He can even tell just by looking at them, that they are on a whole different level.
The rumbling fades as they disappear ahead, leaving Kaito frozen for a while long .
"They didn't see me..."he muttered shakily.
Only when the silence returned did he realize how hard he was shaking.
He swallowed, forcing himself into sitting position despite the pain surging in his head.
He looked across the landscape now that his eyes had adjusted. The Corrupted world seemed nothing more like a horizon of endless darkness with no sky above. Not even the sun or the moon. The only thing that keeps the place visible was the core crystals found here.
Kaito curiously moved his eyes around noticing the crystals found in this place had the same colour. An like the multi colored ones harvested back at earth this one's are all purplish.
Tti-ring.
"What's this?"
[Congratulations on becoming a player]
[The system purpose is to support players growth on their journey]
[Reading the system's instructions is recommended]
[Good luck]
[Instructions]
Pla-
"Nah skip. "
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Kaito Sakurama
Race: Human
Level:1
Rank: Zero Grader
Core-trait: None
Title: None
HP:41/100
Core Enery:10
Fatigue:26
[Attributes]
Vitality:10
Strength:10
Stamina:10
Agility:10
He stared at it for a long time without touching it. "My head must have hit hard." he continued speaking slowly. "Why am i thinking about games at a time like this, i need to find a way out of this place."
With curiosity fueling him and he had no other choice but to check what this strange menu offers.
"...Fine," he said quetly. "If i am going crazy, might as well see try whatever this is."
He raised his trembling hand.
Shake!!
Shake!!
Tti-ring
"For real?!.
[Skills Tab]
None
...
"Not suprised"
Swipe!!!
He switched to the next one.
[Shop Tab]
Locked
Note: Reach level 15
"LEVEL FIFTEEN?!" he hissed with frustration. "Are you insane?! Did you see what just walked past me?!"
He wasn't expecting the next tab to be something like this.
[Quests Tab]
[Daily Quest: Exterminate 5 Corrupted Core Spirits]
[Reward:100 exp]
"Cool.." he thought.
The last tab was the Inventory ,for now it was empty.
After checking anything the system offers, Kaito couldn't help to think about where it came from. Part of him believes it's real, that it somehow can be the key to escaping this place.
A loud howl from somewhere startled Kaito, he jerked and looked around to see where it came from.
"GRRRRNNNK-"
"Crap, I have to find a place to hide."
**********
A few moments later passed on Kaito had been walking aimlessly without knowing where he was going, but with one thing in his mind.
He passed by a rock formation forming a cave. Then returned after realization had reminded him.
A cave means shelter.
Kaito slipped inside, pressing himself against the wall as the enterance itself was cramped.
The cave was suppose to be dark, that's what he though, but due to the support of the Core Crystals, their was light. It was also empty inside and kinda cramped too.
"This shall do it." he whispered.
His head throbbed again, his body aching. The cave felt safe and quite so he sat down.
He pulled his knees towards his chest, staring at the cave entrance.
"I am not dying here," he said aloud with stubbornness in his voice." not matter what."