Sato stood there for a moment, catching his breath, a faint sense of relief washing over him. He had survived. Again.
Then the blue screen appeared once more.
The percentage had jumped.
87%
Sato's eye widened.
"How…?" he whispered to himself. "It was much lower just a minute ago. How did it rise so fast?"
Then the realization hit him.
"It's because I lost more blood," he muttered, voice low and bitter. "The more I bleed… the stronger it gets."
He looked up.
A thin blue thread floated in the air, glowing faintly, drifting deeper into the tunnel.
*That's mana… isn't it?* he thought.
The thread led forward.
Sato didn't hesitate.
He followed it.
His body no longer regenerated properly—the parasite was interfering. Wounds stayed open longer. Pain lingered.
He walked on.
Soon he heard sounds—wet, slithering noises. Many of them.
The thread curved, leading to a large chamber carved into the tunnel wall.
Sato peered inside.
The room was filled with long, writhing insect-like creatures—pale, translucent, segmented bodies with sharp mandibles. They crawled over each other, laying eggs in clusters.
The thread pointed straight to the largest one at the far end—bigger than the rest, bloated, constantly depositing eggs.
*That thing… that's the one that put the parasite in me,* Sato thought, anger flaring in his chest.
The creatures noticed him.
They turned, mandibles clicking, and fired volleys of slimy, acidic projectiles.
Sato dodged easily—the first shots hissed against the wall, melting stone with a sharp tssss.
"Damn it… acid monsters now?" he growled. "No more chances."
He didn't wait.
He charged.
But the swarm fired again.
Sato retreated, forced back.
He glanced at the screen.
89%
"I need to hurry," he muttered. "I have to start with the small ones first."
He wrapped the sword in mana—blue light running along the blade.
Then he moved—fast.
He cut through the swarm, slashing in wide arcs.
One after another, the smaller insects fell.
Finally, he reached the queen.
He leaped.
Single Slash.
The blade flashed.
The queen screeched as the sword bit deep.
It thrashed, eggs spilling.
Sato twisted the blade.
The creature shuddered once and went still.
Notifications flooded in.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the Brood Mother (Level 32).]
[EXP gained: +3000]
[Congratulations! You have defeated 43x Brood Drone (Level 22-25).]
[EXP gained: +5500]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 43x Brood Drone Carapace (Common).]
[Congratulations! You have obtained Cursed Eye Dagger (Rare).]
Suddenly, Sato retched.
Blood mixed with something black and wriggling burst from his mouth.
The parasite fell to the ground—twitching, then still.
[Congratulations! You have eliminated the Parasite.]
Sato wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
His voice was low, cold, and full of promise.
"One day… I'll kill every single one of you."
Sato slowly came back to himself. He leaned against the tunnel wall and slid down to sit. He began to steady his breathing, taking deep, deliberate breaths. A faint sense of relief washed over him—he had escaped death once again.
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 18.]
[You have gained +9 bonus Stat Points.]
Sato stared at the screen.
"Damn these things," he muttered under his breath.
He opened the status window and began allocating the bonus points—carefully, thinking ahead.
+3 Mana
+2 Vitality
+2 Strength
+1 Agility
+1 Endurance
The changes flowed through him. His body felt stronger, more resilient. The mana current inside him grew clearer, steadier. He could sense it more vividly now—like a second heartbeat.
"I think this feeling… is the best thing that's happened to me so far," he whispered to himself, a tired, almost bitter smile on his face.
He closed the window and looked down the dark tunnel.
Sato slowly turned his attention to the new dagger he had obtained.
[Cursed Eye Dagger (Rare)]
Effects:
Enemies wounded by this dagger are afflicted with a persistent curse of poison. The poison continues until the wielder dies or voluntarily stops it. Special antidotes and spells can resist it.
Poison Effect:
Deals 3% of the target's maximum HP as damage every 15 second.
Reduces the target's speed by 15%.
Stats:
+3 Agility
+1 Intelligence
Sato stared at the description for a long moment, then let out a small, tired breath.
"At least these things give something useful," he muttered to himself, a faint trace of satisfaction in his voice despite the exhaustion.
He slipped the dagger into his belt, next to the Asam Sword.
Sato pushed himself up, legs still shaky but steadier than before.
But the path forward was long.