Chapter 10: Desperate Measures

BOOF!!

ROAAAR!!

"AHHH!" 

SPLASH! 

Arm trapped between the creature's jaws, and deep underwater, Azrakar was drowning. His lungs filled rapidly, and his consciousness began to fade fast.

That crocodile-faced fish was lured in by the baboons in the water that had leaped off the cliff after Azrakar. The fish just happened to erupt from the water right beneath him. The result? He was caught by its jaws.

Fortunately, Azrakar's arm was lodged between the razor-sharp teeth, suffering no harm. Yet, with the fish's frantic swimming and the increasing depth, Azrakar's chances of survival were slim

He tried to punch the fish in the face hoping to release his arm, but it was futile. The crocodile fish was swimming too swiftly underwater, making it impossible for him to budge even a muscle.

'Ughh! Think! I can't die here… I refuse!' Desperately searching for an escape route before his mind succumbed, Azrakar abruptly recalled something he used to do back in the pit.

Without a second thought, he summoned a bone spear from his inventory, appearing in his right hand, which was trapped in the fish's jaw.

Due to the cramped space and the soft flesh inside, the spear pierced deeply into the fish's mouth, eliciting a guttural roar of agony as it thrashed wildly in the water.

'MORE! Feel more pain!' 

Azrakar gritted his teeth against the agony coursing through his arm, his mind racing with adrenaline-fueled determination.

With a swift and decisive motion, Azrakar twisted the bone spear, using it as leverage to pry open the fish's jaws. The creature's grip on his arm faltered for a moment, allowing Azrakar to wrench himself free with a primal roar of triumph. He wasted no time and began swimming for the surface.

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Azrakar kicked and thrashed his way upward through the water, his lungs burning with the desperate need for air. The surface seemed impossibly far away, each stroke of his arms a battle against the crushing pressure of the depths.

As he neared the surface, Azrakar's vision began to blur and dim, his body weakening with each passing second. But even as despair threatened to consume him, he refused to surrender.

Behind him, the crocodile-faced fish, enraged by the inflicted pain, renewed its assault with even greater ferocity. Azrakar was unaware that the creature lunged forward.

Fortunately for him, the fish's attack actually saved him. Slapped on the back with its tail, he was propelled out of the water. As Azrakar soared through the air, his body twisted and contorted in a chaotic dance of survival. The rush of wind whipped past him as he hurtled towards the sky.

'NOO! Not there!' With a resounding splash, Azrakar crashed back down into the water, the impact sending shockwaves rippling through the surface. He gasped for air as he broke through the surface once more, his lungs burning with the desperate need for oxygen.

"Cough… must escape… land." With the crocodile-faced fish still lurking in the depths below, he knew that he had to keep moving if he wanted to stay alive.

Summoning every last ounce of strength he had left, Azrakar began to swim with all his might, his muscles screaming with exhaustion as he fought against the current. Each stroke brought him closer to the safety of the riverbank.

After what seemed like an eternity for him, he felt the solid ground beneath his feet once more. Despite his exhausted body, Azrakar kept walking until he was a few feet away from the river, then he collapsed onto the soft earth, his chest heaving with exertion.

Gasping for breath, he lay there for a moment, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins as he struggled to regain his composure.

"I almost… Cough… died."

GRRRR!

Suddenly he heard a low growl coming from the side. Azrakar flashed a weak smile as he slowly turned toward the source of the growl.

"Seriously… can't I have a moment to breathe?"

Emerging from a bush was a creature he had seen before, a scrawny hairless wild dog.

The Orcs called these wild dogs 'Rot Eaters.' They hunted in packs, but it wasn't uncommon to see one alone. Although the Rot Eaters weren't difficult to deal with, a simple fire could scare them off. However, they possessed a dreadfully poisonous bite.

A poison that could cause rot, disease, and decay to slowly spread throughout your entire body, inflicting excruciating pain for a long time if not treated immediately. Those who suffer from this poison usually take their own lives if they fail to find a cure in time.

For Azrakar, this presented a dire situation. He was stranded here, with no experience in healing and no way to call for help.

'I just need to be cautious.' With that thought, Azrakar forced himself to his feet, summoning his bone shield and club. Facing the Rot Eater, Azrakar crouched slightly, shielding his arms and legs.

The Rot Eater had a nasty habit of targeting only legs and arms. When their prey was weakened, they went for the neck, aiming to deliver their lethal bite. But most of the time, they simply devoured their victim alive.

The Rot Eater prowled closer, its eyes fixed on Azrakar, hunger driving it forward. Azrakar gripped his bone club tightly, readying himself for the inevitable confrontation. He took slow, steady breaths, attempting to steady his trembling limbs and focus his mind on the hairless wild dog in front of him.

GRRR. 

Slightly exposing his left leg, Azrakar lured the creature into launching his attack.

'YES! Come on.'

When the Rot Eater lunged forward, Azrakar sprang into action, swinging his bone club with all his might. The makeshift weapon connected with the creature's side, eliciting a pained yelp as it staggered backward.

"DIE!" 

Seizing the opportunity, Azrakar pressed his advantage, delivering a series of swift strikes aimed at driving the Rot Eater away.

But the Rot Eater, fueled by hunger and desperation, refused to retreat. It snarled and snapped, its movements erratic and unpredictable. Azrakar struggled to dodge its lunges and strikes.

With each passing moment, he felt the weight of exhaustion bearing down on him, his muscles protesting with every movement. Mistakes were inevitable.

As the Rot Eater lunged again, Azrakar sidestepped the attack, narrowly avoiding the creature's snapping jaws. But in his exhaustion, he stumbled, leaving himself momentarily vulnerable.

'Oh Shi—…"

With lightning speed, the Rot Eater seized the opportunity, sinking its teeth into Azrakar's exposed right arm. Pain shot through his body as the poisonous bite pierced his skin, injecting its toxic venom into his bloodstream.

"AHHHHH!" 

[-112HP]

[Warning: You have been inflicted with The Rot Eater's venom]

[-1HP each second]

[Warning: Your health is below 50%]

'Shut up! I can feel it!'

Despite the searing pain coursing through his body and the warning signals flashing in his mind, Azrakar refused to yield to despair. With a primal roar, he summoned every ounce of strength and determination he possessed.

Feeling the venom rapidly infiltrate his veins, Azrakar knew that he had to act quickly if he wanted to survive. Ignoring the agony that threatened to overwhelm him, he discarded his bone shield and lunged at the wild dog with his free left hand, grabbing it firmly by the scruff of its neck.

With a fierce growl, Azrakar dashed, slamming the Rot Eater against a nearby rock, causing it to let out a yelp of pain, yet the wild dog refused to release its grip. 

"YOU BASTARD!"

Azrakar roared, slamming it against the rock once more, this time with even greater ferocity. The Rot Eater let out another pained yelp as the impact reverberated through its body, but still, it clung tenaciously to its prey.

Azrakar's muscles screamed in protest as he continued to exert himself, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought against the relentless onslaught of pain and exhaustion.

"AGAIN!" 

With a final surge of effort, Azrakar summoned every last ounce of his remaining strength and drove the Rot Eater against the rock with all his might. The creature's grip faltered, its strength finally giving way under the relentless assault.

The moment the Rot Eater released its hold, Azrakar seized the opportunity to clamp down on the creature's jaws with both hands, his grip fueled by a potent mix of adrenaline and determination. Ignoring the searing pain in his arm from the poisonous bite.

"Come on, you filthy mutt! Just die" Azrakar gritted his teeth, mustering every last bit of strength he had left to twist the Rot Eater's neck with a sickening crack.

[You Have Killed: Rot Eater]

[250XP]

[Level UP]

"Finally!" 

Gasping heavily, Azrakar released the lifeless body of the Rot Eater and stumbled backward, his body trembling with exhaustion and pain. He collapsed to his knees beside the motionless form of his fallen adversary, his mind reeling from the intensity of the battle he had just endured.

"Ugh…I must move….can't stay here" 

Struggling to push through the pain and fatigue, Azrakar forced himself back to his feet. Retrieving his discarded bone shield, every movement sent waves of agony rippling through his body.

Scanning his surroundings for the first time, a forest stretched out before him, its towering trees casting long shadows across the forest floor. Each tree was probably a hundred times his height and width; Azrakar felt small gazing at the trees, even the leaves were bigger than him.

His yellow eyes flickered from one towering tree to another, searching for any sign of movement or danger lurking in the shadows. Every rustle of leaves or distant sound. until he suddenly noticed a peculiar sight—a ray of sunlight filtering through a crack in one of the massive tree trunks.

'That tree is hollow?' 

With cautious curiosity, Azrakar approached the towering tree, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the crack from which the sunlight emanated. It was then that he realized the crack was big enough for him to get through and the tree was indeed hollow.

Without hesitation, Azrakar climbed up the rough surface of the massive tree trunk, his muscles protesting with each movement as exhaustion continued to weigh heavily on his weary body. Reaching the crack. And with no second thought, he slid into the darkness within the hollow tree trunk.

Inside, the air was cool and musty, the dim light filtering through cracks and crevices in the wood casting eerie shadows around him. Fortunately, the tree was empty and there was no sign that a person or a creature lived there.

Leaning against the wooden wall, Azrakar summoned one of the bone spears from his inventory. He then extended his right arm, pressing the spear tip just above where the Rot Eater had bitten him.

His intention was clear: sever the arm to prevent the poison from spreading.

"It's probably too late for that, but I'm not taking any chances."

He took a deep breath, and as he was about to plunge the spear into his arm, Nexus' voice echoed in his head.

[Master, I can help you remove the poison. You don't have to cut off your arm.]

"Nexus, can you really do that?" Azrakar's voice reverberated within his thoughts, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.

[Yes, Master. I can forcefully unlock one of the system functions: 'The Shop' from there you can buy an antidote for the poison.]

"Good! Good! Do it" Relief washed over Azrakar at the possibility of avoiding such a drastic measure as cutting off his own arm.

[However, Master, I must warn you. The shop is a later tutorial unlock. Forcefully giving it to you now would raise the difficulty of the remaining tutorial quests drastically, and you would have another tutorial quest right away.]

Azrakar considered this for a moment but quickly shook his head. "I don't have a choice. Survival is more important. Do it."

[Understood]

After a brief pause, multiple system notifications materialized before his eyes.

[Congratulations, you have unlocked the Shop!]

[A 1000 system point reward has been granted.]

[With the Shop, you can buy and sell items, as well as convert any junk gear, unwanted loot, or resources into system points.]

[Please note that the items available for purchase are based on your hunter rank. Raise your rank to unlock better items.]

With the Shop now unlocked, Azrakar's options for survival had expanded. He saw multiple windows appear rapidly, likely Nexus' doing. The final window displayed an image of a strange-looking transparent vial filled with a purple liquid.

[You have obtained a Common Rank Antidote: 50 SP]

[Master, the antidote has been transferred to your inventory. Use it immediately.]

'Phew…' With a surge of relief, Azrakar quickly accessed his inventory and located the antidote Nexus had procured for him. The transparent vial containing the purple substance shimmered in the dim light of the hollow tree trunk. Without hesitation, he uncorked the vial and swiftly consumed its contents, hoping for swift relief from the venom coursing through his veins.

As he drank the antidote, he could feel its effects almost immediately. A cooling sensation spread throughout his body, countering the searing pain of the poison with a soothing balm. The venom's potency began to diminish, its effects gradually fading away as the antidote worked its magic.

Azrakar let out a sigh of relief as the last traces of pain subsided, replaced by a sense of profound gratitude towards Nexus for coming to his aid in his time of need.

"Thank you, Nexus," he murmured softly, his voice echoing within the confines of his mind.

[You're welcome, Master. I'm glad I could assist you.]

[Master, another tutorial quest has been issued. Would you like to see it?]

With the immediate threat of the poison neutralized Azrakar's gratitude towards Nexus swelled even further. He nodded inwardly, acknowledging the AI's assistance in his time of need.

"Sure; show me"

[Understood, Master. Here are the details of your new tutorial quest]

[Third Quest: Complete tutorial (3/10)

Objective: Slay a hundred creatures (0/100)

 Complete the tutorial's second quest 

 Time limit: one week]

"..."