Death’s Edge

Ozul raced through the tunnels searching for a place to conceal himself. When the plants and mushrooms stopped emerging, he spotted a small vegetation-less crevice on the tunnel wall. It sloped downward and was deep enough to cloak him from the light. The opening was narrow making it impossible for a typical Umbra to fit in. However, Ozul had lost most of his body and was half of his original size. He squeezed into the crevice, forcing himself against the hard rock. His rib scraped against the stone and broke off, sending a new wave of pain and nausea. A light suddenly illuminated the tunnel he was just in, filling it with a gentle glow that made the walls sparkle. It was a beautiful sight for any creature not destined to remain in shadow. Ozul could see the glow from the bottom of the crevice and barely managed to avoid it.

Shock, anger and a deep sadness permeated Ozul as he laid on the hard stone's surface. He was exhausted and mangled, lacking the energy to even float. "Why did they attack me?" he sorrowfully thought. Ozul tried to understand the Umbras' reasoning or what circumstances dictated his assault but came to no conclusions. His exhaustion clouded his judgment making it impossible to critically think. Ozul was despaired and his thoughts repeated themselves. "The Umbra betrayed and tried to eat me..." He felt overwhelmed before a calming numbing sensation washed over him. Ozul accepted the feeling and refused to drift deeper into his anguish. He rested for a time before managing to lean forward and appraise himself.

Species: Disturbed Umbra

Level: 3

Experience to next level: 90/100

Health: 2/100

Strength: 16

Dexterity: 35

Wisdom: 14

Intelligence: 176

Species Advantages: Darkness Immunity

Skills: Strong Bite level 2, Night Vision level 1, Appraisal max level

Titles: Blessed Reincarnation (Someone who a God has allowed to keep their memories from a previous life)

Curses: Your race was cursed by a god and will forever be extremely vulnerable to light.

Ozul stared at his HP. "I have two remaining health points… a falling pebble is enough to kill me." He once again leaned forward and observed his body, or what was left of it. Out of his twenty-four ribs only seven remained intact and half of his body was entirely gone. The end of Ozul's spine was angled with a sharp jagged edge from where the lower vertebrae was destroyed. "How am I still alive?" he thought. His only explanation was that his increased size gave him a buffer that strengthened his body.

Ozul leaned back and desired an end to it all. His body screamed in pain and could barely move. "I can never depend on my species ever again. I am a lone Disturbed Umbra who will fight and survive by myself." Ozul felt a dark determination grow. He found an outlet for the anger that has brewed in him since his reincarnation. Rage overtook him as he thought, "I'll regain my strength and kill every Umbra I see! I'll cause the extinction of my own race who betrayed me."

Ozul never felt a true kinship with his kind, nor did he mourn their passing, but he felt safe and secure around them. That safety was one of the only emotions he found comfort in as his life drastically changed. A throbbing pain filled Ozul, and he knew death was close at hand. "If any monster discovers me, I will be killed. I need to replenish my HP which will hopefully regrow my bones or at least repair the ones I have left." he thought.

Ozul silently squeezed himself out of the crevice. The vegetation had long since receded back into the cracks and the passageway was empty. He needed to find a lone monster he could easily kill and devour. Ozul crept along the tunnel venturing farther away from the cavern and his traitorous brethren. His smaller size made it easier to hide but the constant pain slowed his movements. He was paranoid a monster might discover him or run into a pack of Umbras. More cautious than ever before, Ozul kept to the shadows and searched for food.

Ozul appraised a multitude of different monsters as he searched for easy prey. He had found a small cavern that hosted a dozen or so horned wolves with grey and purple fur. The largest of which was level 7 and the weakest level 2. Ozul also discovered a snake monster that was twenty feet long and ten inches in diameter. It was black with sharp orange eyes and four rows of long venomous fangs. Ozul observed the snake killing a skeleton by wrapping around it and crushing its bones to powder. The skeleton was equipped with a club that bounced uselessly off the snake's thick scales. "I wonder how many types of monsters inhabit this dungeon." Ozul thought as he slinked behind one stalactite to another. Ozul feared the powerful monsters but remained calm and well hidden.

Ozul came to a desolate path that provided no cover to conceal him. It was a small seemingly empty cave with smooth walls and ceiling. The cave conjoined his tunnel with the one ahead of him. He observed the cave to ensure his safety before proceeding and discovered something. "What's that?" he thought. There was a large rock that appeared unnatural on the left wall. It was perfectly round and blended in with the colors of the surrounding stone. Ozul employed appraise.

Species: Stone Snail

Level: 1

Experience to next level: 11/100

Health: 100/100

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 6

Wisdom: 8

Intelligence: 7

Species Advantages: A Hard Shell That Blends in With Any Stone Environment

Skills: Bite level 1, Night Vision level 2, Acidic Mucus level 1

Titles: None

Curses: None

Ozul was surprised that his appraise skill could be used to discover camouflaged monsters. If he continually appraised, he may be able to detect hidden monsters. "The snail is alone and is the weakest monster I've encountered, but it can still kill me easily. I'll sneak up and finish it quickly."

Ozul crept forward while not looking directly at the snail. He didn't know if it had a sixth sense to detect bloodlust, so he used his peripheral vision to observe it. Ozul moved painstakingly slowly and in complete silence. When he drew closer, Ozul could see an opening at the bottom of one side of the shell. The other side was smooth and was likely the snails back. Not wanting to face the snail's head if it emerged, he positioned himself at the rear.

He was now in striking range and reconsidered the risks. "If my bite doesn't crack this shell quickly then the snail will have time to kill me. I can't take the chance of passing this opportunity to get HP though." Ozul tensed up his body and sprung forward. He bit the shell with all his might, but it did not break. The snail made a hissing sound as its head shot out of the shell. Ozul panicked and bit the shell again and again in quick succession. The snail struggled to reach Ozul who was latched onto its back. On the fourth bite Ozul felt the shell crack and slightly buckle. A rush of excitement surged through him as he bit again. The shell was crushed revealing the ghastly grey flesh of the snail. It had black pulsating veins running through its mucus covered body. The snail hissed in pain and anger overextending its neck to bite Ozul. He dodged the attack and bit into the wet flesh. The snail let out a pain filled gurgle as Ozul pulverized its internal organs.

Each bite of the snail's flesh made Ozul stronger and healthier. The cracks in his bones healed and a new vertebra of spine began growing. The snail tasted like dirt and was hard to choke down, but Ozul was desperate for both HP and food. The mucus on the snail's flesh slightly burned his mouth, but not to a damaging degree. Once the snail was entirely consumed Ozul flew to a passageway and found a place to hide. He rested there and appraised himself.

Species: Disturbed Umbra

Level: 4

Experience to next level: 3/100

Health: 32/100

Strength: 19

Dexterity: 38

Wisdom: 17

Intelligence: 179

Points to Assign: 3

Species Advantages: Darkness Immunity

Skills: Strong Bite level 3, Night Vision level 1, Appraisal max level

Titles: Blessed Reincarnation (Someone who a God has allowed to keep their memories from a previous life)

Curses: Your race was cursed by a god and will forever be extremely vulnerable to light.

Ozul was surprised to see his increased stats and thought, "I leveled up, got 30 HP back and my bite skill is level 3!" Ozul excitedly opened and closed his mouth multiple times feeling the difference in his bite size and strength. He then placed two of his three assignable points into dexterity and the last point into strength. Ozul was still in pain, but it was minor compared to before. "The snail was disgusting but I need more HP," he thought. Ozul decided to rest in his hiding spot before leaving to go on another hunt.