Survival RPG

There was something Rei had discovered while looting around the corpses of the goblins.

[Rune Acquired - [Thorn Blade] ]

He grabbed a stiletto knife that was stabbed into a goblin's chest and discovered that he could take runes and make them his own. He didn't want to loot the human corpses — yet — but he was already doing it by taking their weapons and adding them to his records as the rune unmaterializes.

'... They don't need it anyway, in this run.'

He also took a silver longsword with a wolf design on the hilt, lying on the ground near a goblin and one of the bullies in school. They picked on him occasionally, but they weren't that bad, just jerks.

[Ruin acquired - [Wolfendread] ]

Now, he could finally inspect some normal runes for once.

[Thorn Blade]

<One prick, puddle of blood, one pierced, a river of blood.>

'Okay?'

A bleeding effect? Though he doesn't know how that'll work, maybe they'll bleed faster? Blood won't clot, and they'll keep bleeding unless healed, maybe.

Rei then looked at the other weapon.

[Wolfendread]

<A single wolf will tremble, but a whole pack will fall to their dread>

... So more damage to wolves, or perhaps just a fear effect.

"Can't these weapons be more specific with what the effects they hold are?"

He grumbled before standing up and looking at the exit where the other two were waiting for him. They didn't want to look at the room more than they wanted to, Rei was the only one who could, and with no morals of taking from the dead.

'They're going to be alive again in the next run anyway.'

This run is going to be used to learn more things about the dungeon, the system, and everything else.

With nothing else to take, he decided to get out of the room and meet up again with the other two survivors.

"Alright, I'm ready to go," Rei said before continuing forward, looking back to see the two following him through the hallway.

"How much of this place have you explored?" Cherry asked after they passed by the dead goblin archer that Rei killed.

"I only explored a little. There's a brighter cavern outside of this dungeon-esque place, but there are also dangerous beasts..."

He can still remember the pain. To him, that place was like another level to this dungeon. Goblins should be the easiest to handle. It makes him wonder, was this tough dungeon just a way to kill the weak and let the strong survive and grow stronger for the eventual outside world.

Or maybe - But before he could think too long, he heard something...

THUD THUD THUD-

Heavy footsteps just forward, near the four crossing pathways. And it was getting closer.

"H-hide," Rei whispered to the rest as they went to find a gap or somewhere to hide.

The crannies spread around the hallways were enough to hide one person. After they all hid, they tensely waited for whatever it was to hopefully pass by them or go back.

Seconds felt like minutes, as the footsteps draw nearer, Rei just realized he was holding his breath before the figure finally showed itself.

A giant and burly red body with chain marks that can still be seen all over it, standing at 226cm(7'5 ft tall), it had a wooden mask on its face, attached with chains to the back of its head, a hole for its eyes, where and could only see pitch darkness, and for its mouth that had blood stains all around it.

It was wearing leather pants with a loin cloth made of pelt. Behind was a mace and a butchering knife being held by chains around it like a belt. Wearing nothing on top, some sort of tattoo can be seen on its backs, some sort of rune language perhaps. It was walking barefoot, with the ends of the leather pants having been ripped off or something.

'Great... There are dangerous monsters all around.'

Perhaps risking his hide in the caverns didn't seem such a bad idea after all.

They let it walk further down the path before Cherry got out with Rei and Clara following forward in that order.

"W-what the hell was that?" Cherry muttered while still staring at where the giant went.

"I haven't seen it before either... If my fantasy monster encyclopedia is right, it might be some sort of Orc, Oni, Demon, or something."

Rei shrugged, but he was deeply frowning. It doesn't seem like the surprise encounters will be over anytime soon in this place.

"Let's keep moving. Other students might be around," Cherry said.

"Hopefully, they're safe." Clara nods. She seemed hopeful at the thought of the others being safe.

The more numbers, the safer. Right?

They kept moving, with Rei taking the lead, now for the four pathways. From the perspective of where he came from earlier, he'll be moving on the left path this time.

Nobody talked too much, which Rei liked, not only because he likes quietness, but also because keeping quiet won't attract any monster's attention.

After walking 100 feet, they turn to the right, with another entrance to the cavern greets them.

"... You said there were more dangerous monsters here?" Cherry asked, to which Rei nodded.

"Yeah, and it seems there are multiple ways in here and back to the dungeons."

"Mmm..." Cherry's expression turned thoughtful, and while she was thinking, Rei just realized something.

He felt thirsty, and soon, hunger would come.

'Gah, not only are we fighting monsters now, but we are also going to die if we don't do anything about our natural needs. This is like a survival RPG now...'

"...I also saw some mushrooms there."

The other two turned to Rei. Wondering why he would mention it unless it was important and the importance, they soon realized it as well.

"But it may not be enough. You two realized it, too, right? Water, food, I don't know any water supply, and the mushrooms probably won't help that much. But if we start gathering them now..."

Cherry: "I see what you're thinking... But what about water?"

Rei: "...Hope for one of our classmates to have a water-creating ability?" He joked.

Rei: "Or hope we find a water supply around here... If not... I wonder if drinking monster blood will be good for us."

Those last words made everyone's expression grim.

'Damnit, I don't want my second run to die from thirst!'

Rei gazed around the caverns that he could see, looking for anything but finding no sign of water. And any beasts for that matter...

Rei: "...In the end, I think we should go into the caverns now and look for mushrooms. Maybe we can find a way to our thirst problem."

Clara: "I... agree with what he said."

Cherry looked a little hesitant, deeply thinking, before nodding her head.

Cherry: "Sure..."

Rei replied with a gesture to the front, making Cherry raise an eyebrow.

Cherry: "You want me to lead?"

Rei: "Yes... You do have a shield, and you're the strongest out of us three."

With that logic, Cherry sighed, resigned to the position she goes to the front to lead.

Cherry: "You better watch my back." She said, turning to look over her shoulder.

Rei: "Of course, I will." He had a serious expression on himself.

The trio then wandered through the caverns, alert of the potential danger, but not fully aware of what that "danger" would truly be.

...

[Click to check the records of "Rei Anamada"]