4 Intensity of Being

A girl appeared inside a tiny, black space. She shook uncontrollably. Confusion was drawn on her pretty face. She froze, paralyzed with fear and shock. After a short while, she replied in a mumble and disappeared.

The girl died miserably. Her skull cracked the moment she transferred into the stone corridor. The deadly swing was too fast for her to dodge. Sharp, yellowish teeth tore her skin and sank deep into her flesh, shattering the bones in her arm. Fortunately for her, she could not feel anymore. Confusion was still drawn on her pretty face as her mangled, dead body lied in a pool of still blood. The nauseating sounds of munching and gnawing resonated in the corridor for a long time. Torches, which illuminated dim corridors seemed indifferent, flickering to the noises of the feast.

Somewhere else, a tall, muscular man was fighting with two monsters at the same time. He moved fast, striking with strength and skill of trained professional. Military boot plunged deep into goblin's side. Five minutes later, the man fell under the assault, skewered by multiple arrows.

No matter children, elders or mothers. Neither was safe. Numerous people died. They could only blame their curiosity or lack of fortune. People who died at the hands of monsters were not the first victims. It was the violent emergence of the Obelisks what had resulted in earliest deaths. Black constructs emerged throughout the globe, causing a cataclysm. Not a place was spared of their presence. They were in forests, mountains, suburbs, densely built-up areas.

As they appeared, Obelisks pushed the local nature away and flattened numerous buildings. Tens of thousands of people forever buried under the debris. Cities slipped into ruin. Those who managed to survive the collapse and escaped the tragic fate of being crushed and flattened did so only to be killed minutes later, in the dungeon. Fortune is a fickle friend.

Shin was not concerned about the chaos in which the world was immersed. He had problems of his own. After advancement, his fighting prowess soared. Now he could suck monster dry of life in about 12 seconds. What held him back was the regeneration rate of the essence. Even though he used less of the warlock's resource now, he still had to rest for about 16 minutes after each fight, waiting for it to refill. And those numbers were valid only when he fought against a single opponent.

On the other hand, he did not have to worry about his mana consumption. Because he needed mana only for necromancy, it was more than enough. And due to nature of his second skill, he did not have to [Animate] constantly. Therefore, for now, he used his summons as disposable goods. He had to, as the life regeneration didn't seem to apply to them the way it did to him. Shin had no way to heal them after each encounter. Resummoning was his only option. Luckily, it seemed like the lack of corpses wouldn't be of concern.

The boy also confirmed that skeletons were not able to increase their level, regardless of the fact that they participated in many fights. He suspected that level of [Animate] governs maximum summon's level.

Since the time he got his cloak, Shin had killed 13 goblins. A little over three hours have passed since this joyous gleam of luck occurred. His experience meter filled by about one fourth. Most importantly, the constant threat seemed to have finally changed his aura. While at the beginning his eyes contained a shadow of fear, now the gaze has become harder, penetrating and calculative. The change was subtle, but he had gained a peculiar intensity of being.

"No loot this time. It seems like it is relatively hard to get something decent."

Beneath the dark clothing, his stomach growled. He leaned slightly, taking out a crushed bar from the pocket of his trousers. His hand clenched around the rustling object.

The nutritious bars had a high calorific value. Travelers liked them. They were held in high regard not only by casual tourists but also received recognition among seasoned hikers. All in all, the nutritious bar was an excellent source of energy. And Shin happened to burn an awful lot of it while fighting for his life.

"And now I truly have nothing to eat. Am I supposed to eat corpses?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered.

He had food. To bring along enough food is the most basic of basics for a pleasant trip to the mountains. Regrettably, the backpack with supplies remained in the mountain forest, precisely where Shin had put it, shortly before the incident happened. Now, without the bar in his pocket, he started to feel pressured to find the exit. Empty wrapping is a sad sight, but nothing encourages better than hunger.

[I'm hungry.]

Said the young boy, long time ago. The cute child stared at the restaurant storefront with big and innocent eyes. Inside, bathed in bright electric light, beautiful ladies and handsome men were indulging in reserved gluttony, eating small portions of expensive foods from large plates. The child did not know what the concept of elegance was. Beautiful dresses and tailored suits did not enter his eye. He focused on tiny pieces of food on forks and spoons. As he followed the arm movements of the man, who sat close to the window, his stomach growled.

[Gained 10 experience points.]

[Gained 10 experience points.]

Shin chewed his lower lip. He could no longer tell how much time had passed. He did, however, know, that with a bit more effort he should advance to the third level. He got accustomed to hunting. Present Shin was already able to see through goblin's fighting patterns.

"Status."

Level 2 | Experience: 400

Life Points: 108 | Essence: 46 | Mana: 120

Str: 10 | Agi: 10 | Int: 20

Skills: Drain [3] | Animate [1]

He looked at his palm. The last defeated creature grazed him with a jagged knife just before it fell motionlessly at his feet. The wound looked ugly, but he seemed unconcerned. Shin examined his hand a bit more until finally deciding to look away.

The wound looked ugly, but the hurt of this size closed in a fraction of a second while he used [Drain]. Effects were so potent that not even a trace of scarring was left. He just had to find another opponent.

At first, he was curious about it, but after he healed a few times, he lost interest completely. Somehow, he grew physically stronger in a split second, his life has changed into a game, and he was currently in a dungeon. In those circumstances, abnormal regeneration was not something to complain.

Something crossed the air, flying over the shoulder of one of the skeletons. The arrow whistled, digging deep into the boy's right arm. Shin lost his balance. The unexpected attack nearly knocked him off his feet. Seconds later, the second projectile hit the skull of the second of summons, splitting off a piece of bone.

[Bleeding.]

[Poisoned.]

Notifications rang almost simultaneously. Youth eyes narrowed, as he saw his life value did not cease to drop. Almost immediately, he focused on the corridor, trying to penetrate the darkness. He saw a glimmer. Something was approaching from a distance, swiftly closing in. From what he could see, it moved alone. The skeletons rushed forward, instinctively avoiding subsequent shots. Shin collected himself and raised his left hand upwards. His breathing quickened. Green tendrils of glowing smoke started to float around his palm.

It seemed like he had to put in that little effort now.