The Ruins

Eric jerked awake as deep, violent coughs escaped his lips. With each cough, he spat out a mouthful of water. He gasped desperately for air, but pain shot through his body with every breath.

Enduring the pain, he beat his chest like a drum, causing more water to come out of his mouth. After a while, he was finally able to catch his breath. Exhausted, Eric collapsed onto his back, feeling completely drained.

"What happened...?" he groaned as a sharp pain coursed through his body like an electric current, paralyzing him. Without enough energy to get up, he looked down at his battered, water-soaked body.

He paused and looked wide-eyed at the huge claw mark that covered his entire torso, from the base of his neck down to his waist. While confused, the memories of the previous encounter with the Venomous bear came flooding back, making him realize how close he had been to death.

Even though the water had washed him, blood still oozed from his wounds, covering his entire chest. Luckily, the wounds weren't too deep. if the claws had cut just a little deeper, his intestines would have fallen.

So I survived again. He didn't sound so enthusiastic even after escaping from the death's clutch.

He thought he was going to drown after he fainted in the river, but it looked like the current washed off to the riverbank. He didn't know whether to consider himself lucky or unlucky.

After the adrenaline wore off, he winced as stabbing pain coursed through his body.

How many bones have I broken?

He lay still on the ground, not even bothering to check his injuries as he was completely drained. He was barely able to stay conscious.

As he rested, he looked at the message that filled his vision.

[You killed Viperwolf - Lvl 9]

[Level up ×2]

It looked like he had gained two levels for killing the Viperwolf, but he didn't have the chance to check his stats due the appearance of the Venomous bear.

He now had four free stat points to distribute to any attribute. Without much thought, he put three points into vitality, leaving the last one for emergencies.

A refreshing sensation flowed through his body, easing the pain and the soreness he felt.

This is really beyond common sense!

Due to the fight with the Viperwolf and the adrenaline rush caused by escaping from the Venomous bear, he didn't feel anything after leveling up. But now just as he added stats points to vitality, he felt a foreign energy coursing through his body. It eased his pain and gave him enough strength to pull himself up high enough to see his surroundings.

The first thing that caught his attention was the roar of the water and the memorable sight of the foaming cascade of water falling into a plunge pool, creating clouds of mist. The surface of the water was covered with floating water plants, duckweed, and algae. The smell of water-saturated air and rich green soil filled the air.

He looked up at the edge of a cliff overlooking a massive waterfall dozens of meters high.

Fortunately, he hadn't hit any of the rocks that filled the cliff as he fell, or he would have been in much worse shape, if not dead.

After he had made sure that there was no monster in the vicinity, he dropped to the ground but didn't fall asleep and kept his senses on high alert.

After a while, feeling sufficiently rested, he slowly got to his feet and stumbled back to the river. Although he wanted nothing more than to fall into a deep slumber, he knew that this wasn't the time. If he fell asleep in this condition, he would never wake up again. He needed to clean and tend his wounds as soon as possible.

Kneeling at the river's edge, he carefully removed the blood-soaked rags that covered him. Fortunately, it hadn't been long ago, and none of the cloth had stuck to his wounds.

He dipped his hands into the cold river water and began to wash the blood and dirt from his wounds. The first contact with the cold water sent shivers through his body, but it was a welcome sensation, a reminder that he was still alive. He continued to clean the wounds, occasionally gritting his teeth as a sharp pain coursed through his body.

After thoroughly cleaning his wounds, Eric took a moment to assess the damage. He had two cracked ribs and some of the cuts were still bleeding, but the flow had slowed considerably. It looked like increasing his vitality had been the right decision.

He grabbed the first aid kit from his inventory and began tending to his wounds. After using up all the tape that had been wrapped around his body and bandaging his wounds, he set the empty kit aside and looked at himself. He was naked, with no clothes on, and he didn't like the soft wind blowing between his legs.

Just as he was looking for something to use as temporary underwear, he remembered something. With a thought, a corpse materialized in front of him. It was the man he had found dead in the bush.

Sorry man, but I really need your clothes. Eric apologized before stripping the man's clothes off and putting them on himself. Even though there were some holes in the clothes, he didn't mind, because they were still better than being naked. After he dressed, he also put on the leather armor. It had metal plates on the chest, shoulders, and joints, covering the important areas.

When he was done, he leaned against a tree and looked at the breathtaking view in front of him, while his thoughts drifted away.

I can't stay here for long, otherwise monsters might find me.

He didn't know how big this forest was and how deep he was in it, but he was sure that the monsters he had met so far weren't the only ones here. There might be other monsters that were more dangerous than the ones he had encountered.

I also need to find more supplies.

He looked at the medical kit box beside him. It was already empty after he had wrapped all the tapes and bandages around his body. He needed more supplies in case he got injured again. Unfortunately, he wasn't in a place where he could just stumble upon them. If he had known that he was in the middle of a damn forest, he would have grabbed more supplies.

If I keep following the river, I might meet someone eventually, but I might also meet other monsters just like before.

Following the water might seem like the best option, but his recent experience made him hesitate.

I need to find shelter as well. He put a hand on the bandage covering his chest. I can't move for long with these injuries. I need to rest.

Even though he could stay where he was and get all the rest he needed, Eric felt it was unwise to stay out in the open. He was afraid those monsters would find him and surround him. He didn't even have a weapon to defend himself, as the dagger fell into the river after the monster attacked him.

Finding shelter is my priority, but I have to be careful.

He still didn't know anything about this forest. Accidentally entering a high-level beast's territory could be dangerous.

How many monsters have the same level as that thing?

His thoughts drifted to the bear that almost killed him if not for the existence of the river.

Is it the strongest creature in this forest, or are there creatures stronger than it?

Just the thought of facing a similar monster again made him shudder. He struggled to kill a level 9 beast, so he could only imagine the result if he faced that bear at his current level. It wasn't a good sight to witness or experience.

There is no point in thinking about what will happen. I should focus on the present. He shook his head to regain his concentration. Which way should I go now?

Looking around, his eyes caught a stream with a path leading up to it.

Going higher might give me a better view of the forest.

Arriving at the creek, he took a closer look. The entrance was about five feet wide, and the path wasn't straight. It went up where it got more rocky.

Climbing will be a bit of a challenge in my current condition.

If he wasn't badly injured, he was sure that he would be able to climb easily. But with his current condition, he would be lucky if the wounds didn't reopen if he pushed his body too hard.

There's no helping it, I guess.

He cursed the Venomous bear and his entire bloodline a few times in his head before he started climbing. It didn't take long for the sweat to drip down his forehead. He felt like his body was on fire as his wounds stung from time to time.

It burns, damn it!

He clenched his teeth and pressed his hand to his chest as he endured the sharp pain. His cracked ribs were the cause of his discomfort. Every move he made was a struggle, and every breath he took sent an intense jolt through his body. Halfway through the path, breathing became so difficult that he had to hold his breath from time to time.

At one point, he simply stopped looking at the end of the slope and concentrated on taking one step at a time.

Thirst began to grow as he climbed up the slope, but just as he decided to take a break, his body swayed as his feet hit the flat ground. Fortunately, he quickly regained his balance before kissing the ground.

Looking around, he found himself in the middle of another path. It went down from the right and up from the left. And next to him was a line of dense trees, with no clear path in sight.

Up again, I guess.

He turned left, but this time he learned his lesson and didn't rush. Step by step he slowly climbed up the path, taking a few breaks along the way. He didn't meet any monsters, which made him breathe a sigh of relief, because he wasn't in a condition that would allow him to fight properly.

When he reached the top, he stopped and looked around.

What is that? A cave?

In front of him was a dark cave, but it was surrounded by weathered stone pillars surrounded by dead clumps of grass. A broken pillar almost blocked the entrance.

It looks more like a ruin.

It didn't look like it was naturally formed. Someone had built it, but he didn't know how long it had existed. Judging from its condition, it must have been here for a long time.

I should check it out and see if it can be used as a temporary shelter.

He approached the ruin and stopped when he noticed something. He looked to his left and saw an object that caught his attention. It was a dagger with dry and dark matter forming a crust around the edges while still being somewhat wet and sticky in the center.

He held the dagger up, wiped away the dark matter, and examined it between his fingers.

"It's blood, and it hasn't been long since it was stained. Maybe two or three days," he muttered, before scanning the area for further clues or signs of danger.

On the ground, he noticed that the blood had partially dried, forming a sticky, reddish-brown stain with some coagulated patches mixed with dirt. The drops of blood formed a trail leading to the ruins.

Did someone get hurt and enter the ruins?

The blood didn't have the same color as those monsters, so it must be human. But Eric was cautious and didn't rush in.

What if he was chased and there were monsters inside?

He took the dagger and walked carefully around the ruin, or what was left of it. Before entering, he picked up a small stone and threw it into the entrance.

This should be enough to alert any beasts that might be inside.

Eric clenched the dagger in his hand and waited, his senses on high alert. The moment he heard something, he would run without hesitation. But even after ten minutes had passed and two more stones had been thrown, nothing happened.

I guess no one is inside, otherwise something would have come out by now. But I still have to be careful, I don't know how deep the cave is or if something is deliberately hiding there.

Cautiously, he approached the entrance, ducking under a broken pillar before stopping and peering inside. The interior sloped downward and was somewhat dark, but numerous cracks allowed streaks of light to pass through, casting uneven illumination on the rocky floor littered with stones of all shapes and sizes.

Just as he was about to descend, he heard a low growl behind him. He turned quickly to investigate the source of the sound, only to find eight pairs of glowing eyes in the shadows.

[Viperwolf – lvl 14]

[Viperwolf – lvl 14]

[Viperwolf – lvl 16]

[Viperwolf – lvl 21]

Fuck my luck!