Chapter7- Caracas Monster Snake

Suddenly, a white light descended from the ceiling, as if it were coming from the sky above.

It surrounded my entire body and extended at least five meters around me.

What's going on?

**[Upgrading my host!]**

Oh, I see. Keep going, I'm fine with it...

**[As you wish!]**

I looked around, waiting for the upgrade to complete. The light was so bright that I could hardly see anything beyond it.

Then, I felt a strong heat spreading from my heart to my stomach, then to my hands, and eventually throughout my whole body.

Instead of complaining or questioning, I chose to embrace the sensation. With the heat came a soothing relief, as if someone were massaging me all over.

The exhaustion in my muscles started to disappear.

This feels incredible...

After a few moments, a virtual screen appeared in front of me with multiple notifications.

**(Processing... Upgrade...)**

**(Increasing Spirit... Successful!)**

**(Increasing Speed... Successful!)**

**(Increasing Power... Successful!)**

...

**(Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have advanced to [Bronze] Rank!)**

***

Finally, the light from the ceiling faded, releasing its grip on me. It disappeared completely, leaving a warm afterglow.

Oh, that felt so refreshing...

I couldn't help but wish I could keep upgrading like this, smoothly advancing from one rank to the next.

**[Sorry, Host! But that's not possible right now. You might have another chance in two to three months in this world.]**

Huh?

"What do you mean by that?"

**[You'll find out soon enough, but for now, just keep struggling.]**

Struggling?

Why should I?

"Did you see my future or something?" I asked the system in my mind, but it stayed silent.

Fine, I get it. You don't want to share that with me. I won't push for answers...

The air around me felt charged, as if something significant had just occurred.

"Huuu~" 

I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease in my stomach. 

The system's vague warnings echoed in my mind, suggesting challenges were on the horizon. 

Whatever was coming, I needed to be prepared.

I quickly scanned the entire room and, saw a broken dagger nearby.

I took it in my right hand and, then, gripped it tightly, getting into position, and then opened my character interface to check something.

---

**Name:** Michael Frostburne  

**Race:** Human  

**Current Rank:** Bronze  

**Progress to Iron Rank:** 1.1% (12/500 essences)

**Attributes** (0/1):

- **[Power]** (no essence): Bronze  

- **[Speed]** (no essence): Bronze  

- **[Spirit]** (no essence): Bronze  

- **[Recovery]** (no essence): Bronze

---

**Human Racial Abilities:**

- Interface  

- Quest System  

- Inventory  

- Map  

- Adaptor (Special)  

- Skills  

---

I need 500 essences to level up, but at this rate, it's going to take forever if I keep fighting these 1-exp monsters.

But, then suddenly...

"Crack!"

When a new sound broke through, I couldn't tell if it had been seconds, minutes, or hours. 

The sound came from above, a metal ventilation pipe in the ceiling. 

It had a hollow, echoing quality, and it took me a moment to recognize it as a hissing noise. It was coming from the hole.

And, a snake about as big as an Anaconda emerged from it.

I watched the hole, my eyes unfocused and disoriented. 

My mind was still on the bloody pen; I could feel it, even after it fell to the floor. 

I could taste the hot blood spilling from that guy's neck. 

My gaze sharpened when something emerged from the hole in the ceiling. 

It was an enormous, pitch-black snake, its head barely small enough to pass through the opening.

"What is a snake doing here?" 

I shouted and the snake and I locked eyes, frozen for a moment. I could see intelligence in its eyes, though I might have been imagining it. 

Then the snake hissed at me and continued slithering out of the vent shaft, its body dangling from the ceiling. 

Fuck, my broken dagger is worthless now...

It might have been useful if I weren't up against a snake or if I had any skill with daggers—or if I was even decent at using it.

But since I'm not a pro and lack any real ability, my only option is to run.

I sprinted for the door back to the cave, grabbing the lamp as I moved.

New Quest: [Escape from the Beast]

The Caracas monster snake has sensed the death of its master.

Objective: Escape the [Caracas Monster Snake] 0/1.

Reward: Appraisal Skill 

I immediately looked at the dead body and the snake. 

Grabbing my bald head with both hands, I said, "How in the world did this guy control a freaking snake?"

Was he summoner or something?

I almost tripped when the window popped up, wildly flailing at it as I tried to close it. 

I ran through the metal door, dropped my torch, and grabbed the wheeled handle, pulling with all my adrenaline-fueled strength. 

The rusty hinges groaned shut, and I turned the wheel to latch the door. 

There was another wheel on the other side, but snakes didn't have thumbs.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and reached down to pick up the torch. 

I needed to go back up the well, but I'd rather dodge that monster than fight a giant snake. 

The danger at least snapped me out of the daze from killing a man. 

I was making my way along the pathway when I heard the grinding of metal behind me and had a horrifying thought.

"What if that monster snake does have thumbs?"

For God's sake, why didn't I realize that in this world anything can happen? 

After everything I've encountered, these things should be normal. 

But as the saying goes, when you're in danger, your mind goes blank and panic sets in. 

That's exactly what's happening to me now.

Running along the pathway, forgetting to be cautious turned out be a mistake. 

"Oh, no!"

My sandaled foot slipped on a slick plank and I fell hard. 

"Ouch."

The sand scraped against my bare torso, but I ignored the pain, clutching the torch tightly.

I got up and kept moving. As quickly as I could, I reached the end of the walkway and ducked into the tunnel, dropping the torch so I could crawl faster.

My hands and knees banged against the hard surface of the narrow passage, and my shoulders and head hit the sides and top. 

I didn't let it slow me down and scrambled forward until I saw the dim light at the bottom of the well. 

Crawling out, I fumbled for the rungs set into the side. 

Hand over hand, I pulled myself up. 

Only after I was a good way up the well did I pause to look down. 

The snake isn't here.

That's a relief, but there's no time to rest. It could come at any moment. I should stay cautious.

I was just turning back to resume climbing when I heard the hiss from below. 

Wait, this fast?

I saw the snake emerge from the tunnel, pausing to look up at me before sliding more of its body into the space at the bottom of the well. 

I watched in horror as its body started climbing up and around the outside of the well like the thread of a screw. 

Despite the wet and slippery surface of the well, the snake started winding its way up, as if adhered to the sides.

'Darn it."

I resumed my climb, more energetic than ever. The snake was fast, but its circuitous path around the sides was long. 

I clambered up as fast as I could, but panic made me rush and more than once a foot slipped before getting proper purchase. 

I kept pushing upwards, every hand and foothold a step closer to the outside.

As I gripped the final rung in the brickwork above, I felt something wrap around my leg. 

This bastard...

The snake was thick, as wide as my thigh, and I hadn't even seen its full length. 

Its weight made it impossible for me to climb any higher, and it tightened around my torso.

I couldn't ascend further, but I held onto the top rung tightly. 

My hands were sweaty and growing weak, my fingers on the verge of giving out.

Dang, at this rate I might actually fell down.

But it wasn't my fingers that failed me in the end. 

The mortar in the bricks crumbled, causing the entire side of the well to collapse.

"Now of all time, my bitchy luck always lets me down when I need it the most!"

I shouted.

The snake, myself, and a shower of debris plunged backward into the darkness.

***

Suddenly, my eyes fluttered opened and I felt a slight relief in my head, indicating I might have been unconscious for hours.

I miss those days from my past world when I used to wake up late in the morning, only to face regular punishment from my mother.

As a rule, I enjoy waking up. 

I love that brief hazy moment between dream and reality, wrapped in warm, soft bedding. 

Even waking up in the soft grass of the hedge maze wasn't an unpleasant experience. 

But regaining consciousness at the bottom of a dark well, soaked in filthy water and entangled in the corpse of a dead snake? 

That was a whole different story. 

I ignored the screens that had popped up while I was unconscious. 

They shrank away to hover inconspicuously in the periphery of my vision.

My left arm was pinned under some rubble, a chunk of fallen masonry from the well above. 

I didn't feel any pain from it, which was good, but then I realized I didn't feel anything at all from it, which was bad. 

When I tried pulling it free, the pain arrived in full force, my screams reverberating up through the well.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Holding my left arm as still as possible, I rolled the chunk of masonry off with my right. 

It wasn't too heavy, but I had to bite down on the urge to scream. 

In the dimness, I couldn't properly inspect my freed arm, but it felt hot and swollen. 

Even the gentle touch of my good hand sent waves of pain through it. 

I was sure it was broken. 

Without thinking twice, I opened my inventory and grabbed the iron-rank healing potion I'd just picked up, ready to drink it. 

But just as I was about to take a sip, a thought crossed my mind.

Wait a minute…

Why waste the potion when I could just switch to my new body?

If I drank it now, it would definitely heal me, but I'd still need to switch bodies soon. 

Using it at this point might just be a waste since I'd have to abandon this body anyway.

Gritting my teeth, I painfully put the potion back into my inventory, trying my hardest to ignore the stabbing pain with every movement.

Damn… this hurts so much.

Pushing through the pain, I opened the system notifications.

Immediately, I was bombarded by a flood of flashing messages. 

They kept pouring in faster and faster, adding to my growing mix of excitement, panic, and pain.

(Congratulations, Host! A Common Monster Core has been added to your inventory!)

(Congratulations, Host! An Iron-rank healing potion has been added to your inventory!)

(Congratulations, Host! 10 Monster Essences from the Caracas snake have been added to your Character Interface!)

(Congratulations, Host! The system has rewarded you with 1,010 Monster Essences instead of 10!)

(Congratulations, Host! You've met the conditions for an upgrade!)

(Would you like to advance to [Iron] Rank?)

(Congratulations, Host! You've completed the bonus quest: "Don't Die"!)

(Do you want to absorb the memories of the deceased?)

I quickly skimmed through the notifications, my body still throbbing in pain, but I couldn't afford to make any mistakes right now.

1,000 essences instead of 10? 

Thank you, system...

Another upgrade already? I just advanced to Bronze rank a few hours ago—or was it minutes?—and now I'm being offered another upgrade? 

How lucky can I get today?

After a brief moment of appreciating my good fortune, I moved on to the next notification.

Memories?

I definitely need them. I don't know where I am, what kind of world this is, or even who that guy was. His memories might hold the answers I'm missing.

(Yes/No)

Without hesitation, I clicked "Yes." A new message appeared instantly:

**(Processing...)**

**(Please wait, Host. The deceased's memories will be installed in your brain within 60 minutes.)**

Fine, I can wait.

I decided to put the upgrade on hold and focus on the most urgent message. Where is it? Come on, where?

Ah, there it is. Finally.

With trembling fingers, I found the option to switch bodies.

**(Congratulations, Host! You've been granted the body of the person you killed!)**

**(Do you want to switch to your new body?)**

(Yes/No)