Consumed
𝑨/𝑵(𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆): Average humans(Have mana arteries, but can't use mana) ➛ Awakened Humans(Can use mana, and magically receives status window) ➛ Once an Awakened Human chooses his/her class, becomes a Hunter.
(There are 5 classes, read chapter 2,not gonna explain again.)
WTF is a player?
HP means health points, MP means Mana points.
***
Cain's POV(Point of fucking view) :
After dying again and again, and again... and some more., I am finally gaining a little understanding of my whole situation.
But, the 'source' of this entire thing...the predicament I am in, is still unknown to me.
Never once have I heard of any incident where someone was chosen as a 'player' or sent to a zone called the penalty zone.
And I don't even think that I am an awakened human, as I naively believed previously.
This whole thing has NOTHING to do with awakeners...
'But all of this feels too real', my brow furrowed. 'This magic... is'
"Definitely real," I muttered. My voice in this deserted nowhere was a declaration of the truth.
I have died so many times here, and yet somehow I am still alive...
It's almost like a game.
A game where death has become a constant companion.
Each time, I am met with death, I get resurrected to 'play' on the same mission, from a predetermined checkpoint.
And if my analogy is true and that this whole thing works like a game...
"Show me the Active Quest"—I spoke to thin air.
⌜ ⌝
Active Quest: Survive.
Description: Endure for 10 minutes
amidst this desert.
Reward: Experience points and
credits will be granted.
Failure: ???
⌞ ⌟
[9:59]
[9:58]
Its ticking down...
My eyes squinted as I pondered, "Maybe if I can just survive for 10 minutes, I will be able to escape this penalty zone."
"Rights to distribute points acquired... Was it?" I recollected the last messages I received from the system.
"Status"
⌜ ⌝
➦ 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬
Level ⇢ 1
Name ⇢ Cain
Class ⇢ None
Age ⇢ 22
Xp ⇢ 2+↑ [7 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐗𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐮𝐩]
Credit ⇢ 3
𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 ∞
⌞ ⌟
The first thing that caught my attention was the mention of 'class' in my status window.
"It wasn't there before..."
Did the system update?
"This concept of class... Is it similar to the ones awakeners can unlock?" I pondered aloud.
Since there is a mention of a 'class' in my status, that means I must have mana.
Mana arteries are present from birth in every human because the human race had adapted to mana over time.
But only when you become an 'awakened', you're able to sense mana and absorb it into your body.
And those who are awakened are granted a status window and are able to choose one of the five classes, which include: Mage, Tank, Fighter, Healer, and Ranger.
Once an awakened human chooses a class, they become hunters.
But I am not sure if I am really awakened or not... This whole system thing is... I don't have the words to explain it.
It has the power to teleport me into an otherworldly realm like this desert.
It can generate quests, create real sentient monsters, and even kill or resurrect me.
It can even throw meteo-FUCKING-rites.
Furthermore, it granted me a status window like the ones awakened humans receive, and it can update this said status. In addition, there are two other game-like templates I received along with this status window...
Sigh~
"Well, I'll research this later."
I swiped to the right, tapping on the '➦' button, and a new status popped up.
⌜ ⌝
➦ 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬-𝐔𝐩 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
[HP] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ (10/10) ↑+
[MP] ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐(0/10) [?]
[Strength] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10) ↑+
[Vitality] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10) ↑+
[Stamina] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10)
[Speed] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10)
[Reflex] ▄▄▄ 0<ℜ<4 < p>
[Dexterity] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10)
⌞ ⌟
The status window really looks like the ones shown in those games.
"Hmm... What's this?" I remarked, my face displaying a slight frown as I noticed my MP stats.
"It wasn't there before..."
And why do I have 0 MP?
After thinking for a second, I decided to research this later.
Right now is not the place to delve into it. The goblins could appear at any moment.
I tapped on '➦' and a new window popped up.
⌜ ⌝
⟲
𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏 (𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝)
𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 ↱
♲ ???
⌞ ⌟
"I haven't tried to use the inventory yet..." I muttered to myself as I attempted to tap on the ↱ symbol, only to have my right hand dissolve into the intangible abyss of air before me.
My eyes widened in horror.
It was as if my hand had been severed cleanly at the wrist, vanishing into nothingness along with my fingers, devoured by an unfathomable void.
"Fuck! This damned thing ate my hand!"—In a panic, I swiftly withdrew my hand, fearing the worst.
To my IMMENSE relief, I discovered that my hand was unharmed and whole.
"Phew!"—I let out a sigh of relief.
I examined my hand for a good moment, before giving it a kiss.
'I really thought I lost my hand there... '
.
.
.
After playing around with the inventory for a while, I made a discovery—I can store any non-living object into the inventory.
My curiosity was piqued, and the goblins didn't appear yet. So, I decided to conduct a few experiments.
I gathered some stones, sticks, and sand and stowed them away in the inventory.
"Now, let's try it," I said eagerly, dismissing the system window.
With a purposeful motion, I extended my hand towards thin air, muttering, "Inventory."
And just like that, my hand dissolved into nothingness, disappearing into the other dimension known as the inventory.
It felt as though my hand, from the wrist and above, had become invisible. Yet, I could still sense its presence, there, but in a different place.
It was akin to this inventory serving as a 'gate' —a portal of sorts, connecting two realms.
'Stone'—Thinking so I pulled out my hand from the inventory and sure enough, I had a stone in my hand.
"I guess I figured this out?"
But my joy was short lived as a high pitched voice sounded from behind me.
"Tuk kraa katin mui!"
"Tch! Unintelligent goblins," I scoffed, turning around to face a band of roughly twelve goblins charging towards me, each brandishing a menacing club.
Reacting swiftly, I flung the stone I held directly at the one, who looked like the leader of the pack.
The stone found its mark between his eyes with a solid "Thuk." The goblin crumpled to the ground, moaning in pain.
My victory was short-lived though.
A sword swung from the left, but with quick reflexes, I parried the attack.
Unfortunately, I was caught off guard by a swift blow from a club coming from the right, knocking me unconscious.
[You have died.]
[You have failed the quest to survive.]
[Credit +3]
[Restarting from the beginning...]
***
As soon as I woke up, I muttered—"Where am I?"
Hmm... Am I always suppose to say that, like an npc?
Whatever.
"Status"
⌜ ⌝
➦ 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬
Level ⇢ 1
Name ⇢ Cain
Class ⇢ None
Age ⇢ 22
Xp ⇢ 3+↑ [6 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐗𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐮𝐩]
Credit ⇢ 6
⌞ ⌟
"Let's see... "—I attempted to touch the credit displayed, and to my astonishment, it responded to my touch.
Grasping the credit within the interface, I effortlessly transferred it onto the heads-up display.
"Let's channel these credits into speed, Strength, and reflexes, for now... "
Click!
⌜ ⌝
➦ 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬-𝐔𝐩 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲
[HP] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ (10/10) ↑+
[MP] ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐(0/10) [?]
[Strength] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(14/14) ↑+
[Vitality] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10) ↑+
[Stamina] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10)
[Speed] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(14/14)
[Reflex] ▄▄▄ 1<ℜ<5 < p>
[Dexterity] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄(10/10)
⌞ ⌟
I allocated two credits to [Strength], two credits to [Speed], and two credits to [Reflex].
Instantly, a surge of warmth flooded through my body, leaving me feeling refreshed and invigorated.
I tightly clenched and then released my fist, testing my newfound strength. "This feels nice."
Suddenly -"Tuk kraa katin mui! Kekeke"—came the unintelligible voice of a goblin from my right.
'His dialogue never changes like a broken tape recorder.'
This time, as I witnessed the group of goblins charging towards me, a smile spread across my face.
With a commanding gesture, I beckoned the charging goblins to come at me. A confident declaration escaped my lips—"Let me show you the art of killing."
From my inventory, I swiftly retrieved a stone, clutching it tightly in my hand.
In a single fluid motion, I threw the stone towards the goblin leader, casting it with accuracy and speed. Like a bullet, it soared through the air, landing a direct hit on the creature's nose.
The goblin leader moaned and rolled over the ground, but after that, he didn't wake up.
I smirked.
I knew their attack patterns very well.
'A sword slash from the left'— I predicted in my head, and soon enough the actual attack followed.
I easily sidestepped it.
'A club attack from the right'—I predicted in my head a second earlier before the goblin actually launched the attack.
I let the attack to come. My heightened reflexes guided my movements as I deftly maneuvered, seizing the club in mid-air. Using my newfound strength, I executed a skillful judo flip, sending the dwarven goblin soaring through the air, and taking hold of the club in the process.
'One sneaky bastard will try to hold me from-'
"Behind!"— I swung the club with a roar. I didn't need to look, I knew he was there.
My club ruptured open the goblin's skull. The lifeless body of the pastoral homunculi fell to the ground.
[You have killed a Desert Goblin. ↑XP+2.]
Seeing me easily outclass them, the rest of the goblins hastily took a few steps back, their bravado swiftly replaced by a newfound wariness.
Their once cocky demeanor now replaced with contemplation, the goblins exchanged hesitant glances. 'Were they they thinking of retreat?'
No...
No.
I couldn't let them retreat. Not even one.
They all had to die.
I remembered how these little abominations killed me every time.
How they tore open my flesh... relishing in their ghoulish nature.
Bathing IN 𝗠𝗬 𝐁 𝐋 𝐎 𝐎𝐃!
My veins pulsed with an intense heat, akin to a boiling kettle on the brink of eruption, as the horrifying scenes of my repeated deaths played out before my eyes.
My hand gripping the club clenched with an unyielding force, causing it to tremble like a powerful F1 engine.
A ferocious smile adorned my face, contrasting sharply against the seething anger and unbridled bloodlust that blazed fiercely within my eyes.
"I am going to relish every moment of this...", I growled, my voice dripped with malicious aura.
...
It was in that moment, the goblins knew: they fucked up.