THE STRANGE SCREEN [2]
Ravan still sat on the rock, lost in his thoughts.
He remembered hearing tales of the top rankers, the S-rankers, and the legends who had spoken about seeing a certain screen after their awakening.
It had helped them rise to power.
'So it's this strange screen that carried their asses,' Ravan thought.
He wondered how, someone like him, who wasn't even awakened or had any mana, had been given such a system.
As he thought about this, he muttered, "Why me? I'm not special. I don't have the power or the talent. So why did I get this system?"
He knew deep down that despite everything, he couldn't complain.
The system was the only reason he was alive right now.
If not for it, he'd be dead.
Suddenly, the screen flickered and new words appeared, almost taunting him.
[You have survived against all odds]
[Do to your strong will to live, not even death can contain you]
[Class granted: SSS-Rank Weakling.]
Ravan blinked at the screen, the humor of it not lost on him.
Shaking his head he blinked thrice.
"Triple S Rank – Weakling? How the hell is that a rank?"
He chuckled a bit, albeit bitterly.
"An S-rank weakling... was I in fact a weakling?"
"I know I am but what does that mean...I'm I the weakest of the weak?"
He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the absurdity of the situation wash over him.
"Great, I'm an S-rank weakling," he said out loud, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
"Do I get a trophy for that?"
He sighed, the reality of his situation hitting him.
"Guess it's better than nothing."
He stood up from the rock, still chuckling to himself.
"Alright, system," he said, looking at the floating screen.
"If I'm an S-rank weakling, let's see what I can do with that."
As Ravan stood up, he decided to take another look at the system screen.
●●●●|Status|●●●●
[Name: Ravan]
[Race: Human]
[EXP: 0]
[Strength: 5]
[Intelligence: 12]
[Endurance: 4]
[Agility: 3]
[Mana: 0]
[Skills: None]
○○○|Abilities|○○○
[Self-Healing [1/2]]
With a touch, he was able to scroll up, revealing more information.
He marveled at the growth of his intelligence stat.
[Intelligence: 12]
It was noticeably higher compared to his other stats, which were relatively low.
He knew that intelligence alone wouldn't help him survive in this dungeon.
Strength and resilience were essential here, especially since he was only on the first level, and the others had likely advanced further.
He noticed an ability labeled "Self-Healing" with an indication of "1 out of 2 attempts used."
He remembered how he had used it to regenerate his limbs and fully restore his life.
"I need to be cautious about using the second attempt."
It couldn't be wasted on minor injuries or careless mistakes. It was a vital resource for surviving the deeper levels of the dungeon.
As he continued to explore the screen, he saw several other skills listed, but they were all locked and marked with question marks.
When he tried to access them, a message appeared on the screen:
[You have not yet grown strong enough to access these skills]
[Kill more monsters, increase your body stats, and you will unlock these abilities]
Ravan thought about this, knowing that he had a long way to go.
"So that's how it is."
He needed to become stronger, faster, and more resilient.
The message reinforced the idea that growth and perseverance were key to unlocking his full potential.
He clenched his fists, feeling a renewed determination to push forward.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, "I need to get stronger. There's no other way."
"Then after I can get back at those betraying bastards. Right now I'm way far off in strength and power compared to them...four of them at that."
He glanced around the dark, gloomy cave, illuminated only by the glowing crystals.
The thought of the centipede still lingered in his mind, but he pushed it aside.
He couldn't afford to dwell on it now. There were bigger challenges ahead, and he needed to be prepared for them.
Ravan took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his situation, but also a glimmer of hope.
The system, though mysterious, had given him a second chance.
He intended to make the most of it.With a final look at the floating screen, he nodded to himself.
"Grow further, kill more monsters, and increase my stats. Let's do this."
Just as Ravan was thinking about the centipede, there was a sudden rumble in the ground.
A screech echoed through the cave, and he looked up toward the crater's edge.
The top of the cave wall had been demolished, and a huge centipede burst through, gnawing and spitting saliva, its segmented body writhing in fury.
Ravan stared at it, disbelief and anger mixing in his gaze.
"You must be fucking pissed that after gnawing at me and ripping out my limbs, I'm still alive," he spat, his voice echoing in the cavern.
As Ravan glared at the monstrous centipede, the same screen appeared once more in front of him.
[Blood Lust detected from C-rank monster centipede]
[Kill the centipede to grow your stats and develop greater abilities]
The system repeated its directive:
[Kill the centipede]
Ravan's mind raced.
The others had run away from this beast, likely because they were exhausted and lacked the stamina to face it.
But what about him?
He had no weapons, no allies, and only one use of his self-healing left.
The centipede loomed above, its many legs skittering, ready to attack.
"How the hell am I supposed to kill this thing?" Ravan muttered, cursing under his breath.
He felt a surge of anger and desperation.
The system's cold logic didn't care about his situation or his lack of resources. It wanted results.