[ CHAPTER III (3): "KILLING EARNS EXPERIENCE" ]
[ WILD JUNGLE ANT LVL. 3 ]
Cain, noticing that the giant-sized Ant was ready to pounce, jumped out of the way with seconds to spare. "Yo!" Almost having gotten his head bitten off.
[ TIC! TIC! TIC! ]
"Yo, yo— leave me the hell alone, man!"
Seeing the mini armored monster in front of him, Cain now thinks that being a protagonist of some story that he doesn't even know the title of, is definitely a bad idea.
Suddenly, being the next Wade Watts seems to be unappealing to him now. Given the chance, he would give the opportunity to the next person—doubling it if he had too.
"I can't believe I'm doing this."
Dagger in hand, he kept staring at the Ant's movements, anticipating the thing's next attack. All the while in the back of his mind, he was trying to figure out a plan to escape.
Which seems to be futile, as the monster has a little bit of intelligence, and immediately went back to his previous position, guarding the sole escape route that Cain could go to. While slowly cornering him.
"Hey, hey. Am I playing in hard mode or what?" He snickered, before then trying to give a feint to the Ant, trying to break the thing's ankles. To no success.
So Cain settled with trying to get a stab in, which was then dodged by the Ant. Instead it became even more enraged, aggressive—giving ticking noise in response.
Before then trying to leap and mangle Cain's throat using its heavy-duty, bloodied mandibles. Something that Cain dodged, as he rolled to the side. "Definitely hard mode."
Dirtied by the dirt, grass, and rocks below. Cain looks like he had better days at the moment, as he then tries to run away from the giant-sized Ant.
But that plan was quickly thwarted by the Ant blocking the sole exit again, in a fast pace that gave no chance for Cain. Which made his eye involuntarily twitch in annoyance, wanting to punch the thing in the face. "Damn you...!"
[ TIC! TIC! TIC! ]
So no other way out, other than climbing the slopes on either side, which would definitely be the death of him, as the Ant can better maneuver uneven ground.
Either way, Cain decided to ultimately fight back, even though he doesn't want to kill the Ant in the first place. Even though he is deeply scared. He needs to fight back.
So in that split second, when he noticed the Ant preparing to leap again. He had an idea, a plan—which in itself is surprising, as his brain rarely works. "Come at me!"
Cain taunted, which seems to work as the Ant leaped again. This time, the dagger on his hand was ready to strike at any of the said monster's body parts. In which he did, hitting the side of the monster's head.
In response to that, the Ant was able to wound Cain's forearm, grazing it slightly, enough for blood to be drawn. And for Cain's cape to be eaten, munched on; causing Cain to be disheartened. "You...!"
Moving away from the Ant, which is bleeding black due to the wound it suffered. The monster seems to not care about the wounds, instead busy eating the Cain's cherished cape, using its hands to shove the cloth in completely, as it completely disappears, leaving no trace.
This act was watched by Cain, who's wide-eyed. Heartbroken, he clutched the bloodied dagger tighter in his hand, before then lunging at the still preoccupied Ant.
"Eat this, you lowlife...!"
Using all of his strength, plus the adrenaline that seeped deep into his bones. Cain aimed for the soft parts of the monster, which includes the thing's eyes—something that reflected his blade for a split second.
Before then finally inching closer on its intended target. On the left eye of the giant-sized Ant, which seems to shine with a tinge bit of realization as the dagger landed seconds later, causing the monster to give a loud shrill.
Black blood oozed out from the wound, as it then ran rampant, trying to bite into its assailant's head. Luckily for Cain, he noticed and backed away. Unfortunately for him, the dagger was stuck, embedded in the Ant's eye.
Which left him with nothing to defend himself with, other than his fist that is, but he doesn't want to touch even a tiny bit of that hairy Ant's part. So he is essentially defenseless.
[ TIC! TIC! TIC! ]
Enraged, the Ant gave much more angrier ticking noise using its mandibles. Before then searching for Cain using its sole eye. And when it did finally find him, it then ran wildly, head-on without hesitation—like a bull.
And like a bullfighter, Cain did what he had to, and dodged as fast as he could, with the smallest window of chance given. "I seem to have... fucked up, right?"
Not knowing if he did the right thing by hurting the Ant—causing it to be more wild and enraged—Cain could only sigh inwardly, as he picked up the nearest weapon he could find, a small pointy branch on the ground.
But not pointy enough to do any damage to anything other than to an idiot. So in annoyance, he threw it at the enraged Ant that was about to charge; making it stop its charge, as it swiped the branch away.
Before then continuing the said charge seconds later.
"I'm gonna die...!" This time, the charge didn't stop right after Cain dodged. It continued longer, with the monster chasing after him, in circles. "Again!"
Screaming in the air, he kept dodging and running. This time, the Ant was too enraged to notice that it's not blocking the sole exit; as it is after all on a cat and mouse chase. Ironic because it's shorter than the supposed mouse.
Either way, Cain spotted an opportunity and ran from where he came from, leaving the monster to eat his dust, and to wail in agony due to his dagger. A lifesaver, praise the God-Emperor, really, whoever he may be.
"I live...!"
Not for long it seems...
As right behind him is the rampant Ant, chasing after. Who would have thought having more limbs makes another faster, or that, being shorter and being more adept at the surroundings too. Cain definitely found out the hard way.
"Damn it!" Hearing the ticking sound made by the Ant behind him, he turned around. And immediately right as he does, the Ant lunged at him, biting at his ankles, causing him to fall down headfirst on the ground.
And for him to be annoyed, kicking at the oversized Ant's face using the fashionable black boots of his—and deadly as well, as it did quite a lot of damage against the monster.
"Fuck off my leg, you ugly son of a...!"
Enough to annoy it even more, causing the mandibles of the Ant to dig even deeper into Cain's ankle. And for excruciating pain to be felt. "Off, off!"
Cain who felt himself getting slowly dragged back by the dog-sized Ant, felt terrified. Especially because of the appearance of the thing, which can give anyone the fright of their life, no exceptions.
But that wasn't the primary emotion inside him at the moment, that would be disgust. Disgust that is embedded deep within his bones, much deeper than the mandibles of the Ant on his leg. "I said,"
So in seeing that the Ant is dragging him, about to devour his face, most likely. Cain let fury take over him, as he then reached out for his dagger, who's stuck on the Ant's eye.
"Get. Off!" Before then repeatedly stabbing the monster in the other eye, which then trailed up to its back, and for black blood to rain all over Cain's new clothes.
Even after the Ant kept biting harder, even after Cain felt unbearable pain of its mandibles, he didn't stop even for a moment. Instead, it gave him the fuel to drive the blade even deeper, and even faster than before.
He didn't pay any mind about the black blood being sprayed onto his face, with some even reaching his teeth and mouth. No, it surely disgusted him, yes, but his disgust for the Ant before him takes precedence.
Cain even ignored the possibility of getting poisoned from the blood alone. As he knows if that's the case, then he wouldn't be long no matter what he does. He did after all get grazed by it earlier, and now, bitten in the leg.
"You...!" Cain screamed, feeling his hand getting soaked in the disgusting inky substance. "Just die, damn it!"
After a few more stabs, the Ant slowly lost strength, releasing Cain's ankle as it tried to flee—even releasing scared ticking noise as it does.
But Cain didn't want for it to escape, so he used his freehand and grabbed one of its pointy legs. Which caused even more retaliation, as the Ant tried stabbing him using its claws, as desperately as it could.
Grappling against the monster, he slowly overpowered the thing before then finally getting a firm hold on it. In which gave him the opportunity to pin it, making the blade struck deeper, and for it to slowly lose strength. "You... lost!"
The prickly feeling he received from the monster's claws stopped, which left him with wound all-over his forearm. Cain didn't mind, really, especially because the creature in front of him is now dead—confirmed by the System.
[ WILD JUNGLE ANT LVL. 3 KILLED ]
[ +50 EXPERIENCE, +13 CREDITS ]
And surprisingly enough, with rewards alongside it. An incentive from the System to better motivate its users; according to the stories and games he played.
He spat some of the black blood that entered his mouth and didn't dare swallow; while also wiping the liquid off of his face, off of his eyes and mouth. Before then finally feeling relieved, getting off of the Ant carcass under him.
Even a tiny bit excited, wanting to go for another round against the nearest oversized Ant; sadly, there is none, which caused the excitement to slowly fade. "Awesome..."
[ LEVEL UP! ]
[ INCREASE LEVEL FROM 0 TO 1 ]
[ STATUS FEATURE UNLOCKED! ]
Excited, Cain who's out of breath, especially because the adrenaline is slowly losing its effect. Was about to check the newly acquired feature of the System.
But paused when a faint green light enveloped his being from head to toe, something he noticed when he glanced at himself. Alongside the light was his wounds getting healed, closed up in rapid motion.
That, plus the exciting feeling that came with it, something that made Cain involuntarily open his mouth and released a feminine-like moan. Something he only realized right after, feeling embarrassed in doing so.
"What the fuck?!?"
[ PLAYER'S VITALITY HEALED ]
[ PLAYER'S HEALTH HEALED ]
But when he noticed the two small panel float in front of him, did he realize that this was the System's doing. Possibly another reward from leveling up alongside the feature he unlocked.
A great thing, because it made him feel like renewed again, more so than ever to be honest. Waking up, recharged, doesn't even compare to the energy he's feeling at the moment thanks to the System.
"That felt good." Cain when he finally realized what happened, stretched his limbs. Jumping in the same spot.
Only after the panel did fully disappeared, then did he continued to his original mission. And that'll be fidgeting with the System, the new feature.
[ STATUS: ]
[ NAME: CAIN ??? (HUMAN) ]
[ CLASS: N/A ]
[ TITLE: ??? ]
[ LEVEL: 1 ]
[ FATIGUE: 0 ]
Cain glanced at the top part of the window and could only nod as he continues to read. Even though some part of it had either question marks or non applicable in it.
The former is more confusing to be honest, as he knows that Cain is his name. His mother gave him that name. And in this world, or body, he is called Cain as well—though he doesn't know why.
But his surname which was supposed to be Cabriet, a french surname from what he heard—an intentional misspelling of goats from what he heard—is at the moment, nowhere in sight. Perplexing.
Instead, his surname is riddled with question marks. It could either be that, his surname isn't Cabriet in this life, or he didn't know his original surname even before he lived. The latter gained traction in his mind, as he created theories right then and there on the spot.
The most prevalent one in his mind is that one of... "Am I adopted?!" Adoption, which made him furrow his brows even more. "God damn it, I'm adopted!"
[ ---------- ] [ ---------- ] [ ---------- ] [ ---------- ]
[ FUN FACT: "The Emperor of Mankind has been a rotting corpse on the Golden Throne for 10,000 years. To keep his psychic light (the Astronomican) shining so ships can navigate the Warp, the Imperium must sacrifice 1,000 Psykers every single day. Their souls are literally burned out to keep the "God-Emperor" on life support. But that number in recent lore is slowly bubbling, even reaching up to 4,000 a day in the 9th edition." ]
[ 01/06/2026 ]
[ 01/07/2026 ]
AN: hey, long time since I updated, huh? Yeah, well, life is just that unfair—school restarted, you know. And I went to my friend's house and helped her painted, alongside my friend group. And because of my Idiocracy, I didn't slept for 28 hours, thus leading to my sleep for, what, 13 hours... So yeah, and I'm still drowsy.