+0.3
A small green number blinked into view on the screen.
"Of course… regeneration. It's weak, but still ridiculously useful." He exhaled in relief. "If magic is real, then I guess even infections—or whatever that thing had dripping from its mouth—won't be a problem." He mumbled softly.
(Wait… if that's true… then "that" should be possible, right?)
His thoughts were cut short.
Far off, the ground gave a deep, rolling rmmmbll…
The soil trembled. Something was tunneling straight towards him.
"Sh*t… it must've heard me when it bit my heel." Gael whispered.
Then a deep, vibrating thrum pulsed through the ground, crawling up his legs like a warning.
"They're getting closer…" He grit his teeth, scanning for any gap in the terrain. "I need an opening—and if I really can use that… I should be able to kill one of them. Maybe even both."
Still as stone on the surface—
—but inside, every thought was a weapon being sharpened.
Or… that was what he hoped.
Truth was, he was scared out of his boots. His heart was hammering so loudly he was terrified the monsters would hear that instead of him. He didn't even know if that was really possible. It should be—at least, it was in the game.
But this wasn't a screen or a game tutorial anymore.
This was dirt, blood, and something is tunnelling straight for his life.
He swallowed hard.
"Please… let it work the same way."
Then the rumbling stopped—
Right beneath his feet.
A cold shiver crawled up his spine.
"It's… right under me."
He clenched his fists, forcing the panic down.
"I really hope this works. There's no button, no space bar to double-tap, no pop-up asking if I'm sure I want to activate the skill." He let out a shaky breath. "So… I'll just use it. Intentionally. Like my life depends on it—because it does."
His eyes flicked to the Wizard standing a few paces away.
The man's expression was unreadable, calm in a way that didn't feel human.
"I think he'll help," he muttered under his breath. "But knowing he's going to betray me at some point… yeah, that doesn't exactly boost my confidence." He whispered as low as possible
The Grey Wizard's ears twitched
"Here comes the baby giggles," the Wizard murmured.
The ground bulged slightly under him, the soil straining as something pressed upward.
No more time.
It was now or never.
Then they erupted from the ground, shattering the earth in a violent burst of soil and stone.
Two of them sprawled out, their bodies twisting as razor-sharp teeth snapped upward, hungry and frantic—desperate to survive the night with a full meal.
But their jaws closed on nothing.
They bit the dust instead.
Because Gael… simply wasn't there.
He shot upward, lifted by the faint, flickering glow of the flight ability—barely a meter off the ground, but just enough. The monsters exploded through the soil a heartbeat later.
It wasn't graceful.
It wasn't impressive.
But it was enough to survive.
Gael gripped his stone sword with both hands.
Gravity dragged him back down, turning his fall into a strike. He angled the blade, teeth clenched, letting weight and momentum do the work.
He came down hard—
and sliced the pebble worm cleanly in half.
But the stone sword jammed into the soil, stopping his descent short. Gael hissed, yanking at the handle—no time. The second worm surged toward him, jaws splitting wide.
He twisted, planting his foot against the earth for the briefest moment of leverage.
Then he kicked.
Every ounce of panic, adrenaline, and sheer survival instinct exploded through his leg. The blow slammed into the worm's side, sending the creature hurtling across the clearing. Its rocky hide cracked mid-air before it struck a tree with a wet, echoing splat.
Silence washed over the clearing.
Only the faint drip of whatever counted as worm blood dared to break it.
Then—
+3 (x2) EXP
Bright green numbers floated in the air for a moment before fading like sparks.
Gael blinked.
"Six points… for that?"
His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, adrenaline refusing to settle. The sword still stuck in the ground vibrated slightly, as if even it was trying to process what just happened.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"…I'll take it."
— STATS —
Exp: 09/20
Level: 1
Health: 130/130
Mana: 80/100
Underwater Breath: 30
Sword Damage: 2 (10 + stone sword)
Bow Damage: 0
Bow Shoot Force: 0
Gun Power: 0
Magic Damage: 0
Walk Speed: 0
Fly Speed: 0
Dig Speed: 0
Stat points: 0
"My health is already full…?" Gael stared at the fading numbers as another line blinked across his vision. "It took like—what—eighteen seconds? And my heel."
He checked his shoe.
A bite mark.
A big one.
His foot? Completely fine.
No pain. No sting. No bruise.
He let out a shaky laugh.
"I take back what I said—this regeneration is overpowered." He glanced down at his shoes. "Although… they still have holes in them. Dang it. I not like Victor's healing factor."
The sword finally slid free of the soil with a gritty scrape, as if reluctantly admitting he was still alive.
"A second gift?" The Grey Wizard raised a brow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth—part approval, part amusement. "Although rare… I did not expect anything less."
He paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "It seems to me… that this is a gift of flight, and not just mere levitation like the vampires."
"Yeah… I can fly now, but it eats mana like crazy—ten points per second!" Gael froze mid-thought, eyes widening. "Wait… vampires!?"
"Yes, but it is of no importance for you… for now." The Grey Wizard's gaze drifted to the clear sky. "The night is still young, Gael."
Something roared in the distance.
"I do not want to face that thing. Can you… like, cast some spells to attract those pebble worms?" Gael asked, voice tight with unease.
"Yes, that should be possible. How many would you want?" the Grey Wizard replied calmly.
"Maybe six… or se—never mind. Three should be fine."
"Then three it is." The Grey Wizard snapped his fingers.
Red sparks crackled into the air, floating briefly before fading like embers on the wind.
He casted a controlled taunt spell, sending a subtle magical signal into the air. The red sparks shimmered as the magic wove through them, carrying an invisible lure to any pebble worms nearby.
Almost immediately, the distant rumbling shifted, and the pebble worms began turning towards Gael, drawn by the spell.
Gael took a deep breath, planting his feet firmly on the ground. He adjusted his grip on the stone sword, letting the weight of it anchor him.
Every muscle tensed, every sense alert. The distant rumbling grew louder, the ground trembling slightly under the approach of the drawn worms.
He positioned himself carefully, now ready for the inevitable encounter.