Dimm's heart relentlessly thudded within his chest as he dashed through the forest. The snarls, growls, and bone-chilling sounds echoing behind him spurred his mind to race even faster than his legs.
He thought. He tried to make sense of what he had just witnessed–the refugees. No. The beasts–were no longer human. They had transformed completely now.
'And these were the companions with whom I journeyed all this time.'
The once serene atmosphere had turned into a nightmare, and he was at the center of this nightmare, regrettably.
The forest was dense, its trees' canopies obscuring much of the sunlight, allowing Dimm glimpses of his shadows as he continued to run.
Dimm's breath came heavily, in ragged gasps as he ducked his head each time to evade low-hanging branches and leap over gnarled roots.
His legs burned out, he was rapidly losing strength. Yet, the terror of those beasts ignited a relentless determination within him, compelling him to continue running at a steady pace. The sound of their pursuit echoed behind him, drawing nearer with alarming speed, a presence he could acutely sense.
But then, a thought came into Dimm's mind and he skidded to a halt, pivoting sharply to face the direction of the approaching beasts. His initial terror began to wane just as the thought struck him.
'These aren't mythical beasts. They are just animals.'
His eyes sparked with intensity at the thought, narrowing them to scrutinize every motion and aspect of these creatures. 'Large? Certainly. Menacing? Not truly. Just animals nonetheless.'
But their number. Another thought rushed into his mind, except it was conflicting with the former. Their population was overwhelming; there had to be dozens of dozens of them if not more.
How could he possibly take them down all alone?
He briefly closed his eyes before reopening them. 'I am unarmed,' he thought. 'But what of them? No extraordinary powers—no fire-breathing, no flying, no magic. If it is what it seems, then I might stand a chance against their brute strength and primal instincts.'
He requires either a weapon or, preferably, a strategy to vanquish these creatures. His eyes flickered through the forest, seeking any advantage. Should he find something within his grasp, anything at all, he would be prepared to proceed.
His eyes landed on the trees that made up the forest. Their tall, sturdy, and abundant appearance caught his attention.
'Now. Now.'
Without hesitation, he sprang onto the nearest tree and commenced his climbing.
Each branch he grasped unto, evoked memories of his childhood, when he had solely depended on tree fruits for life, making him a tree climber. Then, his peers nicknamed him "monkey" due to his accurate climbing abilities. But that doesn't matter now, he has reached the high top of the tree.
He cast his gaze downward to observe the creatures prowling around the tree beneath, their eyes unmistakably betraying a savage hunger.
They began to slam their bodies against the tree, digging their claws into the bark as they tried to reach him. Some tried climbing but fell. Failed rather.
The tree, however, trembled with each impact, appearing as though it might soon topple. Dimm's strategy was proving effective—for the moment. If only the scheme could be—
Krrrkkk....
Somehow, the huge beasts among them had taken the lead to slam against the tree, and thanks to God. The sound he perceived was an ominous signal that the tree upon which he perched was on the brink of breaking.
Yes, it had broken.
Dimm saw an opportunity; thankfully, the forest was filled with Banyan Trees. These majestic trees continually astonished him, with roots descending gracefully from their branches.
Without further ado, he sprang from the tree, grasped one of the roots, and swung with exuberance.
"Oooouiuiuiui!"
He expressed his delight as he swung tirelessly from root to root, striving to maintain a safe distance from the descending tree. Nevertheless, the experience was enjoyable in its own right.
"Boom!!!"
The resounding thud with which the tree had descended prompted Dimm to swivel his gaze towards the source. The marvels wrought by the tree amplified his exultation. It had crushed at least a dozen creatures, if not more. His strategy had succeeded.
"Ouuhayy!" he shouted while still swinging, with his eyes fixed on the scene.
The eyes with which the remaining creatures now gazed upon him were ablaze, signaling a more perilous confrontation ahead. Yet, he had the trees and their rope-like roots at his disposal. All he required was a judicious and strategic decision.
In a sudden and unforeseen turn of events, a notably massive creature, its body sheathed in thick scales, lunged with ferocity at several smaller beings. Its formidable jaws clamped down upon their necks, eliciting a guttural cry from each before they succumbed and fell lifeless.
The motivations of the others, whether driven by fear or an insatiable hunger to extinguish life, remained unknown to Dimm. All he could tell was that they had surged forward, their velocity intensifying. Their trajectory was aimed directly at him as he swung amidst the roots.
He had to hasten his pace to find solace before arriving at a considered decision regarding his next course of action. He faced forward, clutching the root with determination. But—
Kpom!!!
He collided with a tree standing before him, having been distracted by the scene of the creatures and utterly absorbed in the exhilarating joy of swinging through the forest.
He fell to the ground, landing with a low thud. His back jammed unto the ground, with his face upwards and hands spread out. He summoned enough strength to raise his head and found the remaining beasts closing the distance between them. Much faster than he expected, and their movement was quicker than before.
He allowed his head to fall back upon the ground before muttering the words of his last hope.
"Uhh-uhh!" he let out. "So, what's next? Last Prayer."
He raised his head again and still saw the beasts approaching. He shook his head disappointedly at himself and returned it to the ground. The next moment–
"Help! Help!! Help!!!"
His mind screamed at him. 'This is cowardice!'
Yet he appeared indifferent. He cherished his life, especially as he remained uncertain about the unfolding events in the game, which was the last thing on his mind. Regardless of whether he was alone in this vicinity or not, he held onto the hope that assistance would arrive in some way.
The cloud transformed, growing darker than before. Lightning flickered across its surface, followed by a thunderclap, and everything reverted to normalcy. Yet, beside him, a sword manifested, and before his gaze, a cerulean screen materialized.
"Huh!"
«Welcome Candidate 160!»
«You have been chosen.»
"Chosen?"
But he still glared at the screen before him.
Name: ???
Strength [STR]: 500 (10x) | [5000 SP]
Dexterity [DEX]: 100 (10x) | [1000 SP]
Constitution (CON): 1500 (10x) | [15000 SP]
Intelligence (INT): 7% (10x) | [70%]
Perception (PER): 500 (10x) | [5000 SP]
Charisma (CHA): 50 (10x) | [500 SP]
Dimm couldn't help but try to understand what was before his eyes. He has been chosen? Does it mean he has passed his test? Was the test this easy?
But another screen replaced the previous one.
«Flaw of Help: Fight with mythical creatures!»
He immediately shifted his gaze to the approaching creatures and realized they were evolving. The bright atmosphere got blunt, and the environment became dim.
And then–
"…"
"…"