Distorted sounds echoed in his mind, a cacophony of indistinct noises that mixed with the hum of his own panting breath. Seth tried hard to register what had happened after his last interaction with that woman... that damned sex-crazed woman who had left him completely dry, completely broken!
A Rank-S Slayer, abusing a Rank-E like him even more like that... The absurdity of the situation made him question his sanity. How had he ended up there? How had it come to this?
His body was a mess, every joint protesting in agony. The worst pain came from the waist down, his thighs and calves rubbing together as if a ton of weight had fallen on them. His muscles trembled, still remembering the relentless impact of the last time.
"Ugh..." He groaned, a hoarse sound that barely escaped his lips, as if he were trying to catch his breath. The kind of pain he felt was familiar... Like after an insane workout in the gym — but now, it was even worse, tearing.
"Fuck... her sitting was absurd... what a fucking hot pussy..." he murmured, almost delirious with the memory, still suffocating in the pain that seemed to have no end.
The idea of resting for a moment was tempting, but as he turned over, he expected to find the softness of the mattress, the touch of that beautiful woman. Instead, his fingers touched something cold and hard. Stone? His brain, still numb, took a while to process the situation, and he tried to adjust his eyes to see something, but nothing made sense. Where the hell was he?
He opened his eyes with difficulty, his vision blurring, until a faint bluish glow illuminated the darkness around him. The stone walls had cracks that let out a pale light. His body responded with a shiver. What was happening?
The cave, cold and damp, was filled with the sound of water dripping on the stones. Pointed stalactites hung from the ceiling like the fangs of some monstrous creature, and the smell of iron in the air only added to the feeling of discomfort.
"How did I end up here?" he whispered, forcing his mind to put together the pieces of that fragmented memory.
It was then that a translucent screen appeared before his eyes, breaking the silence. The mechanical voice seemed distant, but it still cut through the tension in the air:
[After surviving a night with "Connie Parker", you have completed a secret mission].
[Reward: You've become a player].
The shock was instantaneous. "What...?" Seth stammered, not knowing if he was delirious or if his life had just taken a turn for the worse.
Before he could analyze everything, new notifications appeared, each one more absurd than the last.
[New Mission Arrived!]
[Survive! Level up! Defeat the Rank-E portal for rewards].
What he was seeing made no sense, but his heart raced, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His body, still sore, reacted. What was happening? He looked around, stunned. "How the fuck did I end up in a portal?" he asked himself, still trying to understand.
The cave was too silent, until—
Grrrrr!!!
A low growl cut through the air, reverberating in the stones around him. Seth froze, his heart almost stopping. What was that? He tried to move slowly, but—
CRACK!
The sound of a stone breaking under its weight echoed through the cave, and the growls increased in intensity. Before he could react, something fast and ferocious launched itself from the shadows, the speed of a predator.
"AGHHH!" The scream of pain was instantaneous as something drove sharp fangs into his shoulder. Pain exploded through his body, muscles being crushed by the force of the bite. His skin tore under the pressure.
It was a wolf. Big. Wild. He couldn't see properly, but he could feel its hot breath and the metallic smell of blood. Panic seized him, and pain mixed with a sense of despair.
The screen flashed again, almost mocking the situation: [Magical Wolf. Rank-E]
Time seemed to slow down as Seth tried to rationalize, but pain and fear forced him to act. He stood up, moving despite the agony that nearly paralyzed him. The beast was on his trail—he couldn't stop it.
With every step, his leg burned, but he knew that if he stopped, it would be the end.
CRACK!
Another mistake—a loose stone made his body lean forward, and that was enough for the monster to catch up with him.
"ARGHHH!" The scream of agony reverberated through the cave as the wolf sank its fangs into his calf, pulling him to the ground.
The creature's weight bore down on him: the heat of its body, the smell of blood and wet fur invading his nostrils. He had no time to think—it was fight or die.
With trembling hands, he groped the ground until he found a cold, rough stone. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and, with a cry of despair, turned his body, hurling the rock with all his strength.
SMASH!
The stone hit the wolf's skull with a dry thud. The monster howled in pain, releasing its grip on Seth's arm for an instant—a precious moment.
"Die, you son of a bitch!" he shouted, striking the creature repeatedly until it finally collapsed, defeated.
"Ahh...~" Seth gasped, his chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm. His whole body trembled, and his muscles screamed with exhaustion. The smell of fresh blood mingled with the cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
The wolf lay motionless beside him, a trickle of blood running down the side of its broken skull. Even though Seth had won, he didn't feel victorious. His body was a wreck—bruised, bloody, and sore. But he was still alive.
"Shit..." he spat on the floor, tasting the metallic tang of blood. His shoulder throbbed, his calf burned as if on fire, and his mind was still struggling to process everything that had happened.
Before he could think of a plan, a new notification reverberated through the space around him.
[Ding!]
The blue screen reappeared before his eyes, making his heart leap.
[Congratulations! You've defeated your first enemy!][+50 EXP][Mission 'Survive! Level up!' in progress][Your level has increased to 2!][+2 Attribute Points Available]
Seth blinked a few times, trying to absorb what he was seeing. He didn't have time to delve into the system, but if it was real—and not just delirium caused by pain—it meant he had a chance.
He forced his body to move, swallowing the pain and exhaustion. First, he needed to understand this system. He needed to figure out how to apply these attribute points.
"Status," he muttered, with little hope of anything happening.
To his surprise, a screen flashed and a new panel opened up in front of him:
[Name]: Seth Chambers[Level]: 2[Class]: None[Strength]: 5[Agility]: 6[Vitality]: 4[Intelligence]: 3[Mana]: 1[Available Attribute Points]: 2
Seth looked at the numbers. Compared to an ordinary E-Rank, they seemed... miserable. But now he had a chance to grow. And as far as surviving was concerned, surviving here totally depended on it.
"Right... If I can increase the attributes..."
His body still hurt like hell. His speed was useful, but he needed more strength to fight—more stamina to withstand the beatings yet to come.
Without hesitation, he distributed his points:
[+1 in Strength] [+1 in Vitality]
A warm wave ran through his body, like a reverse shiver. It was subtle, but he could feel the difference. His muscles felt a little less exhausted, his breathing more controlled.
He smiled—a tired smile, but genuine. This could really work.
But then, a new, eerie sound echoed through the cave.
Grrrrrr...
The smile died on his lips.
This time, the growls didn't come from just one enemy.
They multiplied. The cave felt even smaller. The silence was broken by multiple paws scraping against the stone, and shadows moved in the darkness. One by one, the eyes of the watchers appeared.
Three. No... Four.
[Magical Wolves. Rank-E.]
Seth's blood ran cold.
"...Fucked."