- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Carl tightened his grip on the kitchen knife—the absolute joke of a weapon he was about to use against a monster that, even half-dead, could probably turn him into mincemeat. His breath came in slow, measured exhales, though his heart was hammering out a different rhythm entirely.
"Alright, Carl. Just a big, injured cat. You can handle this. Probably. Hopefully. Dear god, please."
The Duskfang Panther, still pressed against the cave wall, let out a low, warning growl. Its three eyes flickered open, gleaming with something dangerously close to amusement. Even in its weakened state, it had the nerve to look at him like he was the underdog here.
[Battle Analysis: Target is injured but capable of short bursts of extreme speed and high lethality.]
Carl swallowed hard. "Yeah, no pressure or anything."
Bouncy jiggled nervously beside him.
His first attack had to count. If he let the panther dictate the fight, it was over before it even began. He adjusted his stance, knees slightly bent, weight balanced on the balls of his feet.
"Okay. Okay. I just need to—"
The panther moved. One second it was lying down, the next it was lunging, claws flashing.
Carl barely had time to react. He threw himself sideways, rolling across the cave floor as the panther's claws shredded the spot he'd just been standing in. The sheer force of the swipe sent dirt and small rocks flying.
He hit the ground, scrambled up, and countered. He lashed out with the knife, aiming for the creature's injured side.
The blade bit in—just barely.
The panther roared in pain, but instead of retreating, it doubled down. Faster than he could track, it twisted and slammed into him with its full weight.
Carl felt like he got hit by a small truck.
He crashed onto his back, the wind knocked clean out of his lungs. Clawed paws pinned him down, and he barely managed to wedge the knife between him and the panther's snapping jaws.
"G-get off!"
Muscles burning, he forced the blade upward, catching the panther just below its jawline. The creature snarled in pain, jerking back. Carl used that moment to twist free, scrambling to his feet. Blood dripped onto the ground—both the panther's and his own. His side burned where its claws had raked across him.
[Minor Laceration: Bleeding -5 HP per minute]
"Oh, cool, love that."
The panther crouched low, panting heavily. Blood from its wounds stained the cave floor. It was slowing down, but so was he.
If he didn't finish this soon, he was going to black out before it did.
Carl took a steadying breath. One last push.
He feinted left, baiting the panther into another lunge. It took the bait, its weakened state making it a fraction slower. This time, he didn't dodge completely. Instead, he twisted mid-step, bringing the knife down—hard.
Straight into the base of its neck.
The blade sank deep. The panther let out a strangled snarl, its body convulsing as it tried to claw at him one last time. But the strength drained out of it fast.
Carl held firm, watching as the life bled from its three gleaming eyes.
And then it went still.
Silence.
For a long moment, Carl just stood there, breathing heavily, the handle of his knife still clenched tight in his shaking fingers.
"…Holy crap."
Then his legs gave out.
He collapsed next to the panther's corpse, vision swimming. His side was on fire, his arms felt like jelly, and the exhaustion was pulling him under fast.
[Level Up!]
A holographic notification flickered at the edge of his vision, but he barely registered it. His body refused to cooperate anymore.
His last thought before unconsciousness took him was simple:
That better have been worth it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Carl woke up to an unfamiliar sensation.
Not pain. Not stiffness. Not the lingering agony of fresh wounds.
He felt… fine.
He sat up too fast, nearly giving himself whiplash. His hands flew to his side, searching for the wound that should've been there. The deep claw marks, the torn flesh—gone.
"What the hell?"
Bouncy wobbled beside him, looking smug. If slimes could be smug.
And then the system chimed in.
[Explanation: Upon leveling up, all negative effects on the body are reset. Injuries, fatigue, poisons—all gone!]
Carl blinked. "Wait. So I could just get shredded every fight and as long as I level up, I'm good?"
[Correct!]
"That's—wow. Okay. Noted."
He let out a slow exhale, trying to wrap his head around it. The absurdity of this world was still messing with him, but he wasn't about to complain about free instant healing.
His gaze shifted to the pile of notifications still waiting for him. But one line caught his attention immediately.
[Return Option Available.]
Carl froze.
The return option.
He could go home.
His stomach twisted. His mind raced through all the possibilities, all the things that could go wrong or right. The system had dumped him here without warning—would returning be just as chaotic?
He swallowed hard.
"Well… guess there's only one way to find out."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Carl stared at the glowing blue prompt hovering in his vision.
[Return Option Available.]
It was the first time since he'd arrived in this insane world that he was given a choice. A real choice.
He could go home.
His fingers clenched against the fabric of his torn shirt. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off, leaving behind a hollow sort of exhaustion. His body might have been restored, but his mind was still trying to catch up.
Home.
Did he even want to go back? The thought unsettled him more than it should have. He had spent years trapped in a life that felt like a pre-written script, one he had no say in. Here, things were dangerous, unpredictable, and borderline ridiculous… but for the first time in forever, the path ahead was his to decide.
Still, he had no clue what would happen if he pressed that button. Would he be dumped in his room like nothing ever happened? Would time even be the same? Was there a catch?
[System Note: You may return at any time, but the world will continue without you.]
So if he left, things here wouldn't pause. If he came back, would he find this cave exactly as he left it? Would Bouncy still be here? Would something worse move in while he was gone?
And what about his abilities? If he took the system's powers back with him…
His stomach twisted. He needed to test this.
"Bouncy," he muttered, turning to the little slime. "I need you to hold the fort for a bit, okay?"
Bouncy jiggled, uncertain.
Carl exhaled and, before he could overthink it, reached out and confirmed the return option.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then his visionblurred, and it felt like his entire body was being pulled backward through a tunnel made of light and static.
And then—
Carl stumbled, feet hitting solid ground. But not the damp cave floor.
Tile.
Cold, smooth tile.
His head snapped up, and his breath caught in his throat.
Fluorescent lights. White walls. A familiar wooden desk littered with books and papers.
He was in his dorm room.
His actual, real dorm room.
A sharp knock at the door made him jump.
"Carl? You there?"
His roommate's voice.
Holy crap.
He was really back…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To Be Continued…