I turn away having given my work place one last glance. And start to walk away. I don't have anywhere to go really. But I don't want to sit here and have my ex colleagues look at me with pity.

I strive forward but I become dizzy. Suddenly everything starts to spin. Maybe all the stress from the last few days crashing down on me at this moment.

I fall down a few tens of meters away from the entrance of my ex job. I unwillingly close my eyes feeling weakness overtaking me.

Eventually I wake up. It's night and the sky is dark. I look around. I'm at the same place I fell unconscious. Outside my work place...

I spent who knows how many hours lying here on the pavement, yet no one called an ambulance for me. Nor apparently came to check up on the guy lying flatly on the ground.

I get myself standing cursing the last 7 generations of every dut*h bag working here. And staggering for a while begin to move again.

It's the dead of night. I've got nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat or drink. Neither any money to make use of.

I remember one of the roads 5 minutes from here had a lot of trees and shrubs on the side. I might be able to make something somewhat comfortable to rest on from the foliage. My head is still killing me.

'What an awful headache' I say to myself. Still taking heavy steps forward.

I find the shrubs and make a small nest of sorts from the leaves and twigs a bit further on the inside where I will be more unnoticed to relax in somewhat of a comfort.

As much as the chilly night and cold wind would allow me. But It does wonders for my headache. I'm already feeling much more clear headed.

I close my eyes listening to the rustling of the leaves. The sparing chirping of birds in the night and some crickets.

"How much do you want?" I hear a gruff male voice.

It's coming from the road I just came from. I stay quiet. Listening in. I didn't expect there to be people here this late.

' I don't need this bulls*it right now' I think to myself quietly. This is definitely no good. I try to stay quiet.

"Hey George, just get me the usual. Level D Crystal, 200 grams. 2 Liters of C class Minotaur... etc. You know the recipe."

"I thought you'd have learned by now. This thing damages you in the long run. You can't keep depending on it for much longer. One of these days you'll lose one of those sport matches you've been doing and when they investigate your body you'll end up in a really bad situation." said the the big guy in the hoodie.

The other person was really buffed. Looking like a body builder. While this George looked skinny, wearing a hoodie.

"Either way. Let me check the quality first. I gotta make sure I'm getting the correct goods here." said the buffed guy

"Yeah, fine." The man with the hoodie handed him a small pouch.

"Hmmm all seems fine. And yeah. You're right. The situation will become really bad for me. Especially if I leave loose ends." The buffed guy takes out a knife and goes from the side stabbing the guy in the hoodie.

I sit quietly almost paralysed. Feeling my legs shaking from witnessing murder in the dread of the night.

'F'*ck. if this guy notices me at this moment I'm dead. There are no cameras here. I got no one to look for me. I'll just be a dead cold corpse.'

Suddenly the body of the hoodie guy disappears. Vanishing like smoke in the darkness as if it was all an illusion. Leaving the the buffed guy sitting with his hand outstretched.

Then there's a short flash near his neck. And blood gushes out.

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"Ahhh!" I feel something fly past my head making a small cut on my cheek and scream out quietly.

I step back making a ruckass as I step on twigs and rustle the shrubs I was hiding in.

"Fu*k. Fu*k. Fu*k. Fu*k" I start screaming in my head and dash in the opposite direction from that road.

*Huff* *Huff*

This is impossible. That guy must be a dungeon diver. And those resources should be regulated by the guilds. Only people in guilds can dive in dungeons and the resources arer confiscated by the guilds and given to the government.

There resources can be used to strengthen other people but some of them have side effects and can damage you. But they shouldn't be sold like this. This in't something you just stumble upon.

I run out on a highway. It's empty both ways. there are some trees on the other side I jump across some barriers and start running again. Hopefully I can lose that guy among the trees.

"Fu*k. Dungeon Divers are dangerous. I just hope he's not a tracker type or I'm fu*ked" I turn around to look if there's anyone chasing me.

But as I turn back. On the other side of the road stood the guy in the hoodie. Completely still. I rooted my feet to the ground.

"Fu*k. I won't be able to get away from this." I try to reach my phone. Maybe I can call the police or something and try to give him the slip for a while...

'Do I even know where I am exactly.... well apparently I don't even have battery' This has to be the worst luck I've had in my life.

Am I going to die here. Just like this. For nothing. Having lived an insignificant life without accomplishing anything. Being pummeled and humiliated by everyone. I refuse.

'I refuse' I look at the man who is slowly walking to me as if amused.

"I refuse..." I whisper in a short breath. Yes 'I refuse!'

I will not go. Not like this. Not now. I take it out of the pocket in my jacket. A small pocket knife. Sharp and effective. Walking down the streets at night has never been safe. Especially with my luck meeting drunk morons.

Luckily that paranoid precaution has finally come in handy. I dash forward knife in hand at the guy. And make a quick stab forward.

He dodges to the side. But I wasn't aiming for him. I hit the pouch on the side tearing into it. A crystal powder spills out.

The man frowns. but I go in for a dive not stopping my momentum. I grab some of the powder mid air with my free hand. Rolling forward and start running without even looking back. I ingest some of the powder.

I feel myself getting faster and stronger, each of my steps taking me further and further from my pursuer. Eventually I start jumping from tree to tree as if unaffected by gravity.

For what seems like hours I keep running having sweat trickle down my body I feel dehydrated. Thought obviously only a few minutes have passed.

Finally the strength I felt previously disappears and my legs go numb. Instantly I can't feel my body nor control it and fall face first into the dirt.

I look forward. Two feet land in front of my head. The man kneels down grabbing me by the throat and takes out a knife.

*Grrwwwll*

I hear a growl. The man drops me and takes a battle stance. A fox enters my view. It looks feral and jumps at the man attacking him.

I watch on dumbly as the fox madly attacks him.But As they keep fighting I notice the fox is really aiming for the pouch on his sides.

I would run but I can't move a muscle as much as I want to. I just keep watching them fight, no matter the winner I will come out dead if I don't move. I need to get away from here now!

I try to feel my body. Good I can move my left arm a bit. I start trying to drag myself away from here. Hide against some tree and pray to remain undiscovered.

I don't have that many other options left beside this. At least I hope this fight doesn't finish quickly. But from the noise of the battle it seems to be coming to an end. The fox must have gotten tired by now. Crystal powder can only boost you for so long.

'I'm a fair distance away at this point, maybe 5 meters. Yeah... Lying to myself isn't good. I'm doomed.' I stop for a moment and look at the sky.

This is the end. There is no hope dragging myself pitifully. The least I can do is look at the stars in the sky for the last moments of my life as I wait for my death to come.

Seconds tickle by, then minutes. Half an hour later I can finally move a bit and get up from the ground.

'Why am I alive?' I ask myself

I don't hear any sound around me. I go back a bit to where the fight took place. There are 2 dead bodies lying in the dirt.

I move in closer. The fox is dead. But the man. He's still breathing... I take a step back frightened.

'I need to run away!' was my first thought but, 'Will I be able to run away?' I asked myself.

'I can't outrun him. He can track me. He wants to kill me. Worst he seems to be recovering...' I need to kill him.

I brace myself and take out my knife. I need to do this and I need to do it now, while he isn't awake.

I come closer and lift his hood, looking at the young man who doesn't look like he could hurt anyone. Probably around my age.

I take a look down at my knife and place it against his throat. Just then he opens his eyes and I no longer hesitated. I didn't even let my hand shake.

I had to do this. The moment he opened his eyes. I knew. He will kill me. He will kill me without sparing a thought. I had to end this here. Or this will be my end.

Blood gushed out of his throat and covered my now shivering hand in a warm sticky liquid. I slowly took it back and look at the bloody hand and knife.

With some unnatural clarity I wipe the blood of his clothes and start searching his body. The first thing I do is check the pouch and find a but of crystal inside, some vial of blood and herbs.

I take 2 sharp knifes off him and don't see much else of value.

I'm alive.

"I'm alive!" I say it again this time audibly just to hear it with my ears still in disbelieve.