"Do what your kind does best." Izocol
Chapter 12: Desperate Times
“Sleep, everyone needs it...even me. There’s no better sleep than in Nothing," this is what I tell myself, but reality is often depressing.
A babe fights the coming necessity, a child squanders its worth, and an Adult goes to sleep and does the same as before, life is tiring, and the tired always fall asleep first.
Sleep with Nothing in mind and soon it'll all be over before it ever begins.
Adena was growing up so fast. Was I supposed to feel bad for Father and Papa? They'd get to watch her grow, each year another dash on the door frame. But what about me? Well, they still had me, we had time to spend together, in the long run. All the time out of Eden's world.
Times dark and sacred, times joyous and bright, times immemorial, unending if not for the coming stroke of sunlight. How should I feel regarding the time stolen from me? I am, shall I say, conflicted.
At times we wake from one world only to be thrust into another. No time to ground your reality, no time to process the now, and no time to die. You wake from Nothing in no time at all with no clue about where you are and when you are, but you know how to find one.
I ride out the waves of electricity sweeping through my brain neurons, and I find myself to be dying as we all are. As we all will one day, so goes the story of my life. I remember who I am, who Adena is. How my days, that have been numbered since the first breath, are coming to an end. The fear of death, or the human's defiance of the concept jolts me out of the Nothing that is my resting place, my cemetery. It reminds me of the playground.
'What the hell is going on?' A newborn once more greeting the world has been torn from the womb. So many differences, and always something new to spark curiosity. I am no newborn babe, nor do I question that it is my infancy. I do not question my reality as the engine that is my heart has been set into motion by my puzzled and time racked brain. My heart pumps with irregularity from birth, somehow as if by miracle it knows, my heart knows that there's less than 100,000 beats left.
My Skin, it doesn't crawl with its usual ecosystem. My skin doesn't tingle with the death and replication of skin cells. 'Wear, is it? It's supposed to cover my arms, wrap my legs, and protect all that is soft and squishy underneath.' The first Layer crawling with those itchy outer annoyances. I instinctually backtrack using Adena’s memory, but I cannot without first accessing my own.
My eyes are hazy, my mind is blaring, my skin is awry. 'What is that feeling?'... I hate waking up to this feeling. And it happens every time, how do people live like this? If the bright lights and bombardment of life weren't enough, now I have to deal with this. 'It hurts!
'Dada it hurts!!!' I couldn't scream. I was going into shock. Am I going into Shock? Why was I going into shock? Unhinging my jaw muscles to scream the pain kicked in only to be nulled as Nothing tugged on my consciousness trying to distract me from the weight, the fear, her terror intermingling my own. Nothing scared me more than dying, but how can I fear that which I love. 'What did I have to be afraid of? What was she afraid of?' This is the moment. The moment when I receive my answer. I am. A know it all. And I knew for certain that my flesh was scraping away into an endless splurge of color, never to be seen again.
'This was what I was afraid of! What am I looking at!?' My curiosity triumphs over my fear, as I try to stitch together my current scenario. I wasn't forced by Adena into this situation, knowing her, she'd probably fallen unconscious trying to put up with the physical and mental burden that was whatever this is.
I've seen the ground beneath my feet and the sky's that fall from above. I've seen death take that experiencing the prime of its life. I have tasted death. My mind was undoubtedly stronger than hers. And my will for crying out loud... “I AM UNBREAKABLE!!!” I screamed and cried as I was dragged through a colorful death ride filled with different shades of matter. A force was attempting to rip me apart, strip me of all that I had, a force that denied my body the option of trembling.
'I won't allow it!' Every layer of my epidermis was to be ripped off and converted into this insanity, there was no way I was letting myself die here. There was so much we had yet to experience, so much we hadn't tasted, and there was no way- I'd never see them again. Either sink or swim, live or die, outlast, or let this be my last moment amongst the living.
Nothing’s embrace was latching onto me. 'NOOOOOooo!', Curling up into a ball and finding myself in the fetal position I used every fiber of my being to repel the mysterious forces trying to reap everything I had to offer.
A game of tug of war between three and the winner would be me. It had to be how could I lose to Nothing.
The cells in my eyes were oozing, parts of me peeled off just to disintegrate once again. My brown skin ripped away like I was a stick of cheese with something extra underneath. Taxing, putting up a resistance worse than my first breath, it wanted me, all of me. It was trying to add me to its tapestry. It could not have me; nothing could have the pleasure.
I was an asteroid blowing, falling, flying in an unknown direction for an undesignated distance. Nothing was calling for me and for the first time in my life I refused.
She was depending on me; I could only depend on me. Bearing the world on my shoulders, I wouldn't let Nothing take me, the constant strain on my mind and body, a trial that needed to be conquered and in time it would. Unable to fight back against the force, I watched the colors of the vortex take my body for a ride as wisps of the vortex brushed against my barreling form.
I watched as pieces of me would forever be lost to this hungering space. Having put up with the torture I found a moment of clarity in the unforgiving flow. I thought about my life, a life, the life it was stealing from me as I had yet to truly live. Losing consciousness, I scrunched every muscle hoping to put up a resistance, looking to somehow hide my innards away from the death vortex.
'It's astonishing.' Taking a glance at the vortex no longer having eyelids to preserve my disintegrating eyes, I let the pain wash over me.
'So many colors, if only I could have taken in the view longer.' Quite a way of thinking when facing death. How many people get to say that they saw death coming? 'Not me, I'm not dying to some shitty painting of rainbow vomit.
'I refuse,' Nothing, the inevitable.
_
A hard thump is heard as a boy falls onto the cold concrete of a dark and damp cave. Anyone else would have died, after that hard thump, a thump to one, was a crash to another. Was it a silly scrape or a crash landing for the child who'd lost multiple layers of skin and muscle. Pain was an experience he would bear for its rapid regrowth.
A miracle the boy's heart still beat under such immense stress, lucky to have blacked out after outlasting a spatial vortex. Lucky to have experienced the calm after the storm.
----------------------------------------
Chapter 12: Desperate Times (Part II)
My head hurt a bit, but the headache was nothing compared to waking up after the kid... Kidnapping. 'It wasn't a dream' I know it wasn't.
I itched all over something furious! Closing my eyes while trying to fight off fatigue. I realized that I was lying on a cold floor, a floor that was comfortable enough to lie on. It was so smooth and perfectly planned, I'd have no problem falling asleep here if it came to that.
The chill of the concrete was somewhat soothing, my forehead found comfort in the simplicity as it did the chill.
"Uhhhgh, I could lay here forever," I felt mentally exhausted, and knowing that I would have to stand up and let my chest endure the tingling itch didn't bring me any form of satisfaction.
[*Ping!*System Initializing...]
'What was that? A minute there I thought I saw something on my eyelids or in my head.’ Wait a minute the fox?! I was... I was alert and there was no way I was dying to that evil fox I could see through my eyelids and the specks and flecks in this place were compact.
Feeling the wind blow past my nether regions I was scared again.
'Where are my clothes!? Where am I !??' My head twisted and turned as I propped myself off of the floor. Trying to Jog my memory, "I was in the boiler room, and someone was calling for me. No, the Fox was coming after me and then I threw myself into a transparent circle," what was a... portal, doing in a boiler room!?
Digging my nails into the ground 'Where am I now!?' I refused to speak into the darkness, and lure that thing or its malicious baby over to me.
I crouched down trying my best to sneak without a single piece of clothing to cover me. Ignoring the cold that had become most apparent, my teeth chattered with each breath.
'No one would come for me,' I thought, getting the fear of being abandoned out of the way. It made my heart ache but brought me some clarity. A much-needed clarity. There was a deep urge to call out to my parents that I had to actively repress. But they couldn't come to my rescue, nor would they run so there was no need to put my life in danger.
[*Ping!*System Initialized!]
Please God tell me I'm not losing my mind again. I was shaking looking left and right in the dark space. There was no way I was hearing a new louder robotic voice in my head.
‘What happened to the soft, creepy, whispers,’ I should’ve gone with the flow.
“Remain calm,” I heard a voice inside my head. A voice as clear as day, darkness in this case. A voice like someone had forgotten to hang up a phone call only to fall asleep.
I think it was the voice of a child, a child, I'm sure. He was talking in his sleep. Keeping calm something even weirder than that continued to happen. Opening my eyes even wider, something blurry was showing up in the darkness. Floating into my view like my eyes were a phone screen. The only light in the darkness that didn't light anything.
I shook my head to rid myself of the fault in my vision, but the screen wouldn't budge. I couldn't help but rub my eyes in agitation, as the brightness increased. Emitting the same irritating blue rays of a phone screen without the eye strain.
"What the hell?" I mumbled, scared more of the cavern than the screen. Which was worse, I don’t know!?!?
[*Ping!* Welcome to Candralt!]
Name: Adena Ce Raphil Mabtali
Race: Human Hybrid... Biology Unknown
Age: 13
[System Unlocked]
[ *Ping!* System Administrators have granted sapiens access to a limited (Spatial Storage)]
[ *Ping!* System Administrators have granted Humans a 3% increase to all experience gain!]
[ *Ping!* A great sacrifice has been made by the Witch of (Sacrifice) to preserve the Human race, you gain a +1 bonus to all stats! You also gain a passive 2% increase to all exp gain (3% increase when slaying Monsters)!]
'Remain calm, stay calm!' My breath had become uneven as I desperately tried to grasp my new reality.
"Monsters!?" I dropped to the floor as adrenaline kicked in.
'What the hell is a system!? Is my life now a game!? What the heck is going on here?!' I can't have a panic attack here.
“I'm not alone, I am not alone.” This was a disaster. The disaster to end all disasters.
“Shhhhh!," someone had shushed me from the shadows. I covered my chest, shutting my mouth like a steel trap. I didn't need to move my neck and take a gander around the cave. To my disbelief...I saw no one. I was alone in a cold dark damp cave, crying out loud. Everything except for the latter. I wasn’t trying to lure those things.
Trying to gain some sense of awareness I took note of a few small boulders ten feet in front of me.
A couple of sparsely spread rocks, and a couple weeds beneath my feet later.
'My feet, Oh my god I'm naked!' Naked and afraid, I hated that show.
'Wait, someone shushed me? But who could've possibly! Him!' The white menu was something but getting shushed is quite rude.
'Who does he think he is!? Getting angry with the now-named voice in my head I got a grip on my emotions and came back to reality, cooling myself down before I got myself killed.
“I guess the whispers always had a name, right?' Please, tell me I'm not losing my mind." I thought about what those two said.
'In this situation, I should wait for him to wake up, as far as I can see I'm alone in a pitch-black cave.’
“Bleurgh!” My stomach growled having words to say about blacking out.
"Ouch," it hurt. My stomach was killing me. 'Okay, keep calm. Surroundings, pay attention to your surroundings.' Taking another look around.
Pitch black darkness, an unfamiliar darkness.
'I'm alone in a dark cave, completely starving. My stomach was suddenly killing me like I hadn't eaten in a week, scratch that it felt like I hadn’t eaten in forever.
Why the heck am I so unlucky first the fox monsters now I have to wake up in a deep dark dank cave.'
‘Wait, a minute I can see just fine in the darkness.’ Maybe I should look for food. My instincts haven't pushed me in the wrong direction. I'll just be careful; I doubt I would walk on a glowing red line of thread in this pitch black. Who’s to say it's even dark in here? I can see just fine using the specks.
“Come on, use your brain Adena," whispering I looked around making sure nothing was dropping from above or creeping up from behind me in my crouch.
"Cavern wall's rocks, more rocks, another boulder, even more rocks." Another cold breeze blew across my nether regions, and I got my first clue on where I should… shouldn’t go- okay, get away from the cold anywhere, that's not in the open.
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I started searching for something, anything really, not too worried about covering myself. Though it was on my list. Which should've been my priority.
Giving more attention to the specks causing them to glow faintly. I took in the greens and blue's throughout the cave. My eyes were useless, so I chose to close them, instead of letting the cave’s darkness blot my mind.
Inching closer to ground my feet across the cold floor. I stopped and stared, no words, no thoughts, just shiver and think about what to do next.
Staring blankly at the walls of the cave gave me chills. And it wasn't the breeze going up my backside. A part of me hoped my eyes, or mind were deceiving me.
The walls of this cave looked to be alive, pulsing ever so slowly. That's what it looked like. Glancing at the wall again I could see that behind the hard outer edges of Greystone were faint red pumping veins with a luminescent blue. The specks were coursing and shimmering behind the gray slow to unmoving stone. But I could see it, a small pulse buried deep under and behind the rigid stone.
I got hives and goosebumps coming to the conclusion, ‘this place is alive,’ I’d seen human blood veins from wrist to back. The sheer number of times I’d placed my head on Papa’s lap as I drifted off to sleep.
'Where the hell am I!?' Shouting inside my head. I’ve never heard of a “Candralt”, not even on the internet.
“Oh my god did I-!?' Nope, not today. Can’t let the intrusive thoughts win. The whispers had even spared me. ‘I’m alive and as far as I can tell, no panicking, there’s a breeze blowing across my back.’
Taking a breath and hunching over I had to remind myself of the fact. 'I'm alive! I'm alive. I'm alive.'
Should I follow the directions the veins went in, or maybe the breeze? How about both? I'll follow the breeze first. On second thought that sounded like a horrible idea. There was no way I was leaving here naked, and that breeze was super cold. I would hate to find out I'm in a cave hidden in a deep dark forest or something.
Doing the math forest, animal’s, foxes. “A Dark cave 'empty' cave is fine for now.”
“Idiot."
That was loud and clear as was the last snide comment.
“I’d prefer it if you whispered!” Was he doing that on purpose to irritate me?
“Wow, so the older brother exists and he’s even lazier than Papa.”
Wait, haven't I read a story like this before online? My world comes crashing down again but the Cave ceiling doesn’t come crumbling.
“No... please tell me it isn't true!” I ducked down. Hoping a goblin or something fatal hadn’t crept up on me, my toes digging into the dirt.
“Please dear god let it be dirt.” The realization hit but hunger pangs were hitting harder. My body was exposed to the cold air which sucked but it wasn't worse than my aching stomach.
“I never in my life asked to be Isekai’d,” and here I am in another world, the only bright side being that I wasn’t dead. My life was still pending.
Racing thoughts of ‘I’ll have to find society! Where will I order clothes online! My parents!’ No, time for a panic attack. Telling myself to focus, I followed the veins that led to an opening along the cavern walls.
There wasn’t anything in sight, so I decided to take on a higher mental burden.
I expanded my vision to a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view taking a deep breath and acknowledging that the headache after would be a pain. I’ll wake up with another black nosebleed, fair trade. One foot after the other observing the smooth carved-out cave and the stalactites above my head I continued crouching and picked up the pace. It was way easier handling specks here than back home. There didn’t feel like there was a spike being plunged into the top of my head to turn my brain to smithereens.
After following the red veins in the wall for a while the room expanded.
“How many red specks are in here?” It's fine. Everything is fine. If this was a dungeon it was quite small, and I was thankful for that. Too bad I didn't get a Title or Dungeon name to confirm it.
'Was that even a thing here?' Either way, keeping up my trek inside the cave was fraying my nerves, but I had to maintain the front. After what felt like a lifetime in the tunnel, ‘No more than thirty minutes,' I came across a broader cave that had bones scattered around.
The red specks in the air were a bit thicker here but the color was dull compared to the red veins hidden behind the cavern walls. The red veins had led me to this opening that I took for a room. This part of the cave was spacious, and it even had a pond, a pond harboring a corpse.
Scared out of my mind I raised my arms, getting into a fighting position. I didn't have to look around any further to know that the only threat in this cave were the bones in the pond.
The red veins trailing throughout the caves lead toward the pond. From the top, the red veins trailed outward outline the space.
‘Am I surrounded?’ I had walked into the heart of the cave! How Stupid do I have to be!
I was going to take the veins as a hint. A cave or not, stone or not, the red veins pulsed way more vibrantly here, regularly even, and anything with a pulse in my book was a sign of the living. If this world was anything like "Wondering Wendy" corpses could get up and walk. They could do more than just walk, that's what made them 'the undead, in book terms.
Thinking about the walking corpses, I dropped my guards and made some distance between the pond and the skeletons scattered about. I was getting ahead of myself, Undead or not, I couldn't put up a fight against anything. Not a six-foot fox., a living cave, or some raggedy moss-covered remains. All of these things could possibly cause me bodily harm. And what could I do? Scream, get tackled into the concrete.
‘I can put up a fight against bones.’ It’s a skeleton, it’s just bones.
"Focus," spoke the child of my imagination again before I could come to that conclusion on my own.
'I can't do anything in this situation, what gives me the nerve.' Inching backward, I picked up a rock on the cavern ground having made up my mind.
I sighed in relief, after throwing the rock. The corpse lying in the pond was just a corpse.
Thinking about how the Red Fox had hidden behind the six-foot boy like it was in its unseen world, I circled the cavern red veins at my back. Making sure not to step on a skeleton.
Waiting to find another fox with an eating disorder behind the corpse.
“Heeuw,” Sighing again, I walked towards the corpse to examine it. There was no danger at the moment from what I could see, who knows, maybe I could use a rib as a weapon.
Veins trailing under the pond so close to the surface that I could see a faint red glow even with my eyes open. But the pond was ordinary, filled with crystal clear blue water you could see right through it.
“Never mind,” I stand corrected.
Unnatural Blue specks were in the water transitioning from blue, to green, to some sort of transparent color, I recognized the transparent color.
"It's why...It's why I was here. The transparent circle that both saved my life and sent me to this cave of doom."
Hunger and thirst were the last of my worries with giant Fox, Fox men, Fox on men, Fox Men on the loose. 'Let's not think about naming those things for now.' There was no chance I was drinking that stuff.
The water wasn't safe in the slightest, and I wasn't going risk my life drinking corpse juice.
Sneaking closer to the corpse in the pond I wanted to sob it was some sick human/ animal mix, half, something.
‘I couldn’t fight back against these bones even if I had bigfoot fighting beside me,’ I was a dwarf compared to the thing. I was half the size of its skull let alone its leg bone.
The thing had human legs and arms, but its skull, spine, and rib cage resembled that of a snake.
'What the heck is this thing? Why the hell was it turning transparent even though it was dead?' Having second thoughts about touching something that may rise from the dead. I stepped back, picked up a rock, and headed for the tunnel I came from.
From there I threw the rock at the skeleton and watched patiently, crouching in anticipation. Another rock bites the dust.
"Nope, nothing." I was relieved you would think a world with a system had undead.
‘Wow, I’m such an idiot!’ I forgot to check the system, hitting my head with my hand. I thought hard about the system menu.
Usually, most of those ‘LitRPG’ novels had a system menu. Who knew reading a couple of light novels would give me a clue to what was happening to me?
Calling for the system menu again.
I was saved, I was content! I could use any help whatsoever in my current situation.
Stranded, naked, afraid, recklessly brave.
It was a bad idea. My second bad Idea of the day.
At my third thought of calling for a "System Menu," a broken alarm went off inside my head causing specks and flecks to rush toward me.
Ringing, binging, vibrating, “Someone turn it off!
I could just hurl if my stomach hadn't made me want to kill over and die. I was desperately failing to stand up.
Failing, falling, the ground was inching closer.
*Ding!**Ding!**Ding!**Ding!**Ding!**Ding!*
"Make it stop!!!" I shouted.
[You have Unlocked New Skills!!!]
[Class 1: None]
[Class 2: None]
[Class 3: None]
**BING!** **BING!** **BING!** **BING!**
General Skill:
[Racial Trait: Mind Over Matter] - Level 3 (New)
[Racial Trait: Lesser Matter Manipulation] - Level 2 (New)
[Racial Trait: Gemini Shift] - Level 5 (New)
[Racial Trait: Loved by Nothing] - Level 1 (New)
[Racial Trait: Dark Matter Affinity] - Level 3 (New)
[Racial Trait: Eyes of the Watcher] - Level 2 (New)
[Racial Trait: Eternal Sunshine] - Level 3 (New)
Pain Resistance - Level 7 (New)
Dance of Etiquette - Level 3 (New)
Self-Defense - Level 2 (New)
Voice of an Angel - Level 1 (New)
Enhanced Immune system - 2nd Level 1 (New)
Enhanced Regeneration - Level 5 (New)
Fear Resistance - 2nd Level 1 (New)
Spatial Magic Resistance - 2nd Level 1 (New)
Free Stats: 0
[Strength: 20]
[Dexterity: 20]
[Vitality: 20]
[Agility: 20]
[Intelligence: 25]
[Mana: 25]
[Mana Control: 25]
[Magic Regeneration: 25]
[Mana Power: 25]
I couldn't handle the head-splitting migraine. It felt like my brain was boiling.
My bones were breaking, things snapped in places I hadn’t given previous thought to.
"What the hell is wrong with this Planet!!?" I'm never saying 'system' again! What the heck is wrong with this place!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!! Falling on my back bleeding from my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears everywhere I was bleeding black blood the walls of the cave were caving in on me and my specks were changing.
“What the hell is Happening!”
The next few seconds were a blur, a mix of squirming and screaming.
He shouted, “SAY MY NAME QUICK!!!”
"ADONIN!!!!!!!" I screamed as if it was a ward against my sudden plight.
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Chapter 12: Desperate Times (Part II)
*****
[ You Have Entered Dungeon: Foaixes Den]...
[*ping!*System Initializing...]
[ *ping!*Contacting Administrators...!]
[*ping!*Administrator Assistance has been Canceled due to Dungeon Interference!]
[*ping!*Achievement Unlocked: For traveling to another world and surviving] {System Reward}: Title~ [Otherworlder]
[*ping!*Achievement Unlocked: You have survived a space vortex created by a Subspecies of the last Polmaitixes Observer {System Reward}: Title~ {Indestructible} Skill - [Matter Leech]
[*ping!* Achievement Unlocked: You have completed Speciocide in the act of forcing the closing of the Last Pomataixes Observers Space Vortex you have killed an entire species of Foaixes tethered to said portal] {System Reward}: Title~ {Speciocide}
[*ping!*Achievement Unlocked: You have been born, a miracle in Itself may He watch over You] {System Reward}: Title~ {Realities Intruder}
[*ping!*Achievement Unlocked: You have tasted the flesh of Man, basked in the blood of your enemy, and worn the flesh of your kin] {System Reward}: Title~ {Monster}
Name: Adonin Servan Mabtali Lee Ce Raphil
Species: A Being... Biology Unknown System Error!!!!!
Subspecies: [Being] - Lvl.1
AGE: 6
[ 121 Days and 16 Hours Left till Sapien classes can be unlocked]
[Monster Class: None]
Free Stats: 0
[Strength: 50]
[Dexterity: 50]
[Vitality: 50]
[Agility: 50]
[Intelligence: 55]
[Mana: 55]
[Mana Control: 55]
[Magic Regeneration: 55]
[Mana Power: 55]
I had no idea what was going on... Okay, so, I had a clue. Energy can only be transferred. Neither created nor destroyed. Matter is everywhere but everything takes up space.
These so-called stats brought on by the system took unused matter from the environment and imbued it into a host.
We were the host, to a ‘System’.
In other words, this so-called "System" granted the option of choosing which “specks” someone wanted to keep in their unique composition, along with what types of matter remained constant. The System was giving the people inhabiting this world a choice. Quite wondrous. Earth paled in comparison in my opinion the quality of matter here was fuller and denser. The problem was likely that I and Adena are unknown to the system.
‘Ridiculous’, Adena should be recognized as Human, but the system labeled otherwise.
'It's nice to know we are truly two different people. I can recall the memory of her system, but I didn't when it first popped up. I wonder if other humans on this planet have similar stats.'
Anyway, the vortex or whatever the achievement called it had done me an unspeakable good. The Dungeon was being robbed of its matter, quite sad. With [Identify] as a general skill and my insanely good eyesight. I watched the [Dungeon Core] a few meters below the pond. It was being ripped apart. As I watched the core dissolve, I couldn't help but think it paled to what the Vortex had done to me. Thankfully, I somehow managed to stay alive.
‘Somehow,’ the core on the other hand could not resist the system’s pull.
‘As to where that pull was coming from?’ I would like to know. The system was pulling matter and energy from the space around us to fuel me and Adena’s base stats even the bones in the pond were turning to dust. The Conversion rate didn’t make sense.
My bones snapped and cracked under a squeezing pressure assailing me at every angle, as the sound of a waterfall intermingled with a last-minute construction zone pulled my senses of hearing and sight toward what I believed to be vanishing dirt. Brown uprooted soil and whatever remained behind cavern walls flew in my direction, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something I was missing. My eyelids were closed shut but my eyes underneath, whatever could be considered the aspect, the very essence of sight remained leaving every last moment and minute detail of this otherworldly spectacle a record, seared into my brain.
The base stats were adding specks of “matter” to my body at an insanely fast and deadly pace. It was like letting the water drain from a bathtub without a stopper.
I would say that in about two minutes of what should be excruciating pain, I'd be naked in the snow that lay above the dungeon. Then again maybe not these skills are coming in handy.
"A 3rd tier [Pain resistance] was no joke, I could feel my cells bursting and repairing at an insanely fast rate. Every part of my being was becoming more compact. The specks invading my body were every color except black still an oddity no matter where I looked. I could only find it on me and Father. Well, Adena had them as well since we had the same body, kind of.
Papa could hold the black “specks”.
Okay, I'm done saying “specks” It's “Black matter” in my book maybe that's what it is. "Black matter" doesn't sound right either, the system calls it "Dark Matter", so I'll just go with that.
Anyway, as I was saying Papa’s composition could contain dark matter temporarily, but it would dissipate eventually. The dark matter inside of him disappeared slowly after our birth and reappeared right after he got sick. I could guess that lying in bed with me and Dada was the cause. But it couldn’t have been, since we’d shared the same bed too many times to count.
[*Ping* Achievement unlocked: you have destroyed and absorbed a Dungeon core single-handedly] Reward - Title {Consumer}
I now lay in a ginormous pit that was saving me from the snowstorm that took place at ground level. I happened to be half a football field below ground level bare butt cheeks on the rubble. Luckily for me “I am Adonin the Special Boy.” and the act of discrimination towards our "race" whatever the system said it was wouldn't deter me.
Who cares if life is out to get you? Thankfully the system didn't kill me like it did the poor [Dungeon Core], a few moments ago.
"I'll get used to that." Then again, did the Dungeon deserve my compassion? 'Compassion?' Yes, that's the word. Maybe I'm a bit biased after all those light novels. Let's see, there was "A Dungeons Core, Reborn as a Dungeon, Born in the Deep, and Fantal Lost in the Land..." Okay, so maybe I'm biased when it comes to Dungeons. Such good stories, such a way to waste time, reading countless novels.'
Taking a moment to lay in the dungeon's ashes or 'remains' I guess you could call it. It was there in the dry lifeless pit that I closed my eyes and remembered the feeling of Nothing.
I was happy to get up and explore but Adena hasn't been giving me any time to rest, not that it's her fault. Hmmm, 'Rest' it'll suffice.
Life could be so mentally taxing yah know. Breathing out some air against the cold blackened pit, I closed my eyes and focused on the changes in my body. I was in no immediate danger and could stand a little cold. Better to be left out in the cold than experience another spatial vortex.