The world was ravaged by creatures from another dimension. With each passing day, humanity dwindles, hunted mercilessly by these relentless abominations. Although some humans were granted a blessing called the "skill system with status," it wasn't enough. By the time they mastered it, the hordes of monsters had become too powerful, and extinction seemed inevitable.
Now, only one man remains, hidden in the shadows of the ruins. He has lived like an animal for years, lurking in the darkness, just to...
Only
The cold felt ruthless, piercing through his bones, but soon, he wouldn’t feel it anymore. The wind lashed at the old man's wrinkled face, as if trying to stop him, yet he pressed on. His knees shook under the strain of the sloping path, and his mind flooded with thoughts of despair and regret. Each step reminded him of the countless missed opportunities from his youth, now distant and irrevocable. All that remained was to contemplate, perhaps for the last time, the sunset from this height, as he had done in his younger days.
With great effort, he bent down to pick up a small rock. He realized how something so simple had become a monumental task for his frail, worn-out body.
"My poor bones..." he murmured, pressing his left hand against his aching back, trying to massage it. "I guess I deserve it. Being a coward all my life, hiding like a rat... it has its consequences. But I can’t blame myself. Anyone would’ve done the same in my shoes. No one wants to be devoured by those creatures," he said, and his expression darkened with a profound sadness. "All I knew how to do was run."
He extended his hand, staring at the rock he held, while his gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the sun was fading in hues of orange and red. He tried to smile, but not even a fake grin formed on his tired face. With a sigh, he let the rock fall, watching it drop into the void, just like his hopes. His eyes fell to his skeletal feet, covered only by cracked, thin skin. The years of hunger had consumed him.
The sound of the rock hitting the water was barely a whisper, but it was enough to make the old man flinch, frightened by the echo of his own solitude.
"Maybe I'll come back another day..." he muttered, gazing at the horizon with disdain. "Who am I kidding? I'm still a coward," he admitted, lowering his gaze in bitter resignation. "I’d better go back, even though there’s no one waiting for me... I just hope the car still has enough fuel," he added, his face showing a fleeting sense of relief.
Once again, he bent down with great effort and picked up what looked like a sturdy branch, strong enough to support his fragile body. His hands shook as he grasped it, his whole body screaming that he didn't have much time left.
Behind him, the last ray of sunlight vanished, plunging the world into shadow. In front of him, the stench of ash and pollution filled the air. But he kept walking. As he descended, the darkness thickened, and the place grew more terrifying.
“Cough... cough...” He coughed violently. “The air is too thick. I need to hurry... and maybe find something to eat. I’ve only had contaminated water these days,” he complained, wiping his dry lips with his left hand. “I’m already craving that damn canned meat.”
Suddenly, a distant, low growl echoed through the thick fog, enough to send a shiver down his spine. It was a sound he knew all too well.
“Gr…!” The old man tensed, looking toward the fog where the growl had come from. His heart pounded in his chest. “I won’t give you the satisfaction! You won’t eat me like the others, damn beast!” he shouted in desperation, forcing his shaky legs to run up the hill. “You want my flesh? Well, I don’t have enough left to satisfy your cursed hunger.”
He ran as fast as he could, defying his age and weakness. Fear drove his tired legs, but fate was cruel. His body crashed hard onto the ground, his face slamming into the wet earth. Desperately, he tried to turn, but one of his legs didn’t respond. Pain shot through him like lightning as he looked down. One of his legs… was gone.
“You won’t eat me, do you hear me?!” he screamed, dragging himself across the dirt, his hands covered in mud and blood. “If I’m going to die today, I’ll do it my way!”
His vision began to blur, the metallic taste of blood mixing with the dirt in his mouth, while the cold, salty sea air brushed against his skin. Am I dying? he wondered. The blood pouring from his body was unrelenting, and he knew what that meant. After 80 years of running from monsters, he had learned a lot about them, especially the lizardmen, who hunted by wounding their prey to let them bleed out.
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With one last desperate effort, the old man lifted his blood-soaked staff and tried to raise it in defiance. But the heavy foot of the lizardman came down on it, shattering the staff with a loud crack and crushing his right arm. The impact was brutal, sinking part of the ground under the beast’s weight. The pain was unbearable, but he barely felt it as darkness began to consume his senses.
With eyes half-closed and his vision blurred by dirt, he saw the beast writhing in pain, trying to pull something from its eye: a splinter from the staff that had been with him for so many years. Screaming in agony, the creature stumbled, and as it stepped near the edge of the cliff, the ground gave way beneath it, sending the beast tumbling into the abyss.
"Where are you? Why can’t I see you?" the old man murmured, his voice weak, lips stained with blood. “Did you leave me here to die alone? Maybe I wasn’t enough to entertain you..." He let out a bitter laugh, choked by his own suffering. “I see... even in that, you beat me.”
The decrepit old man, feeling like a loser even in his final moments, let out a deep sigh. But then, a floating blue window appeared before him, breaking the silence of his impending death.
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ACHIEVEMENT WINDOW
YOU HAVE DEFEATED YOUR FIRST ENEMY.
YOU HAVE RECEIVED 10 BLUE CRYSTALS.
THE VIRTUAL SHOP HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.
ACHIEVEMENT WINDOW
YOUR FIRST DEFEATED ENEMY WAS A LIZARDMAN.
YOU HAVE RECEIVED A LEGENDARY RANDOM BOX.
(UPON OPENING, IT SUMMONS A RANDOM LEGENDARY OR DIVINE ITEM.)
NOTIFICATION WINDOW
YOU HAVE DEFEATED A LIZARDMAN.
YOU HAVE GAINED 1500 EXPERIENCE POINTS.
YOU HAVE ACQUIRED AN ORANGE CRYSTAL.
Notification Window
You have leveled up from 1 to 2.
Notification Window
You have leveled up from 2 to 3.
Notification Window
You have leveled up from 3 to 4.
Notification Window
You have leveled up from 4 to 5.
Notification Window
You have leveled up from 5 to 6.
“So this is what they call leveling up,” he thought with a faint smile, barely visible beneath the blood and tears that stained his face. “This feeling of victory... even if it’s just once in my life, it’s enough for me. Too bad leveling up doesn’t heal my wounds... Guess it’s not like the games I used to play.”
Despite the pain consuming him, Bento let out a soft, almost inaudible laugh. “What am I saying? I still have that rare item... Maybe it’ll give me a healing potion, though I shouldn’t get my hopes up.”
In his youth, Bento wasn’t a fighter, but he had a kind heart. He helped others by providing supplies, always listening to the stories of adventurers about the monsters that appeared when the portals opened. The knowledge he gained he used to survive. He knew about the mysterious "blue window," but he had heard it only activated if you risked your life in a solo battle against a superior monster. Ever cautious, Bento had chosen not to take that risk.
—Open inventory —he whispered, his voice barely audible, as he raised his left hand with great effort.
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INVENTORY
1 * LEGENDARY RANDOM BOX
1 * ORANGE CRYSTAL
10 * BLUE CRYSTALS
"This must be it," he thought, as his trembling finger touched the item.
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DO YOU WISH TO OPEN THIS ITEM?
1 * LEGENDARY RANDOM BOX
OK
“Stop asking and just open it already," he thought, feeling weaker, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.
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NOTIFICATION WINDOW
YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THE DIVINE ITEM: SAGE'S RETURN.
The old man’s sanity was slowly slipping away. His vision could no longer distinguish between reality and delirium.
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WARNING
YOU ARE ABOUT TO USE SAGE’S RETURN.
(YOU HAVEN’T READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO ACTIVATE IT?)
—Use... —he murmured weakly, as the sound of the mist and the roar of the wind blended with distant memories.
………………
“That sound... I know it, but what is it? I think... it’s cats... fighting on rooftops. But what am I doing here? I don’t remember being near a rooftop... I haven’t even seen a cat in over 20 years, not since they disappeared. So strange... Why can’t I open my eyes? But it doesn’t matter... I feel comfortable... even though my arms are heavy, and I can’t move. It must be because my soul already left my body... But how did I get here? Something big must have happened. Yes... I remember I died, but... why am I still hearing cats? Wait, those aren’t cats... it’s a voice. Is someone else alive? I can’t remember the last time I spoke to anyone... And that smell... scrambled eggs. I have to taste them... But if I can smell and hear... then... I’m not dead? Where am I?"