I could hear them in my ears as my mind slowly awakened.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
Opening my eyes I see nothing but darkness all around me. The thought of me being dead surfaced in my mind until the throbs of pain resonated throughout my body. Water crashing against water is the only sound I could hear.
"Where am I?"
My eye's adjusting to the dark, I see water spilling from the ceiling like a waterfall. Standing up with my lower body still submerged in the growing pond, I stumble out of the water onto the cool stone. Now looking at my surroundings, It becomes clear I'm underground. How this area was formed was a mystery considering there were no tunnels under the lake, the area being too big and empty for this to be intentionally here. Thinking to myself I hear the sound again, vibrating in my skull before words appear before my eyes.
"Ding!"
"Greetings, you are now under the new ruler Cosmos, Being of Games after being traded by Infinitas, Being of Many Names. The board Earth has been reset, Good luck."
"Ding!"
[Disease - You have been afflicted with the "???" virus!]
[Passive Skill - Chemical Resistance discovered!]
Chemical Resistance Mastery: 100% Description: Ability to fight off disease of chemical origin. Rate: 100% Resistance
"Ding!"
"Warning! Prolonged exposure to the disease "???" will cause permanent effects."
"Ding!"
"Mutation has occurred, continued exposure to the disease "???" will cause death!"
[You have entered Virulent Cavern]
[Skill - Purify discovered!]
Skill: Purify Mastery: 0% Description: Cleanse any illness Speed: Very Slow
"Ding!"
"You have died!"
I died, pausing before continuing through the rest of the list, now that I reflect on it, how did I survive? I was shot and drowned, the world ended yet here I am still breathing.
Putting aside my thoughts, I reopen the list,
"Ding!"
[You have achieved the Title: One who Denies Death! Congratulations]
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Ding!"
[Skill - Purify enhanced to Purify II]
Skill: Purify II Mastery: 0% Description: Cleanse any illness, Sickness or Disease Speed: Slow
"Mutation has been purified!"
"Ding!"
"You have been revived!"
My heart is thundering in my chest. Closing the last notification my mind in disarray, swarming with questions with no one to ask. Like what are these floating messages? Who controls them? How have I been revived? And how long have I been down here?
"What am I to do now?"
Surveying the area several tunnels hugged the dome like walls, how they were formed was a mystery for another time.
"I can't see shit down here"
The only light source coming from the pond, I crawl to the edge and peer into the murky pond. Looking down, the bright light shimmered with intensity.
"The only way out of here is through one of those tunnels, and the only way I'm seeing anything is with that light."
Entering the water, I swim to the center of the pond until I'm hovering over the light. The water has a warm, comforting feeling as I plunge underneath the surface. The water becoming clearer and clearer as I approached it. Reaching the bottom, the light shines with a ferocity like a sun. Squinting my eyes I grab it with one hand before darting upward breaking through the water.
"Ding!"
[Rare Item - Essence of a Vibrant Gem]
Essence of a Vibrant Gem Durability: 46/100 Abilities: Cleanse any illness Description: A mutated meteor reinforced by magma, rock is of unknown origin.
The size and shape of the orb is similar to a baseball, a warm aura resonates up my arm and spreads throughout my body. This is what saved my life, a shiny rock. Chuckling, I shine the light towards the first of seven tunnels.
"Getting shot, drowning and dying only to be revived by a magic stone the size of my left nut. Whoever Cosmos is, he has a dark sense of humor."
Approaching the tunnel, footsteps echo throughout the cave. Soaked from head to toe my nose tickles before I sneeze, there was no draft in the cave yet I could still feel a chill as I walked towards the dark hole. The passage is narrow and from examination, not man-made, after all, I was only 5"11 and still had to crouch before being able to squeeze through. Shining the gem forward a sigh escapes my lips,
"Already a dead end and I haven't walked five steps."
Exiting the passage, noises echo's from the pond. The sound of a wet mop continuously smacking the ground can be heard all over the pond. The sounds alone making the hairs on my neck stand slowly shining the light towards the pond. I mutter in a low tone,
"Would it be cliche if I said who's there right now?"
Walking closer towards the source of the sound, every horror movie I've ever watched flashes through my mind. Casting the light over the pond a fish appears. More like a giant deformed fish, only a little shorter than me, walking on four legs towards me. Then another crawls out the water this time walking on two legs, stumbling to stay steady.
"If your gonna mutate at least stick to the same look."
Turning towards me the four-legged fish stumbles towards me, not being used to its new legs. Above its head, the numbers 72 are illuminated. All over the pond more deformed fish exit the water, each with a different mutation, all still as ugly as the first.
"Great I'm to face off against an army of mutated fish with a fucking stone?" I mutter in a low voice.
Cursing his luck Shin looks towards the next passage and sprints, clutching the gem in his left hand he points it through the entrance. Checking to see if it's another dead end.
"Never thought I'd be happy to see an endless dark tunnel." he says while smirking before sliding through the passage.