After some thinking, I reached the conclusion that I could try hitting the damn wall... just not with my head, that hurt. I looked down at my drill hand. It seemed very sturdy and I figured... if it was harder than the rock then it might just work - without me getting hurt in the process that is. I whirred the drill a bit before pulling back my arm and closing my eyes. Then I launched it at the wall with all I had!
Ting! As the drill head impacted the rock wall a bit under the glowing stone it chipped the stonewall, but also sent a reverberating force up my arm - and it hurt. I didn't scream though - I'd decided I wouldn't let the wall have that small victory. Instead, I just let my arm fall down limply while I inspected it for damage with my other. I couldn't find any but I could still feel a slight numbness in it and decided that just hitting the rock like that wasn't the way to go. I bought up my arm again and inspected the drill head too and luckily it seemed totally fine, so using it somehow would probably be effective... How though? What do you do with a .... drill. Gods dammit. You drill with a drill. I hit myself on the forehead with my hand, letting out a smaller 'ting' in the cavern while berating myself mentally. Then I faced the wall again.
This time I carefully put the tip of the drill on the rocky wall a few finger-widths under the gem, just to get a feel for it, and then I started spinning it - slowly at first and then faster and faster until I reached a comfortable speed. I put some weight behind it and pushed into the wall and suddenly, with a loud screeching sound, I was digging! Success! Small chips of rock flew off, but most of the wall turned to dust under my spinning assault as I slowly pushed in. Haha! Take that stupid wall!
For a few minutes, I just reveled in victory and made a lot of small indentations in the wall but I was rudely interrupted after a short while.
Skill learned! Drilling, Uncommon Skill (Basic Level 1/10)
You've learned how to use a drill to the very earth you walk! Dig out the hidden treasures of the earth or dig out a world of your own!
+1% dexterity when using a drill, skill adds damage penetration.
Cost: depending on tools
Ah, another skill. That's actually okay then. I choose to forgive the interruption and then close down the blue screen. What now, where was I? Right the glowing rock. I take a look around the cavern and notice I'm mostly alone now. I only spot a single reflective pair of eyes staring out of a hole in one of the walls, the rest have disappeared. Maybe it was the sound? Probably. Whatever I'll just get my stone anyway.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
It didn't take many minutes to drill out the piece of wall holding the glowing stone and then cut off as much extra rock as I could. It helped that I could kinda feel the form of the rock when resonating with the energies inside, so I think I cut off most of it. I then stood, my shiny in hand and marveled at it.
A skittering sound behind broke me out of my reverie. I turned my head around to see what it was only to find the centipede slowly skittering up closer to me. A chilling sensation passed through my core and I took that as a good a sign as any that I could marvel more later, someplace not here. I started moving away slowly in a controlled fashion.
The centipede clicked its mandibles at me.
I moved faster, less controlled.
It charged me.
I screamed and ran as fast as I possibly could with my arms wildly flailing at my sides trying to keep me upright. The centipede was faster than me, by no small margin but it also had a lot longer to go before I could reach my exit and hopefully salvation. I reached the tunnel I'd entered from earlier and ran straight into the wall there - I hadn't really gotten a handle on turning quickly yet, but I managed to bounce off without falling. The skittering was very very much too close at this point and I figured I had a better shot at survival while... not out in the open so I only ran a few steps in before stopping and turning my head around.
The centipede came running straight at me, wildly clacking away with its mandibles and I realized that... fuck I could not fight that and live. I'd had enough trouble with a wall just before so maybe I was just doomed. Gods dammit I thought. Then I had a stroke of inspiration - maybe the gods would actually damn it. Or at least one of them; Aphiir. I knew how to pray from my pray skill and I knew it would be better if I had some kinda offering and maybe showed some deference or gave some words of praise or something, but I didn't have more than a few seconds at most, so I just kinda screamed and held the glowy stone out towards the centipede.
"Daddy help! You can have this just ge-"
The stone exploded in a silvery white light and I got knocked back through the tunnel, faster than I had seen anything move before, bouncing off the sides multiple times before ending up in the cavern I came from originally.
Then the pain came and I forgot everything around me for a while.
Skill learned! Pain Tolerance, Uncommon Skill (Basic Level 1/10)
Pain can be overwhelming at times. You've been through a lot of pain without breaking and now you can handle it a little better.
+1% pain resist
Cost: Passive.
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Skill Pain Tolerance leveled up!
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Skill Pain Tolerance leveled up!
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