Several hours pass as I stumble along. Despite the waterfall being visible in the distance I am still heavily injured and exhausted from walking non stop, I think the only reason I am hanging on right now is all the training I have done and maybe my [Solar Regeneration] skill tempering my exhaustion.
Finally I somehow make it to my destination without encountering another attack. I can only hope that means the monsters are asleep. Keeping a good distance from the edge of the cliff I inch my way towards the rushing river that looks to be almost a mile wide. The sound is incredibly loud, drowning out everything else, I have to remind myself to keep my focus on not getting ambushed.
My [Infrared Vision] skill is fairly shoddy so the scene before me is monochrome and blurry, but I can tell that the endless amount of thrashing water before me is freezing cold. I had hoped I would have a chance to take a bath or something but that is not looking like an option. That is also considering the water is moving fast enough to tear my foot off if I tried dipping a toe in.
Peering into the rushing water, trying to use my hands to catch some of the spray to drink I feel a shiver run up my spine. I assume it is probably just from the cold water chilling the air around me, at least until the pale white glow of the mist around me begins to turn red.
“My, my, my. Didn’t your mommy ever teach you that little kids should be careful around rushing water?”
“My mother stabbed me to death, so I will let you take a guess on that front.”
Pushing myself up and turning around I see a pair of glowing crimson eyes and a wicked smile enveloped in a black blur that is constantly shifting. I can make out a vague outline of a towering and lanky figure, I am not sure what it is, but it has not attacked me yet so I am doing my best to stay relaxed.
I would love to use [Lesser Identification] on the thing but I already know the thing could kill me whenever it wanted to, just by the aura of power radiating off of it. That and I need to say the skill name out loud and I really don’t want to piss the thing off.
Staring down the strange apparition I decide I might as well get whatever is about to happen rolling.
“So, uh. Do you need something from me? All I have is a pointy stick and I doubt you are looking for kindling.”
Despite the roaring of the river behind me the shrill cackle of the creature cuts through it, reaching my ears unhindered.
“You see, I knew you would be able to entertain me! You are a funny one, kid, you must have guts to speak to me like that. That or you are just a suicidal psychopath.”
Clutching its chest and howling in laughter the creature takes a moment, then it suddenly stops. The air grows far colder than it had been a moment ago.
“Let's cut the case, kid. This area is my territory and you are trespassing.”
At that statement my blood runs cold, it feels like a hand is around my neck and I can barely breathe. I look down to see the hand grabbing me but only find the same cold mist that was there before. The creature had not moved. The pressure it is exerting is just that overpowering that I can feel it as though it is real.
“W-Well, I didn’t come here of my own free will. You know I told you my mother murdered me and well, it is a bit of a complicated story that I am sure you don’t care about. I would be happy to leave if you could just point me in the direction of the nearest exit I will be on my way.”
Doing my best to stay calm in front of the overwhelming blood lust I give the creature my best 9-5 retail smile.
Before I can say anything else the looming figure cuts off the blood lust and I drop to my knees.
“Oh don't worry, I already said I find you interesting so I wont be killing you. However I will be giving you a little nudge so that you may provide better entertainment.”
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That same shiver runs up my spine again as the crooked shadowed smile grins a rather horrible grin.
Before I can blink the black figure is rushing towards me, closing the distance in an instant. I try to brace myself with my arms in front of my body but it is useless. I feel a heavy impact, lighter than I would have expected and not very painful but it is still just enough to launch me into the deadly river at my back.
I can barely think as I am plunged into the icy torrent. It is all I can do not to scream, I know the direction this water is flowing. I know what is waiting for me.
I really thought I had a chance at survival but apparently the universe hates me. Dying 3 times in one day, I have to be setting a new record. And with that inane though, I black out.
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Standing on the edge of a rocky cliff, looking down into the dark forest below and the plumes of mist from the crashing water filling the air, a creature made of shadows laughs to itself.
“Fearless that one, and rather resourceful with her magic. She might just manage to survive what is awaiting her below… If she does, it is sure to become quite entertaining.”
As its grin cracks wider and wider at the thought of what the young girl might do, the monster, the Demon, takes its seat above the canopy and settles in to enjoy the show.
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Laying down in the dirt, I look up to see tiny bits of sun breaking through the treetops. It is hard to piece together what is going on. My mind is a mess and I am still groggy from just waking up. My body is nice and warm, like I am under the covers and I don't want to move.
“If you keep lying around like that you are going to be eaten, you know. And I don’t mean in the way I know you would enjoy.”
Snapping awake I sit up to find Alice infront of me and a terribly sharp pain runs through my stomach.
“Ghak!, Ugh, that stupid shadow monster thing just kicked me off the damn cliff!”
Still struggling to figure out what is going on I realize it is day, and my body is completely dry despite my dip into the lazy river from hell.
“Hey wait, ouch, how long have I been out, why am I not in the river, and how are my clothes dry?”
Getting a flat glare for my barrage of questions, the AI who repeatedly claims she can only give me system related advice proceeds to actually answer my ramblings.
“Most of the day, plant monster, and check your skills.”
“Oh, ok. Status!”
[Status]
-Lua Knight-
Species: Human
Level: 5
Class: 1
Magic: Light, Golemancy
Skills:
[Lesser Identification]
[Lesser Clean]
[Lesser Repair]
[Light Beam] Lv-5
[Create Golem] Lv-2
[Flash] Lv-3
[Passive - Solar Regeneration] Lv-2
[Telescopic Vision] Lv-1
[Infrared Vision] Lv-1
[Shitty Radar] Lv-1
[Thermal Shell] Lv-1 NEW!
Looking over my skills list I take note of the new skill. My guess is while I was freezing to death in the cold water I managed to generate infrared radiation around myself to stay alive without realizing what I was doing. Well it is nice I am not dead of hypothermia. Reveling in my miraculous survival I try to recall how exactly I survived. Then the second answer Alice gave me rings in my head.
Why am I not dead? Why am I on dry land? And most importantly, what plant monster?
Before I can turn to Alice and get more information I feel a drop of orange liquid fall on my face, and it burns.
Shit! It is just one thing after another today!
Not even bothering to look up at whatever nightmare plant was about to dissolve me I make a break for it, dashing towards the roaring river I can hear to my right. I gather all the microwaves I can and launch a massive [Light Beam] behind myself hoping to keep the thing slithering after me at a distance.
“What the hell is that thing?!”
[Vine Snapper - Lv : 102]
And suddenly a vine wraps around my ankle, yanking me into the air. I am dragged back towards where I was before and dangled over a gaping green maw filled with that same digestive orange sap as before. Slowly being lowered in I shoot the only shot I can think of, because I know damn well my microwaves did jack to the thing.
Gathering all the light in the area I can with my mana I focus it and direct it at the Vine Snapper that has strung itself up in the canopy.
“Eat this!”
As I blast more and more light at the slithering bumpy mass of vines and sap covered teeth It begins to slow down the rate at which it is lowering me. Ignoring all the pings about skill level ups going off in my head I wring out the last bits of my mana to shine as much light on this vine covered monstrosity as I can.
Finally, just as I feel the last bits of my mana trickling away, the vine holding me comes to a stop.
“Did… that actually work?”
Questioning my own stupid plan I turn towards the AI girl floating upside down beside me, her skirt magically staying in place due her nature of being nothing more than a projection.
“Somehow your incredibly reckless waste of mana actually managed to satisfy the thing before it got a taste. Your luck astounds me.”
“I wouldn’t call getting killed twice, waking up in a murder forest, and getting kicked off a cliff by a terrifying monster into the jaws of another terrifying monster ‘lucky.’”
Grumbling to myself at the endlessly awful situation I have been in for a whole day now I focus on the happy murder plant below me.
“Um, hey! Would you mind putting me down somewhere that is not in your mouth? I can provide you with more snacks like what I just did if you let me live!”
“I am not sure the pile of vines can understand your wor-”
But before she can finish calling me an idiot once again the Vine Snapper begins to move me away and lower me to the ground below.
Grinning at the AI girl triumphantly, she simply turns away in a huff. Vanishing before I can brag about making friends with the plant.
“Now then, let's make a deal.”
If this all works out and the plant can really understand me, I might have just found a way to survive for a while.