===================
NOTIFICATION
===================
* Location Discovered: Gullious Cave
* Map Updated!
--------------------------------
+ XP Gained: 5
--------------------------------
| Current XP: 100 / 100
--------------------------------
| Progress: █████████████
=========================
===================
| You have reached Level 4!
===================
| New Skill: Ice barrier
===================
| HP, STA & MP Restored
===================
| Available Ability Points: 3
===================
I opened my eyes, realizing I was still underwater, the current pulling me relentlessly. Panic surged as I screamed, bubbles rushing from my mouth, and I clawed at a rock to anchor myself, but my grip slipped. The water dragged me further. My back slammed into something solid—I couldn’t tell what, too overwhelmed to think—and I flailed, desperate to surface. But I couldn’t. The cave’s low ceiling blocked any chance to break through for air.
To my right, I spotted one of Aiden’s markers—a piece of white fabric fluttering in the current. Gritting my teeth, I swam toward it, though the current’s force and my disorientation made every stroke feel futile.
An arrow. I remembered an arrow going clean through my skull, exiting my throat. I should’ve been dead. But I wasn’t. Somehow, I was alive. However, if I didn’t get air soon, this time there’d be no miraculous reprieve.
I gripped another rock and yanked myself forward, inching closer to the fabric. My vision dimmed, narrowing to the marker ahead, my singular focus. I grabbed another handhold, planted my feet, and pushed off toward the next piece of fabric.
Almost there.
But my fingers slipped on a loose boulder. It dislodged, and the current swept me away, undoing all my progress.
Turning back, I saw a shadow in the water—a figure swimming toward me with terrifying speed. One of the attackers. His expression was cold, predatory.
‘No, no, no!’ My thoughts screamed as panic took over.
He grabbed my leg, jerking me backward. His dagger gleamed in the murky water as he aimed for my chest. I lashed out, kicking him hard and wriggling free. Grabbing a small rock, I swung it at his head. Blood clouded the water, but it wasn’t enough. He surged back, punching me in the face. My head spun as he locked me in a chokehold, his arm squeezing with brutal force.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
My vision blurred, red tinging the edges. The life was being drained out of me, and I couldn’t fight back.
Then blood filled the water again, this time not mine. The attacker’s grip slackened, and his body went limp. I turned, gasping, to see Leo, his dagger buried in the man’s neck.
Without a word, Leo grabbed my arm and began swimming, pulling me toward the markers. Ten agonizing seconds later, just as darkness consumed my vision, we broke the surface.
I gasped, choking on air, coughing and vomiting water as I clawed at the cave’s edge.
“Oh, fuck my life,” I rasped between heaving breaths, collapsing against the wall.
Leo hauled himself out and grabbed me, dragging me to solid ground. “You good?” he asked, concern sharp in his voice.
I coughed again, spitting water. “Ugh… ogh! Agh, oh!”
“It was a setup!” Aiden’s voice echoed through the cave, anger and frustration laced in every word. “How the hell did I not see that coming?”
I pushed myself upright, leaning against the rough cave wall. My chest heaved as I caught my breath. This was too close. Way too close. I shouldn’t have taken this job. Should’ve stayed in the boys’ dormitory, safe and sound, thinking of a way back home instead of risking my life for some measly gold.
Leo’s face darkened with fury as he stormed over to Seker. He shoved him hard, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“You told me he was shot dead!” Leo barked. “If I’d listened to you, he’d really be dead now!”
“I-I saw it!” Seker stammered, his voice shaking. “I swear, an arrow—it went through his head! I thought—”
“You fucking coward!” Leo snarled. “You just didn’t want to risk your own neck, so you wrote him off. That’s it, isn’t it? You’re better than this, man!”
“I… I must’ve seen it wrong,” Seker muttered, staring at the ground. “I’m sorry.”
“Damn it!” Aiden shouted, pacing furiously. “How did I not notice the ambush? This is on me. I’m an idiot!”
“Enough!” I barked, my voice cracking but firm. “Now’s not the time to fight. We need to figure out how to get out of this cave before more of them show up.”
The echoes of my voice faded into the darkness, replaced by the distant sound of rushing water. We were still in danger, and arguing wasn’t going to save us. We had to think something fast. Or we were going to rot away in this cave.
“I’m sorry,” Seker muttered, stepping closer to me, his expression filled with guilt. “I really thought I saw you get shot. I… I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I replied, keeping my voice calm. “An arrow was fired at me, yes. But I dodged it at the last second.”
“I didn’t know…” Seker looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. “I feel like a jerk. I should’ve been sure. Shit.”
“It’s fine,” I said again, more firmly this time. “What’s done is done.”
As his words sank in, I stared at the ground, my thoughts racing. Seker wasn’t wrong—I should have died. I remembered the sharp pain, choking on my own blood, and then… nothing. Yet here I was, coughing up water and breathing like my life hadn’t almost ended. It had to be that translucent box—the strange leveling-up mechanic I’d stumbled upon. Somehow, when I leveled up, it must’ve restored my stats, including my health. That realization sent a shiver down my spine. I was alive because of luck. Pure, absurd luck.
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowed as he stood deep in thought. Leo sat nearby on the damp cave floor, his gaze fixed on the dagger in his hands. His knuckles were white, his grip tight. He looked shaken, likely grappling with the fact that he’d just killed someone. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through.
“You okay?” Aiden asked Leo gently, breaking the heavy silence. “What happened down there?”
Leo shook his head, exhaling slowly. “Nothing, man. It’s just…” He paused, his voice low. “Sorry for dragging you all into this.”
“You couldn’t have known,” Aiden said, his tone steady but kind. “We all took the quest, knowing the risks. It’s not your fault.”
“Still…” Leo muttered. “I thought it was legit. Thought we could make some quick gold. Instead, I—” He stopped, clenching his jaw.
“What’s done is done,” Aiden said, his voice firmer now. “We can’t change it. What we need to do is keep moving before those bastards find the entrance.”
Leo sighed, nodding slowly. “You’re right. Let’s go. Does this cave have another way out?”
“Let’s hope so,” Aiden said, already moving toward the deeper part of the cave. He glanced back at the rest of us. “Come on, Axel. Seker. We need to keep moving. Now.”