"Ah! Dammit!"
A miserable scream and a loud screech were heard. A centipede Nefilim was currently having a pleasant meal, digging into Ari's flesh and trying to get inside.
"Stop that hurts!"
Forced awake by the painful bite of the creature, Ari quickly jerked his hand, trying to make the ugly insect flee away from him. Of course, Ari was in no condition to move, so his attempts were futile.
Ari, in a lying position, forced his head to crane up to take a look at the source of the dreadful pain.
'What is that thing! I've never seen this kind of creature before!'
Ari was in total shock; his spine started twisting and turning, acting on a primal impulse, in order to survive.
"Como'n dammit die you, stupid wretch!"
Eventually, the long-haired boy managed to lurche onto his belly, crushing the centipede.
Deep and ragged breaths were heard coming from his dry mouth and cracked lips.
But then, a familiar voice was heard.
[You have slain a level 0 Scavenger: Shore Leeche - 5 exp]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have received a relic!]
'What?'
Suddenly, Ari felt a strong, quick surge of energy; the surge came from inside him, enveloping his entire body.
Stunned, Ari looked at his chest, where the Scavenger bit him. His wound was now completely healed.
Now in a sitting position, he turned his gaze towards his wrist, where he found engravings that shone with an ominous black colour.
"I have a tattoo now? What is this shitload..."
The engravings were structured in a simple way that almost resembled a watch.
Inspecting the engravings, he put his hand on them, then something weird happened. A rectangle-shaped hologram simply appeared out of thin air. Like it was there all along.
"I'm crazy... I'm completely mad! There is no way any of this is real!"
But it definitely was. Looking at the screen, Ari read:
[Name: Ari]
[Rank: Scavenger]
[Level: 1]
[Exp: 0/10]
[Stats:]
[Strength: 0]
[Agility: 0]
[Vitality: 0]
[Sense: 0]
[Intelligence: 0]
[Stat points: 3]
'Why are there so many zeros? Are you telling me I'm not smart?'
He then went down a little, looking at the next runes that appeared.
[Relics]
'Interesting.'
There was only one relic in his possession. He then read:
[Mandible of the leech]
[Relic type: Weapon]
[Relic description: Forged from the Mandible of the Shore leech, it gives +2 strength and agility]
"Mandible of the leech? What kind of name is that?"
After he said, "Mandible of the leech." A short dagger that seemed to be forged from bone appeared out of thin air. Its handle was made from some kind of metal coated with leather.
Though minor, Ari felt a sudden jolt in power. He didn't just feel stronger, he felt a tiny bit faster too.
'It must have been the dagger, it has some magic sorcery!'
Ari gripped the bone-handled dagger, his knuckles whitening. The weight was real, the sharp edge of the Mandible glinting under the oppressive orange sky. He needed to move; the scent of the crushed Shore Leech was thick and metallic, a dinner bell for anything prowling the prehistoric brush.
He focused on the hovering hologram. The three Stat Points felt like a lifeline. If I can't outrun them, I'm dead meat, he thought, his survival instincts finally kicking in. He tapped the Agility icon twice and put his final point into Sense.
Immediately, the world shifted.
The heavy, humid air felt thinner, easier to cut through. His vision sharpened, the vibrant green ferns in the distance suddenly resolving into individual, serrated leaves. But it was his hearing that jolted him most. He could hear the rhythmic thrum of insects and, more terrifyingly, a wet, heavy thudding sound coming from the treeline.
Thud. Thud.
Something massive was breathing.
Ari scrambled to his feet, his new Agility moving fluidly instead of forced. He didn't feel "Weak" anymore; he felt like a Scavenger who had just found his first tooth. The black engraving on his wrist pulsed, a cold heat spreading through his veins.
"Okay," Ari whispered, his dry lips curling into a desperate, jagged smile. "If this is a game, I'm not losing on the first level."
He ducked into the shadows of a giant fern, the Mandible held low. The hunt had officially begun.