Chapter 1.3
A new lifeform has been detected.
Lifeform Detection (A) skill is now active at all times.
[ Tunnel Whale (C): A whale that burrows through tunnels. It can also cause earthquakes. ]
[ ??? – Affection Level: 10 ]
[ Tunnel Whale – Affection Level: ‑100 ]
It really is a whale.
The moment I slipped into the Safe Zone, the Tunnel Whale that almost bit my foot had a muddy color, unlike normal whales.
Blood was smeared around its mouth, which probably meant it ate people…
I hugged my trembling foot.
“Unnie! Are you okay?! How did you know a monster was coming??”
The high schooler’s voice swung between curiosity and concern, but I didn’t have the mind to answer.
Wuuuuung—
A mechanical whir overlapped with the cry of the whale.
I covered one ear with my hand and turned my staggering body.
“Haaa………”
This dungeon was scarier than I’d imagined. To come face‑to‑face with a monster like that, right in front of me…
it was just too…
I rubbed my ankle, still tingling with a strange, chilly sensation, and barely managed to pull myself together.
“I’m sorry. I was just really startled just now…”
“No, Unnie. I’m fine! That monster just now was kinda cute, honestly. Worth taking a look!”
Cute? That thing?
I couldn’t even respond to the high schooler’s absurd comment. She nonchalantly pointed at the time floating in midair.
“But Unnie, it says we only have 5 minutes left here. What do we do?”
Right. Get it together. I have to get her out of here.
“Just a second. Let me think.”
“Okay!”
I had just unintentionally picked up another skill.
They say even a rat hole gets sunlight eventually, and it really did feel like a stroke of luck.
But the fact that it wasn’t an attack skill, what a shame.
More than just a shame, it honestly felt like my odds of survival had dropped.
Still, this Lifeform Detection skill seemed pretty useful.
Maybe I could sneak around and avoid monsters altogether.
If we kept dodging and dodging, we might eventually find an exit. But there was one problem.
What if we never found one? What about water? Food? Where would we sleep?
I was at a loss. If this had been flat ground with some structures, maybe we could’ve figured something out, but… this was a tunnel.
I didn’t have an answer, but we couldn’t stay in the Safe Zone forever.
After wasting 3 precious minutes, I finally came up with a halfway decent plan.
“Are you in good shape?”
“Huh? Uh… no? I sit and study all day so my stamina’s trash?!”
“…Then do you have grit?”
“If it’s grit, that’s all me!”
“Then we’ll be fine. As soon as the Safe Zone lifts, we run. Got it?”
“Looks like it’s still out there.”
[ Lifeform Detection – ???, Tunnel Whale ]
Ding!
The Safe Zone is deactivating.
“Run!”
***
“Huuuuu…”
“Huff… huff……”
The high schooler collapsed onto the ground, limbs limp, while I stood with my forehead pressed against the wall.
As soon as the Safe Zone deactivated, we ran at full speed for about 5 minutes without stopping, and now I didn’t have a single ounce of strength left to move.
We stood there for a while, just breathing in silence, knowing we’d have to start running again the moment we heard another system chime.
Because of the dungeon’s uneven terrain, I had stumbled several times and ended up twisting my ankle.
“Hah, hah! Unnie…!! Behind you! Behind!!”
“I see it! Hurry, r‑run!!”
That same exchange happened so many times as we ran, and ran again.
Until our legs felt like lead, until we could no longer move, the system window tirelessly scanned the area for lifeforms, saving us from more than one near‑death moment.
Eventually, after endless running, we found a small space tucked deep inside the tunnels.
It was barely shielded by some rocks, but it was enough to conceal us for now.
“Phew…”
“Unnie, I… I think I’m going to die.”
The high schooler spoke in halting breaths, gasping for air, and I wasn’t in much better shape myself.
How are we supposed to find an exit like this, just running away?
If I at least had an offensive skill… If I had just that, I could kill monsters and move forward…
But how can I do anything with these useless affection skills?
If it was going to be like this, they shouldn’t have given me an S-rank skill at all…!
I pounded the ground with my fist, muttering resentment that would reach no one.
“Ouch………”
All I did was scrape my hand.
As the dull pain slowly set in and I blew on my stinging fingers,
Ding!
If it weren’t for that system sound I’d grown so sick of hearing, I might have tried to force myself to forget this hopeless situation entirely.
You have acquired a new skill.
[ Touch‑and‑Die Skill (S) ]
You have acquired a new title.
[ Unyielding Spirit (S) ]
Wait… this name… did the system reflect my complaint or something?
Is that why it gave it such an obvious name, one that tells you exactly what it does the moment you see it?
The name was so blunt, I was at a loss for words.
Not just words. Even my eyes twitched uneasily.
Was the system always this friendly to Awakened ones?
From the few rumors I’d heard, the system was known for being unfriendly.
Like having skill names so vague no one knew how to use them, and they’d stay locked away for years…
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.