But now, enveloped by the night and fatigue, Han felt the crushing weight of hunger and thirst gnaw at him. He had not eaten or drunk since the battle had started, and the ache in his stomach was a relentless reminder of their dire circumstances.
The oppressive darkness wrapped around them, thickening with every step as they cautiously moved deeper into the trees. Han felt a sharp pang of guilt slice through him; they were leaving others behind—so many lives lost.
Yet as he looked into the eyes of Ria, his fierce companion in this tragedy, he realized that their survival was vital, it was no use fighting a hopeless battle, better live on to fight another day.
"Han," Ria spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, as they paused to catch their breath. "We need to find a place to rest… just for a moment."
He nodded, recognizing the weariness that was written on her face mirrored his own. "Let's find a clearing or a cave, something that can help us stay clear from the beasts at least."
After a few minutes of pushing through the underbrush, they stumbled into a small clearing, quiet except for the gentle rustle of leaves overhead.
Behind it, was an entrance to a cave, concealed by creeping, thick, green vines. Ria's eyes shimmered, "Just what we're looking for" she smile and slowly walked through the entrance, into the cave.
"Stay alert," Ria cautioned, scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. Yet even so, her shoulders sagged beneath the weight of exhaustion.
The passage past the mouth of the cave was about ten metres long, and the inside was quite spacious as well, being almost twenty metres wide, making it quite ideal, the 'sanctuary' was not to close to the mouth meaning they would at least have some privacy or a chance to ready themselves if attacked, while the intruder walked through the long passage.
It wasn't much, but it felt like a sanctuary, a reprieve from the horrors chasing them. They both let out long, cracked breaths of relief.
"Finally, a chance to rest."
Once situated, they settled on the rough ground back-to-back. Han could feel the unmistakable gravity of fatigue pressing down upon him. They were both battered and bruised, mirroring the state of their spirits. They had lit a fire in the middle of the cave, for warmth and to provide lighting as well.
"Water," he croaked, his throat dry and raw. "We should drink… if we can find some."
"Let's take turns keeping watch," he suggested, though inwardly he cringed at the prospect of more violence.
Han felt his sense of self stretching thin, questioning whether they were truly pursuing a path of survival or courting their own demise. The images of their fallen comrades haunted him, faces twisted in fear, writhing in pain.
"Hey," Ria's voice cut through, interrupting his dark thoughts. She had carried a small water bottle in her waist pouch "Here. Share this. It's not much, but it may help."
He took it gratefully, gulping down the cool water until his parched throat welcomed the relief. The rush of hydration was like a balm to his weary body, awakening some much-needed energy inside him.
"Thanks, Alex," he said, handing the bottle to Mel. Watching her drink, he found himself staring at her flawless face, which was covered in sparkling sweat.
The abrupt appearance of a hovering window screen in his field of vision startled him. It read, "Status"
Looking at Ria in the background, as surprised as he was, he assumed she had the same thing in front of her, "Hey can you see this status screen." He asked.
"Yes, it just appeared right now, but it appears as if you can only see yours, and I can see mine."
"Yeah, it looks like it. What do you think this is?"
The unexpected status screen hovered in front of Han, drawn in crisp lines and illuminated against the dim cave light. It felt surreal, like something pulled from the world of video games, far removed from the gruesome reality they faced.
Ding!
A prompt appeared under the word Status
[ Status functions and usage
Call out or think of the word status to bring up the window, look at where you want to select to expand or minimise a section.
The window shows the user's stats and also comes with the Celestial Market, as well as a number of miscellaneous functions]
Was all it said. "Hmmmmm" Han got thinking. "This is rather intriguing."
"Status," he murmured, reading the displayed information intently. His heart raced, as though the answers lay hidden within the glowing words.
[Status
Name: Han Smith
Age: 21
Race: Human
Innate ability: {Enhanced Cognition} - Your mind is a vast, intricate web of thoughts and insights, amplified by the stellar energies that flow through you. With this power, thoughts race at lightning speed, connecting concepts and ideas with effortless clarity. You can analyse complex problems in the blink of an eye, strategizing with razor-sharp precision that leaves others in the dust. This heightened awareness also grants you a unique perception of the world; you see patterns in chaos and foresee outcomes that others dare not imagine. Yet, with such brilliance comes the burden of overwhelming knowledge, a cacophony of thoughts that can drown out the silence needed for true focus. As most tend to say, ignorance is bliss, and knowledge of the unknown has brought many a man down. Harness this cognitive prowess wisely, for the line between genius and madness is perilously thin.
Active Abilities: (??? )
Passive Abilities: (??? )
Strength (STR): 15
Speed (SPD): 16
Agility (AGI): 21
Défense (DEF): 12
Unique Title: ???
Intelligence (INT): 35
Health (HP): 26
Mana (MP): 12
Stamina: 3/18 (Restore by consuming food, potions or quenching your thirst)
Coins: 13 (Your handler has awarded you with 5 coins for surviving the first trial and 8 more for your kill count)
]
"What the hell?" he muttered, glancing at Ria. She was studying hers too, her brow knitted in confusion. The curiosity in her eyes mirrored what he felt in his gut.
[Name: Aria Moon
Age: 20
Race: Human
Innate ability: {Starforged} - In the depths of the cosmos, you draw your power from the stars, each one a harbinger of raw, untamed unique abilities. As the celestial bodies flicker to life against the endless void, they imbue you with strength unmatched, but beware, for your power is a fickle mistress. It waxes and wanes with the relentless dance of the heavens, leaving you either an unstoppable force or a mere shadow of your former self, depending on their cold, indifferent position in the night sky. Embrace the chaos, for from the void lies both your might and your ultimate vulnerability.[1]
Active Abilities: (???)
Passive Abilities: ( ???)
Strength (STR): 21
Speed (SPD): 23
Agility (AGI): 20
Défense (DEF): 17
Unique Title: ???
Intelligence (INT): 15
Health (HP): 20
Mana (MP): 33
Stamina: 5/21 (Restore by resting, consuming food, potions or quenching your thirst)
Coins: 27 (Your handler has awarded you with 5 coins for surviving the first trial and 22 more for your kill count)
]
"Why are we getting these screens now?" he asked, trying to piece together the reasoning behind this strange phenomenon. "Do they mean anything? Are we… are we in some kind of game?"
"I don't think it's a game," she replied, frowning, her voice firm yet laced with uncertainty. "If it were, none of us would be dying. But maybe it's some sort of… system to gauge our state, remember that voice on that day, I most definitely has something to do with this. It could be important for our survival."
He nodded, trying to keep his focus on the practicalities. "If the readings mean anything, it's clear we need to take care of our stamina. That means finding food and secure water soon."
"Everything else is clear, but I don't really understand the innate ability section. What does it mean?" Han's brow furrowed in confusion, he looked toward Ria, "Maybe you have a theory?"
"It's really vague, let's focus on what we understand for now, to get the scope of what we can do, and what will help our chances of survival."
Ria's status screen flickered back into her view. He could only imagine, probably she was in as bad shape as he was, if not worse. "What are your figures?" he asked.
"Um, let's see…" she replied, her voice taut with concentration. "I have… Health:16/20, Stamina 6/21:, Mana: 33 and so on, my active and passive ability section has question marks is that the same with yours?"
"Our stamina is not so great." Han sighed. "But at least we're still standing. We can still fight." My stamina is at 4/18, Mana: 12, health 19/26, that section of mine also has question marks, maybe that means we will gain those in the future, maybe? My unique title is also the same."
"Ria, look for resources we can recover out stamina," he suggested, carefully weighing his words. "Maybe it would help us both recover faster."
She looked down at her water bottle, the weight of anxiety etched into her features, "We can certainly try. Let's reduce our risk of fatigue. I'm counting on you to keep your spirits up—and I'll do the same for you." A gentle smile graced her features
They exchanged numbers silently, trying to gauge how they would manage their resources and movement, moving forward. In this bizarre twist of fate, those screens offered clarity amidst the chaos, showing them numbers that defined their need to escape this darkness.
"Let's take a moment to plan," Han proposed. "We'll need a clear strategy when we leave this cave. Our first priority has to be food. If we can find something to eat, then we can figure out how to replenish our water supply."
Ria nodded resolutely, "Agreed. While I'd like to think we can scavenge without drawing attention to ourselves, we have to stay sharp. I'll keep watch while you rest for a bit. It's best to assume the forest is crawling with those monsters."
As he leaned against the rough wall of the cave, Han felt the exhaustion seep in, but he also became acutely aware of how much he needed her, to lean on her strength while giving her his own. In this God forsaken world, all they could do was lean on each other and hope for the best.
"Hey..." Han suddenly called out, Ria looked toward his reclining figure and answered,
"Yes?"
"Do you think anyone else managed to survive that?" His voiced was laced with hope.
Ria's gaze drifted, pondering. "I honestly can't say. If they made the same desperate choices we did, maybe. But if I had to bet, I'd put my money on Adrien. Remember that famous guy who joined my squad during the search for survivors?"
Han nodded, curiosity piqued. "Right, the one you said was super strong. Just how strong?"
Ria leaned in closer, her voice lowering as if revealing a secret. "He's got instincts like no one else. While the rest of us fumble and fight to harness these new abilities, he moves with an effortless confidence. It's like he was born for this. Just the other day, he single-handedly subdued this monstrous beast that attacked us. You should've seen it—graceful, powerful, and utterly mesmerizing. I could barely believe my eyes. We all felt it; he's our best hope."
[1] I think in the future I will write lores explaining the origins of the main cast's innate abilities.