He sat with his back pressed against the cold stone wall, his breathing slow and measured. He couldn't let himself pass out. The battle had taken everything out of him, but unconsciousness now could mean never waking up again.
The cavern around him was eerily quiet, the only sounds coming from the slow, rhythmic pounding of his heart and the occasional drip of moisture from the cave ceiling. He forced his mind to stay active, thinking about the most random, stupid things just to keep himself engaged.
What was the last meal he had before coming here?
How many hours had passed since he had woken up in this hellhole?
Would he ever hear music again?
Irrelevant. He shook his head, forcing those thoughts away. Survival came first.
He had lost an arm. The pain had dulled somewhat, but it was still there—an ever-present throbbing reminder of the cost of victory. The bleeding had mostly stopped, his HP was slowly increasing, and the crushing fatigue that weighed him down was starting to ease as his stamina recovered bit by bit.
His throat was dry. He pulled out a bottle from his inventory, took small sips of water, careful not to gulp it all at once. He had to ration everything.
After resting for some time, he finally felt stable enough to move. His body still felt sluggish, like lead weighing down his limbs, but at least his legs obeyed him now.
He had already formed a brief plan on what to do next.
He pushed himself up and walked toward the massive corpse of the serpent.
The Nethrite Dagger gleamed in his hand as he approached the dead beast. He looked at the weapon, still awed by how the system had granted it to him. The moment he grasped its handle, he could tell—it wasn't ordinary.
"Let's get to work," he muttered.
The dagger slid into the serpent's flesh like butter.
He hadn't even used much force, yet the blade cut effortlessly through the thick, armored skin. His eyes widened at how smooth the cut was.
"This Nethrite must be something extraordinary," he murmured. "To slice through such tough scales with barely any effort..."
He continued cutting, stripping away a portion of the snake's hide. Beneath it, dark red muscle was exposed, glistening under the faint light of the glowing fungi overhead.
He hesitated.
Then took a deep breath.
And ran the dagger through the flesh, slicing off a small piece.
He was going to eat it.
He had no choice. His body needed food. He had already pushed himself beyond normal limits. Without sustenance, he wouldn't last much longer.
Cooking wasn't an option.
So he minced the raw meat into bite-sized chunks that he could swallow directly, hoping to minimize the discomfort.
His stomach twisted in protest just at the thought of it.
His hand trembled slightly as he picked up the first piece. The smell alone was enough to make him gag.
But he forced the hesitation down.
If he wanted to live, he had to eat.
He shoved the first piece into his mouth and swallowed it whole.
A guttural "Aahhh" escaped his throat as his body immediately rejected it. His stomach lurched, bile rising in protest, but he clenched his jaw shut and forced it to stay down.
One piece.
Then another.
Then another.
By the time his stomach was full, it felt like a battlefield of its own. Every part of him screamed at the disgusting, slimy raw meat sitting inside him. He could feel it squirming down his throat, the texture alien and nauseating.
But he had done it.
He had survived.
He cut several more pieces and stored them in his inventory. He didn't know when he'd have another opportunity to eat. Better to be prepared.
Next, his attention turned to the strange, glowing shards embedded in the serpent's back.
They shimmered faintly under the dim cavern light, almost pulsating with energy.
He didn't know what they were, or how they could be used. But the dagger the system had given him was made from this stuff. That was reason enough to take it.
One by one, he dug the shards out of the serpent's flesh, ripping them free and storing them in his inventory.
The weight of exhaustion was still there, but his HP and stamina were recovering faster now. The serpent meat was working, fueling his body with much-needed nutrition.
He had bought himself some time.
Assigning the Stat Points
Now, it was time to grow stronger.
His victory had pushed him to Level 8, and with it came 25 free stat points.
He already knew exactly where to allocate them.
➤ +10 to Perception.
The serpent had managed to land surprise attacks on him multiple times. If he had been more aware of his surroundings, he could have avoided those hits.
➤ +10 to Dexterity.
With one arm gone, his balance had suffered. His movement had become unstable. Dexterity was now more important than ever. If he couldn't control his body properly, he'd be dead the next time he fought.
➤ +5 to Vitality.
This stat was tied to survival itself. Higher vitality meant better HP and stamina recovery, and less energy consumption. It was the safest long-term investment.
His stats adjusted instantly. He felt the difference.
His vision became clearer, the cavern details sharpening in his eyes. His movements felt slightly more controlled, more natural. The pain in his body, while still unbearable, was duller now.
Slowly, he exhaled.
His next step was clear.
Survive. Explore. Escape.
With his stomach full, his body recovering, and his stats boosted, he was finally ready to move forward.