[Air Kick]!!
Just as he was plummeting toward the venom, the system notification flashed in his mind.
[Congratulations! Condition Met – (Complete 100 consecutive jumps without landing on the ground). Skill Acquired: Air Kick]
A new skill! He didn't have time to celebrate. Instinctively, he kicked against empty air. A force erupted beneath his foot, like an invisible stepping stone appearing just for him. It launched him upward, propelling him toward the cavern ceiling.
But he couldn't control it properly. His body flipped awkwardly, and before he could adjust his momentum—
BAM!
His head slammed into the jagged rock ceiling, cracking stone on impact. Pain exploded across his skull as his vision flickered. A few loose fragments crumbled away and rained down below, hitting the venom with soft splashes. The thick, dark liquid hissed and bubbled, eating away at the stone.
The venom's reflection in his widened eyes made his heart pound. A few stray droplets had splashed onto his leg, instantly burning through his cloth and searing into his flesh.
"ARRGGHH!!" He twisted in agony, his muscles spasming from the sheer intensity of the pain. Even with Pain Resistance, it felt like his skin was melting right off his bones. He gritted his teeth, his breath ragged as the burning sensation spread through his leg like wildfire.
Still, even through the pain, an idea struck him.
He froze.
Instead of flailing or moving, he went completely still.
This might be the best plan!
His head was jammed into the ceiling from the force of the crash, but rather than panicking, he took a deep breath. He was stuck, yes—but for now, that was good.
Opening his skill menu, his heart pounded with anticipation.
[Air Kick (Lv 1) – A basic skill that allows the user to create a footing in midair. Cooldown: 36 seconds.]
"YES!!" He grinned, even as blood dripped from his forehead. This was exactly what he needed. And the best part?
It didn't cost any sigils!
This skill had literally saved him at the last second.
But now, he had to figure out the next step.
His stamina was nearly depleted. If he started running again, he wouldn't last long before collapsing. And if he collapsed—he'd drown in that venomous, acid-like sludge.
The corpses of the snakes he had killed were already gone. Dissolved into nothing. Bones, flesh, scales—everything had melted.
He swallowed. That could have been him.
"Not happening."
So, instead of moving—he hung there, like a lifeless corpse.
Recover stamina first. Then escape.
The question was, how long would the ceiling hold him?
He kept still, only his chest rising and falling as he controlled his breathing. His arms, one of them missing, hung limply. His legs dangled, trembling slightly.
The position was ridiculous—if anyone saw him, they'd probably burst out laughing.
A lone man, head jammed into the ceiling, blood dripping into a river of venom beneath him.
But he didn't care.
"Genius. That's what I am" he laughed, it echoed in the cavern.
"Ha ha ha ha ha h- Ahhhh!!!!"
The rock creaked slightly. The cracks were widening.
Not good. He fell
Just before he reached the venom, [Air Kick]!
BOOM!
Another powerful burst of force sent him upward—slamming his head into another part of the ceiling.
CRACK!
This time, his forehead split open even further, blood dripping into his eyes. The pain was sharp, but manageable.
He coughed. His head was spinning from the repeated impacts, but at least his stamina was recovering.
Even better—
[Skill – Air Kick reached level 2!
Cooldown reduction 4 seconds.]
He could feel it—the next air kick felt smoother, easier to control. The strain on his legs was still there, but slightly less than before.
"Good. I just have to keep this up."
The venom below was slowly receding.
It was sinking into the ground, while also evaporating. It's gaseous has given him a lot of trouble just some time ago. It had almost made him fall into the venom.
The venomous mist which had formed in the cavern, a toxic vapor rising into the and was leaving the cavern due to the concentration and pressure difference.
It didn't affect him anymore.
[Poison Resistance Lv 7]
That skill had leveled up so fast that the poison no longer burned his lungs. He could still feel the irritation in his throat, but it was nowhere near deadly anymore.
Finally, his stamina had recovered to a decent level.
He could continue with his dash and run routine but-
"Why should I run and tire myself when I can keep hanging here without any problem?"
"But I feel bad for the that snake. It used such a great strategy and still couldn't kill a puny human like me. Poor thing "
He joked to himself. His heart was completely free of any fear after facing so many near deaths, nothing seemed scary anymore. He felt he could walk up to the serpent, slap it in face and come back and hang in the ceiling again.