18 Cold place
Waking up on the cold stone floor in agonizing pain, Frederick was astonished to see he was still alive. Last he remembered he should be dead. This surprise was not unfounded since the prolonged usage of sanguine infusion would literally turn his heart and blood vessels into a bloody mess.
Attempting to move, he discovered he was still heavily injured. Even shifting a finger proved extremely painful due to partially damaged veins. Nevertheless, Frederick was starving, not just for food but for blood
Blood Dominion's curse is similar to a blood addiction that would push Frederick to a corner if he didn't consume blood. However, the main issue wasn't the addiction but the fact that he would get gradually weaker if he didn't consume blood.
So despite the intense pain, he slowly but surely crawled toward his bag with determination. Once he reached it, he slowly grabbed some food before eating like a starved animal.
Completing a meal sufficient for two whole days, he then used all his strength to slowly crawl toward the corpse. Surprisingly, the monster's body was intact ... if you ignore the right eye where his dagger was still buried.
'Let's hope that it's not poisonous'. Frederick would've preferred another blood source, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Taking out his dagger from the monster's head, he started to consume as much blood as possible. However, the instant his tongue touched the liquid, his face frowned
The creature had a brown thick and gooey blood. It emitted a scent reminiscent of something both rotten and burnt. Its taste was so repugnant that Frederick felt the urge to vomit after every sip. Yet, he continued to drink as much as he could without complaint. The only solace for Frederick was the realization that, despite the dreadful taste, this blood satiated his hunger.
While drinking, he suddenly seemed to have noticed something wrong. He felt unexpectedly extremely dizzy... A sudden realization struck Frederick. The monster's body had a narcoleptic effect!
However, he only stopped for a few instants before continuing his beverage. Albeit knowing that something was wrong with the blood, he had no other blood source left so he could only continue. 'Hopefully, it is only that...'
After finishing his gruesome meal and fighting against the sudden drowsiness, he had to deal with his injuries. He had already experienced how severe injuries could turn out if not properly taken care of. Unfortunately, he could only use some water to wash the injury on his leg and hoped that he wouldn't get sick.
With an ultimate effort, he used the monster's body as a pillow and slowly closed his eyes while falling asleep. He did not even bother to prepare anything to alert him if something approached this time. It was not because he was careless but because he wouldn't be able to defend himself even if he wanted to anyway.
After an unknown period of rest, Frederick awoke... alive...and feeling significantly better than the previous day. He could finally stand up, albeit still in intense pain.
He even found the strength to use his dagger to skin the beast as best he could. Slowly approaching the corpse and with trembling hands, he carefully extracted some of the monster's flesh for potential future use and collected its fur.
He then did his best to fashion a coat from the fur, but the material proved to be difficult to manipulate due to its hardness. It is only after a difficult struggle that Frederick finally manages to mold the monster's fur into a wearable coat.
On the other hand, Frederick kept the monster's meat as it might prove useful as bait or trap. He did not want to eat it himself because of its surprisingly narcoleptic effect. Consuming this would in a way, lead to death so he would only eat it as a last resort meal.
After completing these tasks, he finally directed his attention to the system window that had been in front of him the entire time.
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<Congratulations on reaching level 2. Please assign your free point to a stat>
-Constitution + ( 10 -> 11)
-Mind + ( 10 -> 11)
-Perception +( 10 -> 11)
-Dexterity + ( 10 -> 11)
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Staring at the window for a moment, he ultimately clicked "mind". Although investing in constitution or even perception stats would greatly help in this place, he had reasons why he preferred investing in mind stat.
He had two main reasons. Firstly, increasing his mind stat would significantly aid his ability to remember the paths he had taken, which is crucial in navigating in this maze.
Nevertheless, the primary reason for his decision was rooted in a need for secrecy. Someone with a perception twice as high than his mind stat would be able to see his status. If this happens, then his unique authority will be discovered. Forgotten Times was Frederick's greatest weapon and trump card. It was absolutely out of the question for anyone else to discover it.
Although he doubted many people would invest heavily in perception since a world's local doesn't have a status window at all, Frederick would rather be paranoiac than regret it later.
In a way, his authority was forcing him to take a path. He considered having balanced stats but after some thought, he decided that he would rather be a "glass cannon" to fully exploit Forgotten Times' potential.
As Frederick clicked on "mind", he felt as if his brain had become much more flexible and was now able to perform many complicated mental calculations. It was as if a fog that had covered his mind previously disappeared.
Frederick began to chuckle in a somewhat deranged manner, "It... It is truly an intoxicating feeling. Ah, I don't mind getting addicted to this feeling. The sensation of getting closer toward happiness..." His smile was short-lived as he soon returned to his neutral expression.
Having finished distributing the points he now looked at the new corridor that appeared after he defeated the monster. Frederick would have chosen to stay a bit more to recover but could not afford to rest anymore.
Advancing cautiously in the wide passageway with his makeshift fur coat on his shoulders and the now half-empty bag, he soon encountered a strange wall. Unlike the rest of the walls around it, It was onyx black with strange blue runes written all over it.
What's more, he was surprised to notice that he could read those runes! He remembered that the translation function of the Chronicles applied to not only other candidates but locals. Meaning that all candidates won't ever have any communication barriers.
Without displaying any emotion, he began reading the message inscribed on it. However, the more he delved into the text, the more his expression evolved until his face reflected complete complexity. Once finished reading, he slowly assimilated the information.
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"Welcome, Seeker. You stand at the precipice of a giant labyrinth, a place shrouded in mysteries and guarded by the echoes of a bygone reign.
Know this – you embark upon a test, a challenge crafted for the one deemed worthy to unlock the secret within. Three trials await, each protected by its guardian.
This message is the threshold, the commencement of your journey. If these runes greet your eyes, you have already triumphed over the initial trial, proving your mettle.
Proceed with caution, for the labyrinth is both your adversary and mentor. May your steps be sure, and your mind resolute as you navigate the web of trials woven to discern the truly worthy.
Press onward, Seeker, for destiny awaits those who dare to unveil the mysteries entombed within this hallowed place."
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Ignoring most of the meaningless runes, Frederick only retained information that he found useful, he was not interested in the lore of a random realm.
"In short, this place has 3 trials along with a 'guardian' for each. Mmh... So the monster earlier was probably the first 'guardian'? If so then it means that I am heading toward the second trial."
However, what concerned Frederick was that he did not know if what The Chronicles call "safe room hidden deep within this labyrinthine nightmare" was even at the end of the maze. Perhaps it could be hidden in a random corner of this maze.
After some reflection, he decided to ignore this terrifying possibility and quickly continued his way. It is only after walking a considerable distance, he suddenly spotted something peculiar blocking the hallway.
Approaching slowly he realized it was some type of dark veil. Its ghostly light gives a strange color to the corridor. It looked like it was made from threads of pulsing energy, forming a thick curtain that sparkled with a sort of captivating glow.
Not daring to touch it, he looked around carefully in the hope of discovering what could be behind it. However, the curtain was just too thick to the point of even blocking the vision of anything beyond.
Still, Frederick had the feeling that touching this veil could be very dangerous. However, he could not go back either, so the only option remaining was to move forward.
"Hopefully this is not another trap that awaits its next victim."
With some hesitation, he passed his hands through the veil. However, it felt like it was being resisted, like pushing his hand in a very firm slime. But, much to his surprise, once he persisted, his hand successfully penetrated the veil as if it had been merely a thin membrane.
When his hand passed through, he felt a sudden icy wind on the other side, a freezing gale so chilling that he shivered at its touch. The other side seemed to have a significantly lower temperature than this one. Feeling this cold wind, a theory emerged in Frederick's mind.
"This mysterious curtain was probably some sort of climate control system. It should be here as a barrier for the cold on the other side"
This hypothesis was quickly reinforced when his entire body finally crossed the veil. Frederick was a bit astonished to see that the corridor had changed entirely, and what once had been a tunnel became an entirely open area.
This new place was vast, incredibly so. He had never been in an underground area that could reach so much volume. He could barely see the ceiling. However, it is what is inside this space that truly surprises him.
There were a large number of enormous stalactites hanging from the ceiling, like daggers hanging above his head, while the walls seemed to be made from dark volcanic rocks with a smooth texture.
As Frederick carefully proceeded to walk forward, the echo of his footsteps was the only sound he could hear. The entire area was a cold, dark, and gloomy place that emitted a feeling of despair
This was truly an inhospitable place and was only illuminated by an occasional flickering light.
What's more, as Frederick carefully navigated through the cave, he started to realize the temperature was dropping rapidly. His new fur coat did help against the cold but did not fully manage to keep his body heat.
Frederick could only bear the freezing air, even his lungs started to burn. At least, the air he inhaled was a bit more humid, allowing him to not have dry lips and mouth. Despite the biting cold, he advanced cautiously and steadily... at least the best he could with his injuries.
"If it keeps decreasing at this pace, I'll soon freeze to death. The wound on my leg is not helping at all..."
He carefully passed by a group of stalagmites while keeping an eye out for any threat. However slowly, Frederick's senses were starting to get dull from the cold. He felt that at this point he could just lie on the ground to sleep. The only reason he wasn't yet on the ground was because he knew that he wouldn't get up anymore.
Slowly and steadily, he continued his walk. Yet, the temperature kept decreasing, and with every breath he took, the pain in his lungs kept increasing. The temperature was now at the point that even breathing the freezing air became torture.
Suddenly and without any warning, one of the enormous stalactites fell right at Frederick. This time, he wasn't so lucky.
Before Frederick had the time to even realize what happened, he felt himself crushed by something heavy and cold.
"... what... ?"
Pain... that was what Frederick was feeling right now. A terrible, terrible pain... Opening his eyes, all he saw was that half of his body had been turned into minced meat. Blood was pooling from under his body as it spilled down onto the cold, stone ground.
It seemed that the pain was so terrible that Frederick had lost his sense of feeling. His heart had already stopped beating and knew he wouldn't be able to make it this time. In a last and ultimate struggle, he looked around and although blurry, he saw it. The guardian of this trial.
At the ceiling of the cave was an enormous yet skinny shadow. He could see only piercing purple eyes shining from the darkness.
"Ah... Did... this thing cause the stalactite to fall on me?" was his final thought.
