He kept running down the path and away from the house. He had to get as far as he could as far as he could, before that woman had searched the whole house and found no one in there aside from herself. His transmigration into a new world was not going that well so far. He began to feel tired so was forced to stop running. He still had no idea where he was or what was actually going on here, but he did know that there was still a lot in the [Help Menu] that he didn't explore whilst trying to learn to Fabricate something, and there was one thing he wanted to check immediately, so he navigated to his [Stats].
--Kaelen Calder Abel Cyrus--
[Level 3], [EXP to next Level: 27]
[Health Points: 25/25], [Mana Points: 8/8], [Stamina Points: 13/60], [Lux: 43]
[Attack: 16], [Defense: 14], [Dexterity: 10], [Speed: 13], [Intelligence: 12], [Wisdom: 10], [Adeptness: 11]
--Skills--
[Forge Mastery, Level 6], [Sword Mastery, Level 3], [Spear Mastery, Level 3], [Bow Mastery, Level 2], [Weapon Mastery, Level 1], [Death Watcher, Level 1]
--Sigils--
[The Sigil of ___________ ]
As he thought. Not only had his stamina decreased like it was a game, but he genuinely did have the [Death Watcher, Level 1] skill. Did that mean the dream he saw was real? But then that would mean he died, and that can't have happened as he was definitely here and definitely still alive. Unless it had been a dream and since he experienced death in the dream he gained the skill? But that didn't really make sense, why would you get a skill whilst dreaming? What would even happen when he leveled up as was implied by the existence of a level and exp? Another thing he noticed were the other skills on the list, [Sword Mastery, Level 3]? [Weapon Mastery, Level 1]?All of the skills he had aside from [Death Watcher, Level 1] were weapons based, perhaps the Sigil there was [The Sigil of Weaponry]? The blank looked roughly long enough to fit the word so it wasn't impossible.
He had to wonder though, was he able to see stat tables for other people? Some games let you see things like that but others don't, and he wasn't sure what type of game [System] this world actually had. He had no clues as to what he should be expecting from the world that he now found himself in, but he definitely hoped that he would be able to see that stat blocks of anyone else he met, it'd be very useful if he could. Suddenly he felt a sudden, searing pain in the back of his left calf as he fell over straight to the floor.
[Health Points: 25/25 (-6) -> 19/25]
[Stamina Points: 13/60 (-4) -> 9/60]
He turned to look at his leg and saw a large arrow sticking out of it and a silhouette in the distance holding what was likely a bow. Who the hell was that? Why had she shot him in the leg? He'd find out soon if he didn't get away as the shadow was heading his way. He had to get away! He had to find a way out of this! But he had sprinted as much as his stamina had let him, leaving him with an extremely low amount, and then the arrow had also depleted some of his little remaining stamina. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to escape or not, but he had to try anyway, so he put his hands under himself and forced himself up onto his legs, accidentally putting his weight on his damaged leg.
[Health Points: 19/25 (-1) -> 18/25]
[Stamina Points: 9/60 (-1) -> 8/60]
He regretted it immediately, shifting his weight he tried to continue onwards, limping away from the pursuing shadow. Only to fall straight back onto the floor when he feels a second arrow lodge itself straight into the back of his right knee.
[Health Points: 18/25 (-6) -> 12/25]
[Stamina Points: 8/60 (-4) -> 4/60]
It seemed that whoever had started to chase him wouldn't let him run away, and with the stamina he had now he definitely wouldn't be getting far, but he'd still be able to get somewhere, even if it's just a bit further. He began to claw his way forwards as his legs would no longer work with arrows in both of them, using his hands instead to push him further. He crawled forwards with as much speed as he could muster as the sound of footsteps on gravel got closer and closer from behind him, only, crawling was extremely tiring and not efficient, and he was barely getting anywhere compared to the energy he was expending to move.
[Notice: Stat Depletion]
[Stamina Points: 0/60]
He had run out of stamina completely, and the sounds coming from behind him were only getting closer and closer. He could still continue! He had to keep on going! Despite ragged breath and screaming muscles, he continued crawling.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
[Notice: Stat Negation]
[Stamina Points: 0/60 (-1) -> -1/59]
[Notice: Skill gained]
[Exhaustion, Level 0 -> Exhaustion, Level 1]
[Warning: If "Exhaustion" reaches Level 8 you will die instantly. Are you sure what you're doing is worth it?]
A permanent stat decrease? And a skill that would kill him if it reached a certain level? He had to- No! He couldn't stop! Not with the person so close behind him at this point, he continued to claw his way forwards, pushing and pulling himself inch by inch away from the thing that was lurking behind him. He saw an arrow fly past his eye, landing into the back of one of his hands.
[Health Points: 12/25 (-6) -> 6/25]
[Stamina Points: -2/58 (-4) -> -6/54]
[Notice: Skills leveled up]
[Exhaustion, Level 1 (+3) -> Exhaustion, Level 4]
He was already half way to death due to [Exhaustion, Level 4] and was only a single arrow away from reaching 0 health and dying either way. He could still continue! He had to continue! He needed to move forwards whilst he still could! Using both of his hands, he managed to continue forcing himself forwards.
[Health Points: 6/25 (-1) -> 5/25]
[Stamina Points: -6/54 (-1) -> -7/53]
[Notice: Skills leveled up]
[Exhaustion, Level 4 (+1) -> Exhaustion, Level 5]
[Notice: Status effect gained]
[Bleeding, Tier I: Lose one (1) health from your current and maximum health total every five seconds]
[Health Points: 5/25 (-1) -> 4/24]
It was just getting worse. Everything he was doing was making it all worse. He was going to die in only 20 seconds if [Bleeding, Tier I] was to be believed, not only that but he was likely to die almost immediately as he heard the sound of footsteps on gravel stop, now right behind him as he felt the person's shadow falling over him.
???: What did you do to Kaelen?!
Abel: I didn't do anything-!
[Health Points: 4/24 (-1) -> 3/23]
It was that woman. The woman who used to know Kaelen, the man who's body he had accidentally stolen. He wouldn't be coming back any time soon, meaning he was almost certainly dead.
???: Don't lie to me! I know you did something!
Abel: N-not on purpose!
[Health Points: 3/23 (-1) -> 2/22]
???: So you did do something! Where is he?!
Abel: GONE!
[Health Points: 2/22 (-1) -> 1/21]
[Notice: Death imminent]
???: What do you mean GONE?!
Abel: H-he's-! I-! I.......
[Health Points: 1/21 (-1) -> 0/20]
And with that single final stat change he was dead. He had bled out from his arrow wounds due to his exhaustion whilst trying to crawl away from the thing that was chasing him. The world went black-
[Notice: Skills leveled up]
[Death Watcher, Level 1 (+1) -> Death Watcher, Level 2]
His mind snapped into place and his eyes shot open as he gasped for breath and began to pant.
Abel: *pant* W-what....?
-Oh. He had been dreaming. He... Shot up out of his bed and looked around the room, it was the same room as he had woken up in before. That was a dream, wasn't it? Right? It was either that or he had died and come back to life. He opened the [Help Menu] and immediately went over to [Stats].
--Kaelen Calder Abel Cyrus--
[Level 3], [EXP to next Level: 27]
[Health Points: 25/25], [Mana Points: 8/8], [Stamina Points: 60/60], [Lux: 13]
[Attack: 16], [Defense: 14], [Dexterity: 10], [Speed: 13], [Intelligence: 12], [Wisdom: 10], [Adeptness: 10]
--Skills--
[Forge Mastery, Level 6], [Sword Mastery, Level 3], [Spear Mastery, Level 3], [Bow Mastery, Level 2], [Death Watcher, Level 2], [Weapon Mastery, Level 1]
--Sigils--
[The Sigil of R__________ ]
... It was different. [Death Watcher, Level 2], [The Sigil of R__________ ], [Adeptness: 10], [Lux: 13], [Stamina Points: 60/60], [Health Points: 25/25]. They were all evidence that what had happened wasn't a dream, and that he had indeed died. He had died and come back to life. Immediately something on the stat block changed.
[The Sigil of Resurrection]
