**WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT AHEAD**
The upcoming scenes will feature mature themes, graphic implications, and psychological horror elements that may be triggering or unsettling for some readers.
**PROCEED WITH CAUTION**
If you're sensitive to disturbing content, you may want to skip this part or stop reading altogether. Otherwise, please be prepared for a chilling continuation...
Mark scrambles backward, chains clanking wildly, desperate to escape her gaze...
But then he freezes, mesmerized by horror, waiting to see if she'll somehow break free...
Miraculously, he realizes he can move – the cave shaking loosened the chains' hold...
One corner of his restraints lies broken, detached from the wall – freedom within reach...
Though still locked on his wrists, Mark stumbles forward, determined to end this nightmare...
He scans the dusty floor for a weapon – anything to crush the Dryad's skull...
But only a heavy stone lies within reach – barely liftable with his sole left arm...
Mark grasps it tightly, muscles straining, hoping it'll still inflict deadly damage...
He eyes the Dryad – her head still protruding from beneath the bell, eyes fixed on him...
Her mouth opens, jaws working slowly – she's trying to speak... or scream... or bite...
Suddenly, her voice whispers again:
"...Closer...want...to...taste..."
Mark summons last strength to lift the stone, preparing to strike her skull...
With a primal scream trapped behind silent lips, he brings the stone down – again and again and again...
The first blow cracks against her forehead, blood splattering the bell's rusty surface...
Mark doesn't stop – fueled by terror, adrenaline, and desperation – he keeps smashing...
The stone rises and falls in relentless rhythm, each impact sending shockwaves through his exhausted arm...
For 20 minutes, the only sounds are stone crushing skull, bell scraping stone, and Mark's labored breathing...
His arm burns, muscles screaming in agony, but he continues – driven to ensure her destruction...
30 minutes pass – the Dryad's eyes glaze over, her jaws slacken, yet Mark persists...
40 minutes – her skin turns grey, blood congealing around her crushed skull – still he smashes...
An hour ticks by – Mark's arm hangs limp, stone barely lifted, but he summons final reserves...
He strikes again... and again... and again – each blow weaker, yet still deadly...
Ninety minutes... then 100... finally, after what feels like an eternity – 2 hours – Mark collapses...
The stone rolls from his fingers, his chest heaving with exhausted gasps...
The Dryad's head – unrecognizable, a pulverized mess – lies still, finally lifeless beneath the bell...
Mark's silent sobs rack his broken body – he's survived, but at what cost...
Weakly, Mark lies there, unmoving, waiting for death or rescue – he doesn't care which comes first...
His chest still heaves with exhausted gasps, eyes fixed on the Dryad's lifeless ruin...
Suddenly, his throat twitches – a faint, raspy whisper escapes his lips...
"Ahh..."
Mark's eyes widen – one eye, actually – his left eye is missing, socket swollen shut...
He tries to recall the injury – vague memories of the Dryad's nails slashing his face...
His voice cracks again –
"Pain..."
He gathers strength to assess his damage:
* One arm missing, bloody stump still oozing
* Chains still bound to his wrists, rusty and tight
* Left eye gone, socket bruised and swollen
* Bruises covering his torso, cave dust ingrained in wounds
* Lips dry, cracked – thirst raging like wildfire
Mark croaks again –
"Water..."
His voice is weak, but alive – a spark of survival ignites within...
Mark's weak voice barely above a whisper:
"My... status..."
Suddenly, a faint, eerie glow emanates from the cave walls...
A holographic display flickers to life in front of him:
**NAME:** Mark
* **LEVEL:** 1
* **CLASS:** Commoner
* **HP:** 832/24,119
* **STRENGTH:** 12
* **MAGIC:** 6
**STATUS EFFECTS:**
* Hungry
* Thirsty
* Weakened
Mark's one eye widens in alarm – his HP is critically low!
He looks down at his mutilated body – arm still missing, eye socket still swollen...
The status effects explain his dizziness and exhaustion...
Mark's faint hope sparks as he whispers:
"Skills..."
The holographic display flickers again,
Mark's eyes widen as he reads his skills:
**SKILLS LIST:**
1. **Passive: Vitality Boost**
- Increase your Max HP
- Regen HP while sleeping
2. **Convert** (One Time Use Only)
- After defeating an enemy, choose to change your Class/Race based on the defeated enemy
- Gain most of their skills
3. **View** (Unique)
- See target's Level, HP%, and MP% status
- Level unknown if target is +50 levels higher than yours
4. **Instinct**
- Sense danger when nearby enemies approach
Mark thinks about the Dryad he just killed...
Mark winces in agony as he moves slightly, his one eye fixed on the Dryad's corpse...
Pain shoots through his mutilated body, but curiosity drives him...
He barely whispers:
"View..."
The holographic display flickers again:
**TARGET STATUS (DECEASED):**
* **NAME:** Dryad (Ancient)
* **LEVEL:** 278
* **HP:** 0/118,000
* **MP:** 0/81,000
Mark's eye widens in shock – the Dryad was ridiculously overpowered...
He feels insignificant compared to her strength, his own Level 1 status embarrassing...
The level difference also explains why he couldn't see her level initially – it was +50 levels higher than his...
Mark's throat dry, he croaks:
"Water..."
His body screams for relief from thirst, hunger, and agony...
Desperation drives Mark's actions...
He gazes at the Dryad's corpse, then down at his own parched lips...
With no other option for hydration, Mark's eye falls on the pooled Dryad blood...
He hesitates barely a moment – thirst and desperation overwhelming his revulsion...
Mark leans down, lips parting to take a tentative sip of the dark, viscous liquid...
The coppery taste explodes on his tongue – bitter, metallic, and nauseating...
Yet he swallows, hoping the blood will quench his thirst, even slightly...
Mark's face contorts in disgust as he vomits violently...
But surprisingly, he didn't expel all of the Dryad's blood - some remained in his stomach...
He spat out the remaining fluid from his mouth, gagging at the memory of the taste...
"It's... so... awful..." he choked out between gasps.
The blood was vile, with a bitter, metallic flavor that lingered on his tongue...
Despite his revulsion, Mark realized he had managed to ingest a small amount of fluid...
His throat still dry, but slightly less parched, Mark checked his status:
**HP:** 832/24,119
**STATUS EFFECTS:**
* Hungry
* Thirsty (slightly alleviated, but still present)
* Weakened
Mark's one eye narrowed slightly - the small amount of blood had barely helped his thirst...
He still felt weak, hungry, and desperately needed clean water and food...
Mark's raspy voice whispered:
"Need... real food... and water..."
He slowly got up, determined to search the cave for actual sustenance...
Mark tries to take a step forward, but his leg jerks back abruptly...
He looks down to see one of the rusty chains still anchored deep into the cave wall...
The other end remains locked around his leg, trapping him in place...
Mark tugs weakly at the chain, but it doesn't budge – he's still a prisoner...
His one eye falls on the Dryad's corpse, then back to his trapped leg...
Desperation and frustration mix with his thirst, hunger, and pain...
Mark's raspy voice whispers:
"Stuck... still stuck..."
He checks his status again, hoping for any clue:
**HP:** 832/24,119
**STATUS EFFECTS:**
* Hungry
* Thirsty
* Weakened
Mark's one eye falls back on his status screen, and he navigates to the **SKILLS LIST**:
He stares at the **Convert** skill, his mind racing with possibilities...
"After defeating an enemy, choose to change your Class/Race based on the defeated enemy...
Gain most of their skills"
Mark thinks about the Dryad's incredible powers – Level 278, 118,000 HP...
If he converts, he could gain abilities like hers – potentially saving his life...
He weighs the risks and benefits, his thirst, hunger, and weakness clouding his judgment...
But the prospect of gaining strength to escape this cave and survive outweighs his doubts...
Mark's dry lips whisper in he's mind:
"Do I risk it...?"
Just as he's about to make a decision, the cave around him erupts into chaos:
* Rocks tumble from the ceiling
* The ground shudders violently
* Dust fills the air, choking his parched throat
* The chain binding his leg creaks ominously
Mark's one eye widens in alarm:
"No... not again..."
The cave's instability makes his decision suddenly clearer:
He must act fast to survive...