Deep down into the darkness Max falls. Rocks and rubble from the stadium continue to fall deeper along with him disappearing into the endless sea of shadows.
'How long have I been falling… is this where I die. Being introduced to a world of magic and making enemies over the stupidest things causing misunderstandings. I don't think Victoria wanted to kill me, but maybe she did. Oh well it's not worth thinking about now.'
SPLASH!
"Water?"
Max didn't know that underneath the school was just as dangerous as the surface giving him barely any time to catch his breath. The school's river ran deep underground through a maze of caverns holding all sorts of treasures and monsters since the school's establishment.
"Can't get any luckier than this. I guess the falling rocks broke the water enough for me not to die on impact from the fall but my whole body is on the verge of collapsing anyway."
Max pulled himself out of the water and began to look around failing to see anything in the darkness except for a few feet in front of him he decided to follow the river as far as it would take him.
"Wonder how my bodies holding up after all that."
[Name: Max]
[Level 2]
[Title: Advanced Human]
[Exp: 49/50]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 19]
[Health:?/5]
[Strength: 10]
[Speed: 8]
[Mana: 2/100]
[lightning resistance: 3%]
[Magic Points: -40]
[skill points: 2]
"So, let's see. I got exp from almost dying that's great I think but what's up with my health? That could possibly be the fact I'm almost dead or feel dead I would assume. Oh, would you look at that. That fight was counted as a loss and made me lose 100 magic points. Not that it matters if I can't get back to the school anyway."
Max walked what seemed to be miles as monsters from the shadows watched him closely but didn't bother him if he didn't get too close to their territory. As if something about the river was keeping them away. Max also wondered why his life hadn't ended and would occasionally glance at the river which sometimes seemed to be glowing.
The river split into two separate paths one leading into a pitch-black part of the cavern where Max could hear what sounded like bones crunching. He decided to follow the glowing path down the other way that led to a large metal door with engravings on it with no handle.
[Scan]
??????????????
"Great nothing in my body seems to be working at all" Max sighed aloud while leaning back on the door and slumping to the floor exhausted.
The door stared to glow a bright red as some of the dried-up blood from Max's clothes and open wounds began to pulsate and liquify.
"Ahhhhhhg, why. WHY Is it always something. I'm starting to think coming to this world was a mistake." Max complained holding his arm and gritting his teeth as he watched the old blood join with the new, coating the outside of the strange engravings.
The door creaked open pitch black on the other side.
"This is ridiculous am I really going to die here will anyone find me?" Max wondered as he pulled himself to his feet progressing forward in the only direction he could.
Max began to think back to his mom and dad. Wondering if he will ever see them again the simpler times of just choosing a college and going through the daily motions crossed Max's mind. Eat, sleep, study, wake up, work, an endless cycle of nothingness for the old life he lived. This was the reality of things and the hardships of the new world he faced flipping everything upside down as Max tried to adapt where he could.
Through the darkness on the other side was a strange stone flooring with carvings on the ground leading up the walls and finally reaching the center of the ceiling. One side of the room was glowing red while the other a dark sapphire. Max could see his blood from earlier leave the door slamming it shut behind him and joining the red carvings on the floor.
In the center of the room was a pedestal holding one singular book which looked as new as day with a strange power radiating from it and calling out to whoever might be willing to listen.
"A magic book underneath the school in a room like this? It looks like there's no other way out of the room either. Just my luck. So now I'm forced to check out this strange book."
Max walked towards the pedestal and started staring at the book cautiously and unwilling to touch it. He didn't have to for after a couple minutes the book opened on its own. Page after page turning each one was blank until finally stopping on one page with huge, distorted letters reading one word in black and blue ink.
Contract.
"Every part of me screams terrible idea but there's no other way out and I can feel my blood still trying to burst out of my body." Max leaned forward and placed his hand on the strange Book.
The book turned into a black liquid disappearing and running up along Max's arm entering his opened wound bringing him the most pain he's ever experienced, his screams echoing across the room could pierce to the depths of the earth.
His blood was rushing, and his wounds would pour blood onto the floor only for him to watch the blood change from red to blue to black and wrap back around him and go back inside his body
He could no longer bare the pain as he passed out on the floor.
A kid huh. To think after thousands of years a mere boy would awaken me with such pathetic attributes and skills, while on the brink of death. Allow me to share with you."
"My Curse."