Quest Failed
Time survived: 23 hours 48 minutes.
Participation Award
+1 Nightmare Point
Quest Initiated
Survival of the Fittest
Difficulty Minimum
Body Reduced to 10
Mind Reduced to 10
Spirit Reduced to 0
Attempt 21889
Stay strong Master.
Kaizul opened his eyes once more. As it turned out, dying was something that you could get used to if you experienced it enough times. He also noticed that with each repair, whatever gave him that terrible feeling got harder to reach. It only took around twenty deaths the first time. Now, he hadn't reached that state for almost thousands deaths.
'If I fail right at the finish line one more time, I swear I'm going to jump off a branch,' he thought.
That was the fourth time he had died after reaching the twenty-third hour. By then, exhaustion had overcome him to an extent he couldn't have imagined. If it weren't for the resetting effect dying had on both his brain and body. He wouldn't even have the will to try again.
Still, when the Caterpie came up over the branch once more, he smiled. He actually smiled. He was now almost certain he was losing his mind. But after so many deaths, he had grown to sort of like this Caterpie.
Not in the, hey! You're fun to be around, wanna eat something kind of way, but in the, you were my first experience in fighting demonic bugs and though I still hate your guts, you haven't even scratched me in over eighteen thousand runs. Killing you after fighting all your brethren is almost therapeutic.
As Kaizul lazily stood up, the Caterpie rushed him with a tackle. Expecting this, as Kaizul had fought so many of the bugs that he practically could tell what they were going to do before even they realized it. He stepped to the side, with purpose but also light enough to conserve as much energy as possible.
He had learned a crucial piece of information about these small creatures over the course of his experience. After they missed several attacks, they quickly got frustrated and launched into a desperate tackle by jumping toward his chest as that was the biggest target.
He had beaten them into submission many times now. And though for certain exceptional Caterpie he still needed to do so, most were dumb enough that waiting for them to give up their advantage on the tree trunk was cheaper, energy-wise.
Sure enough, the Caterpie he was facing crawled up and leapt from the tree to tackle him. He immediately pirouetted into a perfect roundhouse kick. Sending the Caterpie helplessly over the edge.
The distance silenced its pathetic cries quickly, and 14 seconds later, he received a notice.
Notice!
You have slain a Dream Caterpie and obtained some loot!
• Caterpie Antenna [Common]
• Fresh Meat (Caterpie) [Common]
He glanced momentarily over the screen before moving away and sitting down while leaning against the tree. Closing his eyes, he rested. This had been his favorite part of these runs. Since the Caterpie around him hadn't started chasing him yet, this was the only time in the next twenty-four hours that he would get to rest.
There was a few times that a Caterpie had been smart enough to sneak up on him while he was resting, but he had since learned to pick out the sounds they made when they got closer. Even if they were trying to be sneaky about it.
They didn't even attempt to hide this time, as he heard a string shot released from the nearby tree. His eyes snapped open, and lifting a leaf, he brought it up to protect his head. The string shot landed, now attached to the leaf. Instead of letting the leaf go, however, he instead placed it over his mouth with the string facing outward.
He had learned that these creatures were extremely light, something he couldn't fathom as they sure didn't hit like they were light and he didn't think something with that weight should hit so hard while only moving at basic speeds. Still, they were light enough that to them, the concept of their [string shot] attack breaking from its own weight was foreign to them.
This was a little trick he had picked up a while back and, moments later, thinking the string shot had attached to his face, the Caterpie crawled across the string at speeds that shouldn't be possible for a creature of its size.
Kaizul spat the stem he was biting onto to prevent the leaf from breaking over the ledge and watched as the shocked Caterpie plummeted to its death. It had taken quite a few attempts to perfect that little trick, but it was well worth it for an extra minute or two of calm.
That calm didn't last forever. As three Caterpie shot string shots, which connected to his tree and began climbing over, Kaizul opened his eyes. He focused his gaze now.
'Now it's time to really get started,' he thought.
Standing up, he did a few light hops and shook his arms out. As the three Caterpie came, they started the way they always did. Whether it was instinct or his system messing with them, the Caterpie always took the same strategy when ganging up on him. They would send in one Caterpie to attack physically, and the others would hang back while throwing out [string shot] and [electro web] endlessly. The strategy worked wonders, and it took him forever to build up the spatial awareness necessary to fight against it.
It got even worse if he ever fought five Caterpie. That's when things got terrible. At around five, they sent in a second Caterpie, and if he thought dodging one was hard. Dodging two was downright impossible. Not because he wasn't skilled enough, but because he legitimately wasn't fast enough to dodge five Caterpie attacking him at once. It didn't matter how skilled you were; at a certain point, it was just not feasible to dodge so many attacks at the same time. Well, not unless you got lucky, and he couldn't count on luck.
Through this, he had developed a strategy. Fight against the Caterpie until four or more come to the tree, then run and create distance. The Caterpie, while fast, was terrible at moving from tree to tree. At least, unless they chase him. He would jump to the next tree and then wait. If any Caterpie jumped over after him, he would bat them over the edge. If they used [string shot] he would just run away and break line of sight. They were fast, but he could still lose them in the trees if they couldn't see him.
Then he would just rinse, and repeat until, hopefully, he had survived for the allotted time. And if his last three attempts were anything to go by, then it was working.
Kaizul now stood on the trunk with one Caterpie dashing toward him while attempting to use [Bug Bite]. His eyes were not on the Caterpie charging him, though he kept it in his vision. His focus was on the two Caterpie behind it releasing volley after volley of [string shot] at him. He weaved in between the strikes while slowly making his way closer to the two of them.
They were visibly beginning to panic as he got closer, and to save his brothers, the one attacking Kaizul jumped to perform another bug bite at his torso. Kaizul spun and batted it off before rushing the remaining Caterpie. Panicked, they both released [electroweb] toward him. A lattice of webbing crackled with electricity flying toward him.
Rather than dodging it, Kaizul ran right for it, before diving in between the interlocking webs onto the trunk and rolling before coming back up into his charge. Eyes widening in shock at the precision with which Kaizul moved, one Caterpie ran while the other froze on the spot.
Kaizul ran right past the frozen Caterpie to the running one. Feeling the boy right on its heels, the fleeing Caterpie jumped across a gap to reach another tree. It didn't make it as the boy also leapt, catching it in the air and tossing it over the edge as soon as they both landed.
Kaizul didn't even bother with the other Caterpie as he could see four others coming to join it in the trees. Instead, he ran.
Notice!
You have slain a Dream Caterpie (x2) and obtained some loot!
• Caterpie Antenna [Common] (x2)
• Fresh Meat (Caterpie) [Common]
The next hours passed much the same. The fights were no longer exciting or terrifying for Kaizul. Now he just executed the bugs with brutal efficiency, in whatever the easiest manner he could think of was.
Hours later, Kaizul ran through the branches. Seven Caterpie were chasing him, a number he had no chance of defeating in combat even at peak performance. Now he was panting heavily, his heart beating so hard in his chest that it hurt, and his body felt heavy enough that he thought not for the first time, that his robes were just a bit heavy for his liking.
He sustained a broken arm from a [tackle] and several bruises from falls where he landed wrong. A [string shot] flew toward him, and he rolled over the edge of a branch, falling ten feet before landing on another in a roll.
He pulled up his progress tracker, a feature he had only discovered because he had asked for one. Twenty-three hours and fifty-five minutes.
His eyes lit up with a fire that belied his beaten state.
'Just a little more,' he desperately thought.
He was so close he could taste it. His death run through the branches continued as he limped and fell out of the way of attacks. His throat burned with the effort. But despite all his efforts, he couldn't run fast enough. They caught up with him. He dodged but took another nasty hit to the arm. He desperately searched for anything to get him out and caught something. There was another branch about 25 feet down.
With no hesitation, he jumped, and when he landed, both his legs broke like twigs. But he didn't care. Other matters occupied his mind.
Notice!
Quest [Survival of the Fittest] Complete!
Would you like to initiate overtime?
Seeing the notification, Kaizul was stunned.
"Overtime?" he said before realizing the implications.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
As soon as he said those words, time around him froze.
Notice!
Returning Master to the dream home.
Healing Injuries
Calculating Performance:
• Time spent completing the task [28 years]
• Overtime [0 Seconds]
• Overall performance rating [ E ]
WARNING!
Cognitive dissonance detected!
Subject [Kaizul]
Target is diagnosed with minor insanity from prolonged isolation.
Repairing Cognitive Function
Repair Complete
Congratulations Master!
You have won!
Kaizul's vision went dark as soon as he finished reading the notification. When he came to consciousness, he was lying on the glass floor in the empty void he first found himself in. The same statue was there, only now, Kaizul could see another notification hovering over him.
Notice!
Quest Complete [Survival of the Fittest]
Quest rewards:
• Nightmare Points (x1000)
• Body (+ 5)
• Mind (+ 5)
• Spirit (+ 1)
• Shop Unlocked
After reading and dismissing the notification, Kaizul found the change disorienting. Had he really spent twenty-eight years in that place? Thinking back on his time there, it felt so strange. He knew it was him, could feel his own thoughts, the pain. But it felt like it was so long ago.
In the way a person might remember their first memories, it was… fuzzy.
As he stood up and tested his movements, he immediately noticed how much stronger he felt. He had been worried that his memories fading would harm all he had learned in that place but quickly discovered how wrong that notion had been.
He felt amazing. It was like his body's weight was nothing but a cloud. He ran around, laughing and playing with his new strength. For the first time since waking, looking as a young child should.
Deep within the boy's consciousness, the unknown watched. They had seen him fight against the Pokémon. Watching him struggle just to survive. They had witnessed the innocent and pure light of a child fading from him during those years.
Seeing that light returned. Watching the child laugh and play after going through something so terrible. Left them astonished. Worth noting was that because of the resetting, the boy's body did not grow used to the feeling of death. The pain never dulled or weakened.
His hormones never shifted, body never changed. This child had, through sheer force of will, fought his way through an army of Pokémon. With nothing other than his own ingenuity, and a bit of help to prevent his own biology from driving him insane, he had triumphed where most would fall.
But what was most impressive was that even after all that, he could still smile. After all that, he could still laugh, and hearing it, they knew. They had chosen correctly. The unknown then decided. They would restore the boy's mind no matter how many times it took. He deserved a childhood, and they would make sure he had it.
Kaizul continued for a few minutes before settling down. A notice appeared before him.
Notice!
You completed your tasks for the day!
You may now wake up and see the real world.
When you would like to leave, please say the word "Exit"
Staring at the notice, Kaizul felt his throat dry up.
'I can go?' he thought.
He had dreamed of this moment. Seeing the real world was something he wanted so badly that just thinking about it made his eyes water. In a moment, he slammed the door on his emotions shut. He would never cry. Crying got him nowhere and helped nothing.
Instead, he processed. Good thing he did to because he concluded.
'I don't know what's out there. I should prepare first.'
He still desperately wanted to go, but he decided it was wiser to go through his inventory and this new shop feature he had gained access to first.
Inventory
• Basic Robe [White] [Equipped]
• Bestiary (Caterpie) [Common] (x29,433)
• Caterpie Antenna [Common] (x1,471,682)
• Fresh Meat (Caterpie) [Common] (x1,471,682)
• Carapace (Caterpie) [Rare] (x14701)
• Silk Gland (Caterpie) [Rare] (x7346)
• Energy Core (Caterpie) [Epic] (x12)
"Did I really kill over a million of those things?"
Kaizul wondered for just a moment what it would look like to have that many of them piled up in a single spot. He couldn't even properly picture it.
"Might as well call me the bug slayer at this rate." He said.
He lightly taped the craft option for the Fresh Caterpie Meat.
Crafting Options [Fresh Meat (Caterpie) [Common]]
Repair [1 Nightmare Point]
Shift Style [10 Nightmare Points]
Color Change [10 Nightmare Points]
Fuse [100 Nightmare Points]
Fuse All [1000 Nightmare Points]
After considering the options, he pulled one piece of the meat out of his inventory. He saw perfectly wrapped and portioned slabs of meat before him. Some kind of paper covered them, but he wasn't sure exactly what it was made of.
Still, the meat was raw, and this was a dream, so he put it back.
He was still unsure about both fuse options in the crafting menu, so he asked his system to explain them.
Notice!
The fuse option will allow you to take two of the same item and attempt to combine them into a high-quality version of the item. The fuse all option attempts fusion until all items of the selected type are combined, and it is for bulk purchases.
Higher quality, huh? But he didn't really know the difference in quality with just that. So he decided, why not test it? He wasn't sure what he would do with so much Caterpie meat anyway, so he selected the fuse all option. His Nightmare points reduced to 21,888 points, and the fusion began.
Notice!
Fusion Process Complete!
1,471,680 Fresh Caterpie Meat [common] consumed!
367,905 Fresh Meat (Caterpie) [Rare] Obtained!
Quickly glancing at his inventory, Kaizul pulled one out to examine it. The first thing he noted that changed was the packaging. Portions were now sectioned off for each meal, as each would last for one full day.
Furthermore, they were different cuts of the meat as well. Not that Kaizul could tell anyone what the names of the cuts were.
Still, his curiosity satisfied, he put the meat back in his inventory.
He then opened the shop he had unlocked for the first time.
Shop
• Items
• Abilities
• Skills
After glancing at the options, Kaizul decided to just take a quick look at each before deciding anything.
Items
[Gear]
• Storage Backpack [Perfect] (10,000 Points)
• Survival Tent [Perfect] (10,000 Points)
[Farming]
• Farmland [10 Acres] (10,000 Points)
• Farming Tools [Perfect] (10,000 Points)
• Berry Seed [Perfect] (100 Points)
• Berry Seed Complete Set [Perfect] (10,000 Points)
• Regular Plant Seed [Perfect] (10 Points)
• Endless Plant Seed Set [Perfect] (1,000 Points)
[Dreams]
• Select an item you have obtained from dreams before. (Varies)
Abilities
• Body +1 (10,000 Points)
• Mind +1 (10,000 Points)
• Spirit +1 (100,000 Points)
• (Unlock) Aura (10,000,000 Points)
• (Unlock) Psychic (10,000,000 Points)
Skills
• (Unlock) Martial Arts (10,000 Points)
• (Unlock) Memory (10,000 Points)
• (Unlock) Herbology (10,000 Points)
• (Unlock) Farming (10,000 Points)
• (Unlock) Cooking (10,000 Points)
"It seems like there's not much to buy in there, and everything that I can see is extremely expensive." He thought.
Notice!
As you progress through life and continue to complete dream tasks, you will continue to gain access to more skills and items.
After reading, Kaizul nodded his head. That made sense, he supposed. Even so, this left him with one question.
"Which of these options would give me the best chance of survival?"
[Author Note]
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
I know that the system notices are taking up a lot of space, and I plan to use fewer of them in the future. This is primarily to help you all conceptualize what he is working with.
When I write in the future, I'm going to skip over most of these system notices, simply stating that he fused the materials or that he bought something from the shop. I hope that will make it all easier to read.
Having said that, I appreciate any feedback you are willing to give me, so let me know!
Anyway, see you all next time!