The storeroom reeked of rust, dust, and death. Julian sat against the cold wall, daggers loose in his hands. His golden eye glowed faintly in the dark—reminding him of what he'd become, and how fragile that meant he still was.
Minutes stretched into hours. His stomach growled, his throat was dry, and silence pressed like a weight. He tried muttering jokes to stay sane.
"Two hours alive. Congrats, Julian—Best Corpse Impression goes to you."(author:
bro is just like that , it not my writing)
The humor rotted fast. The crawler's corpse stank. His gut lurched, but he swallowed the bile down. Weakness meant death.
He gripped the daggers tighter. I can't afford to break here.
---
BANG.
The door rattled. Something slammed from the other side.
I stood up on my feet. My pulse spiked.
Another crash. Wood splintered. Bolts rattled. Then, with a crack, the door burst open.
It stepped inside. Humanoid—but stretched wrong. Too-long limbs, claws like blades, pale flesh where its eyes should be. Its nose twitched. Oversized ears flicked.
It sniffed. Snapped its head at him.
"Shit—!"
The thing lunged. Claws ripped across his chest. I screamed as blood poured hot, pinned against the wall. Rotten breath filled his lungs. Teeth snapped at his throat.
Agony. Terror.
Darkness.
> [Activating Unique Skill: RE-ORIGIN]
---
Julian gasped awake. The crawler's corpse still lay in front of him. The fragment pulsed in his hand. His chest heaved.
"…I died. Just like that… because I was careless."His fist clenched.
---
This time, he thought differently.
' I need distraction.'
He rattled bolts into a bottle, sealed it, and cracked the door just enough to peek.
The hall glowed faintly under broken lights. Five goblins stalked nearby—green, sharp-nosed, muttering, weapons in hand.
Julian threw the bottle.
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
The goblins snarled, rushing toward the noise. Julian slipped out, moving fast, silent. Each step carried him closer to freedom—
SNAP.
"Arghhh!!!!!!"
White-hot pain exploded through his leg. He collapsed, shrieking as a bear trap tore into his shin. Blood gushed.
The goblins turned back.
"No—no, no, no—!" He clawed at the trap, panic ripping his voice raw.
Too late.
Blades tore into him. One split his arm. Another gutted his stomach. He howled as steel ripped flesh, as claws shredded him to pieces. They hacked him apart, laughing as they carved him alive. His screams broke into ragged gasps—until nothing remained but silence.
Darkness.
> [Activating Unique Skill: RE-ORIGIN]
---
Julian jolted awake again. Back in the storeroom. The fragment burned warm in his hand.
His whole body shook. Breath came ragged. Tears stung his eyes.
"…God… damn it…" He pressed his forehead to the cold floor. "How many times am I going to die like this…?"
Despair gnawed deep. But under it—hotter than fear—burned rage.
Rage at himself. At this world.
"…Fine." His lips twisted into a grin, broken but sharp. "You want me to play this game? I'll play. But I won't stay your victim forever."
His golden eye glowed brighter, burning against the dark.