The pain.
This feeling.
The feeling of being stabbed. The feeling of flesh tearing. The feeling of drowning while alive.
I was screaming—but the blood in my throat stifled my voice.
All that escaped my mouth was the sound of water gargling.
Gurgle. Gurgle. Gurgle.
I don't want this feeling ever again.
Don managed to regain his composure—slightly.
He sat on the floor amidst the wreckage and tried to review the events in his mind.
Starting from the crushing weight of John that pinned him in place.
To the feeling of being stabbed. Bitten. His flesh being torn apart.
Only for the pain to return.
Again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Don eventually lost all hope of survival.
He decided not to resist anymore. He let John stab and eat until he was full.
But the agony continued for five full minutes that felt like an eternity.
Finally… the crushing weight was gone.
He moved with a single intention burning in his mind:
I want one thing now.
I want to survive.
I want him to feel what I felt.
I want to make him suffer.
Returning to the present moment, Don sat amidst the chaos.
He didn't utter a word. Didn't move.
He just stared at John's hideous corpse—twisted, broken, unrecognizable.
Finally, he spoke.
His voice was hollow.
"O Source… open Status."
╔═══════════════════════════╗
STATUS SCREEN
╚═══════════════════════════╝
— PRIMARY DATA —
• Name: Don Valdruun • Age: 12• Health (HP): {10/-}• Mana (MP): {400/650}• Stamina (STA): {5/15}• Experience (EXP): {0/50}• Affiliation: ??????• Level: 1• Status Points: 5• Madness: 0.5%
— ATTRIBUTES —
• Strength: 12• Agility: 12• Vitality: 12• Dexterity: 12• Stamina: 12• Wisdom: 13• Magic Power: 13• Intelligence: 13• Sense: 5• Luck: 50
— TITLES & TALENTS —
• Title: Survivor of Death's Deceit
• Talent: Child of Luck - #%#%#%%
— SKILLS —
• Skill 1: Immortality (Lv. 1)
Sub-Skill: Emotion Suppression (Lv. 1)
• Effect: Temporarily suppresses emotions to maintain clarity and focus during combat or crisis.
• Duration: 5 minutes
• Cost: 50 Mana
• Cooldown: 30 minutes
• Skill 2: Learning and Adaptation (Lv. 1)
Passive Effect: Adept Mastery
• All sub-skills and masteries start at Adept stage instead of Novice.
• This is a one-time gift due to the synergy of your three primary skills.
• Note: You will need to reach Level 5 before your skills synchronize again and grant further bonuses.
Current Masteries:
• Knife Mastery: Adept
• Skill 3: Imagination (Lv. 1)
Sub-Skill: Primitive Weapon Crafting (Lv. 1)
• Effect: Grants knowledge and ability to craft basic weapons from available elements and materials (swords, spears, knives, shields, etc.).
• Weapons crafted are functional but lack enchantments or advanced properties.
• Quality improves with skill level and available materials.
╚═══════════════════════════╝
[ALERT]
Your skill levels are now commensurate with your base level.
[Previous Notifications]
• Death saw your struggle and was impressed. You survived him once more.• Death granted you a Vision due to his admiration.• You touched a weapon and the Learning and Adaptation skill activated. Your Mastery of Knives is now at the Adept stage.• Mastery Level increases with the skill's base level or when you gain combat experience.
[SOURCE MESSAGE]
Due to the synergy of your three primary skills (Immortality, Learning and Adaptation, Imagination), you have received the following bonuses:
• All sub-skills and masteries begin at Adept stage instead of Novice.• This is a one-time synchronization gift.• Your next synchronization will occur at Level 5, unlocking further enhancements and bonuses.
Don saw all this.
But he didn't really care.
His mind was semi-dazed, numb. But he forced himself to focus.
He asked The Source about the Vision.
[The Vision is a flow in the timeline that allows you to see events in the past… or the future.]
A pause.
[It is a one-time gift. Do not place your hopes upon it.]
Don didn't pay much attention.
He just told Her flatly:
"Show me the Vision."
[As you wish.]
[Using Death's Gift in progress.]
Snap.
Don heard a snap—and his vision shifted.
He was no longer in his destroyed room.
He was now high above a city, hovering in the air as if flying.
He panicked, thinking he would fall—but he remained suspended, weightless.
Finally, he looked around.
The city was beautiful.
Golden, sandy walls surrounded it on all sides. A moat-like river encircled the city completely—the Eternal Zuna River, a river that had existed since the beginning of the planet. Or so people said.
Now the scene shifted again.
He was outside the city—specifically outside the walls—looking at a group of seven figures moving in the distance.
Don didn't recognize any of them. They were all wearing cloaks, hoods pulled low over their faces.
They had emerged from the wall itself—as if it were nonexistent.
They walked for a few minutes. Don followed behind them silently.
But they didn't see him.
Finally, they reached the river.
The water was clear—you could see your reflection in it perfectly.
For a moment, Don glimpsed the face of the group's leader—a young woman—but he didn't recognize her.
Then, without warning, the six behind her all knelt and spoke in a single voice:
"For the King of Blood! For the Demons! For the future of the race!"
Then each one pulled out a strangely shaped knife.
Black. Curved blade. A black gem on the hilt, etched with a small symbol: two horns and a blood drop between them.
Then, in unison, they all stabbed themselves in the chest.
As the blade met flesh, they all began to dissolve—as if the blade were eating them.
Starting with the blood.
Then the flesh.
Then the bones.
Nothing remained.
As if they had dissolved into vapor.
The six daggers fell to the ground—and crumbled.
Leaving behind only six bloody red jewels, floating a few inches above the ground.
With a strange movement of the girl's hand, six red lights emerged, connecting to the jewels.
She raised them before her—then recited some words Don couldn't understand.
But the effect was terrifying.
She drew a red circle around herself with the jewels. The circles moved—and sank into the river.
The girl remained sitting in the center, repeating the same words over and over.
For a moment, Don understood one word:
Taint.
The river's color changed.
It became bloody red—like the jewels—and began to spread.
Snap.
Don returned to the sky view.
But now he saw many red dots starting to spread along all edges of the river—in every direction.
They started as small spots… and grew to the size of lakes.
Within a few minutes, the entire river had transformed into blood.
But he saw no one panic.
He saw no one scream.
Everyone acted as if they didn't see the change.
Animals and people continued to drink from the river—as if nothing had happened.
Snap.
Don felt something pulling him.
In an instant, he returned to his body—sweating profusely, gasping for air.
Then he heard:
[Vision Interpretation:]
A demon cult infiltrated the city and polluted the water sources. Everyone who drank the water will change and become a half-demon—losing their minds and being barred from using The Source.
There is no way to reverse the process.
[FIRST QUEST]
Objective: Survive for 12 hours.
Reward: A weapon of your choice