Every time a stat point added to his panel, Mark felt himself getting stronger and lighter.
At the start, this feeling wasn't very obvious, but the more people or monsters he killed, the more obvious that feeling started to become.
As now he could even feel a warm energy being rampant inside of him, making him stronger and lighter from the inside out.
Unlike games, this process was gradual. There was no such thing as becoming stronger suddenly with each stat.
As finally Mark reached the lake, outside from the domain of the trees which covered the forest.
The gentle water ran, while the beautiful fishes of all colors swam everywhere inside the clear water.
Most of the fishes were a meter long, but there were some that were close to two meters long.
The scene in front of him looked outside of the world that was filled with killings and screaming of all the humans, which were now ringing everywhere.
As Mark just stood there watching all this, because in between this beautiful scene, his instincts were screaming at him to run as far away from this as possible, but his endless thirst stopped him from doing that.
If he did not drink the water now, maybe he wouldn't get the chance after this ever, or worse, he would die of thirst due to so much fighting.
Having no other option, Mark looked at the lake carefully.
In sight, there was no danger, but he knew, in this cruel place, there was no such thing as harmless beauty.
As putting the knife on his right hand back to the sheath, slowly he bent down, keeping his eyes on the fishes which still swam as if the most innocent beings in the world.
The moment his hand touched the water, the burning hot temperature of the water struck him, jolting him in shock, making him fall on his butt "Fuck." As the curse came out of his mouth automatically, making him shake his hand like crazy.
While seeing this, the fishes frantically rushed towards him. Close to a hundred fishes jumping out of the water, the scene was so beautiful, but if someone saw the teeth that the fishes were showing, they would feel the chill crawling down their spines.
Ignoring the pain, Mark waved his left hand which held the knife, while his right hand reached towards his waist to pull out the gun.
BANG! BANG!! BANG!!! BANG!!!! BANG!!!!!
One after another, Mark fired, not caring where he hit, as pushing his legs, he distanced himself from the lake.
One after another, the fishes screeched and burst open from between, and soon the sound of continuous clicking rang, making Mark throw the gun behind.
As leaping and flailing, the other fishes bit Mark everywhere. His face, neck, chest, stomach, thighs, and legs. The fishes bit him everywhere, as screaming he ran towards the forest, taking the fishes with him.
Grabbing, he slammed the fishes to the ground. Thirteen fishes took out thirteen chunks of pieces from his body, making Mark brawl like insane, as he also pulled his second knife out and started butchering the fishes who were trying to jump back to the lake.
A single slash was enough to slice the fishes from between as back to back he killed six of the fishes, and realizing their end, the other seven fishes again started to attack Mark.
But this time he wasn't fallen to the ground, he wasn't shocked and helpless, he was ready as he dodged left and right and slashed the fishes till their screeches rang everywhere inside the forest.
As if killing all the thirteen fishes wasn't enough, he picked up the stones and threw them angrily at the fishes that were back inside the lake, swimming as if whatever they did to him never happened.
Angrily the fishes screeched as they ran everywhere, hiding behind the big stones, purple plants, and red algae, as in no time the water was cleaned of all the fishes.
While biting his teeth, Mark picked up the empty pistol and ran back towards the forest, away from all the red dots that were fighting and killing, and some were still chasing him.
Mark felt the pain of his life with every step he took. It was painful and it was incredibly itchy.
As he saw the notification that he got for killing all the fishes.
[Killer gift activated, permanently stealing 0.1*11 Vitality stat.]
[Killer gift activated, permanently stealing 0.1*12 Agility stat.]
He gained two complete stat points, no, he got more than that, but Mark felt like slapping himself for going there even knowing all the danger.
He never thought that the water in the lake would be burning hot. In his defense, the water had no heat; even when his hand reached close to the water, he felt nothing.
As a result, he faced the cruelty of the beautiful lake.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Mark cursed as he sat down shivering with his back towards the tree after making sure that there was no danger nearby.
He was thirsty, he was hungry, and he was in so much pain; all of this just made him go insane.
But there was nothing to eat. He saw no fruit, while the fishes and monsters that he killed got burned.
Water was the biggest trap on this island, and pain was making him want to cry out loud, call for his family.
"God dammit, where the fuck is all the meat going?!" Mark screamed in agony as he felt his body slowly spasming.
But then he became startled when suddenly out of nowhere a black screen came into his sight, which was divided into twelve boxes.
The first four boxes of the black screen were filled, while the other eight boxes were empty.
On the first box, there was a picture of cut meat, beneath which was written 'Human Meat*5', nearly making Mark puke in disgust.
On the second box, there was a green fruit, beneath which 'Fledgling Tree Essence' was written.
On the third box, there was a white meat image, beneath which 'Camouflage snake meat' was written.
On the fourth box, there was a red meat, beneath which 'Cooked Fishes*23' was written.
Making Mark understand that this was his space, nearly making him cry in his stupidity.
How could he forget that this world was following a game-like setting, if stats could be given, space could exist too.
As he hurriedly touched the green fruit, which was the essence of the tree, and bit at it the moment it appeared in his hand.