Chapter 3: No more running
Kaden's brain whirred into action the mont he saw the familiar forest sprawled all around him. He had no idea what the hell was happening. For all he knew he might simply be hallucinating about the whole damn thing but that did not matter.
Right now he needed to act fast. If history was repeating itself, then he needed to escape what ca next. Otherwise, he would be stuck in the sa vicious cycle and his second chance would go to a complete waste.
Kaden imdiately scrambled to his feet and looked around the grass as if his life depended on it. Before long, he spotted the damn thing.
There it was a few feet in front of him.
A small coiled green snake.
Kaden swallowed hard as his gaze landed on the small, coiled green snake nestled amid the blades of grass. His heart clenched—the sight stirred mories of the countless dangers he'd faced in that other version of his life. All because of this damned snake.
The bastard had bitten him and run away, leaving him in a poisoned state for 3 fucking days.
Kaden suppressed a shiver as the mories roared back—those three days of delirium and agony, watching his veins turn an angry green beneath his skin.
Three hellish days, all because of that snake's venom. Three days because of which he had lagged behind permanently. Three days because of which he had to accept a fucking nutjob as his leader to protect him.
No. He clenched his fists, forcing the tremor out of them. Not this ti, he vowed inwardly. He refused to let history repeat. His entire body vibrated with adrenaline as he weighed his options.
He could fight this thing right here or he could run.
The thing was… he was done running.
Kaden looked to his left. A fallen branch lay half-buried in leaves just out of reach. If I move fast enough… He glanced at the snake.
Now!
He lunged, snatching up the stick. It was a half-rotted limb, not much more than a yard long, but it'd have to do. The snake hissed, uncoiling with shocking speed. Kaden felt his heart hamr in his chest.
He lifted the stick, bracing it between himself and the snake. The serpent shifted, adjusting its aim. Kaden dug his heels into the grass. "Not this ti," he muttered under his breath.
The snake sprang forward, jaws parted to strike at his ankle—where it got him last ti.
Kaden anticipated the move, jabbing the stick in a sharp downward thrust. The wood connected with the snake's midsection, skewering it against the damp earth with a sickening thud.
For a heartbeat, the serpent thrashed and hissed, its scaled body twisting in violent arcs. Kaden held firm, teeth clenched, sweat beading on his brow. Then finally the small thing went limp.
[Ding! You have killed a green forest snake]
[Ding! You have leveled up]
[Ding! You have unlocked your status screen]
Na: Kaden MacAllister
Class: N/A
Rank: F
Level: 1
Health: 85
Mana: 90
Physical Strength: 7
Agility: 8
Dexterity: 8
Perception: 10
ntal Strength: 7
Soul Strength: 5
Free Attributes: 5
***
Kaden gasped, letting out the breath he did not know he was holding. He had done it! He had changed the first shitty thing that had happened to him!
"Fuck!" He clutched his head, realizing that the bigger problem was still there. Was he now accepting that this was second chance? What was happening? Why was he back here again? Was all of this real?
He stood there still for a few minutes with his mind running in circles but there was no end in sight. This was simply sothing beyond the current him.
"Fuck it!" He shook himself. Reality or not, he decided, he had no choice but to treat it as real. Otherwise, he'd be dood to watch everything burn again.
"All right," he whispered. "Focus." There was a lot to be done. He kicked the corpse of the small green snake. This damned little thing was nothing in front of the true horrors that awaited him and everyone else in this world.
And this ti, he refused to be a victim again.
Kaden took a deep breath. "Think. What now?" There were simply far too many confusing thoughts in his head so he sat back down and took a deep breath in. He then exhaled letting it out. He repeated these simple steps for a few minutes to clear his mind.
[Ding! You have learned a new skill ditation]
ditation (Active/Passive):
Focus your mind, slow down ntal fatigue, and gradually restore a portion of your mana, ntal and physical energy. All regeneration is increased by 10%. Higher skill levels enhance this effect, improving clarity under pressure and granting mild resistance to psychic or emotional attacks.
Kaden's eyes widened. That's right. Skills. Class. He had a lot to work on.
And more importantly… he had to fucking level up!
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