The pond was dark, filled with algae. Alex could hardly see anything, but cautious person that he is, he throws a stone from afar.
The snake was just below the surface, waiting for Alex like a predator.
Alex drew his dagger as his heart began to race. "Why do I feel so uneasy?" The possibility of a monster being inside seemed likely. "I have to be careful."
Alex imagines a crocodile jumping from the pond and charging at him, thinking about how he would handle the situation, mentally preparing himself for any potential scenario.
Soon, he hears a noise. A snake suddenly charges at Alex. Just as he had imagined and practiced, he dodges the attack and strikes with his dagger, aiming directly at the snake.
The snake's skin was incredibly tough, the dagger barely left a scratch. Alex slashed repeatedly, dragging the blade across the snake's body as he jumped around it, moving from side to side in a desperate attempt to find a weak spot.
The snake lashed out with its tail, striking at him with even greater force and brutal speed than before.
"Quick Dash!" Alex barely dodges it.
The impact was so powerful that the snake's tail created a massive crater in the ground.
The snake spat its poison at Alex, a wave of green liquid swirling like a tornado trap. It slashed across Alex's body, leaving stinging cuts that felt like shards of broken glass.
But unfortunately, the poison was more or less useless against Alex, and he runs away like nothing happened, fully emerging from the poison.
The snake whipped its tail at Alex. He managed to dodge the first strike, but the second came instantly, slamming into him and sending him flying 30 feet into a tree. Blood spurted from his mouth as he struggled to stand. Barely on his feet, Alex stared at the snake. "I should get out of here as soon as possible," he thought, his heart beating abnormally.
The snake retracts its tail and swings it from the top, aiming to crush Alex's body into the ground.
"Quick Dash!" Alex uses every bit of speed to jump from the area.
Boom!
The entire place turned to dust. Barely able to stand, Alex attempts to run, forcing his body.
But Alex soon falls down, his body stops moving on its own, and he loses consciousness.
It was pitch black. Alex couldn't see a thing, and his body refused to move.
Far away, Alex could hear screams coming from above. It was Ethan, tears streaming down his face as he stood at the top of the cliff. Behind him stood a massive 15-foot dark monster, wielding a spiked mace. With a sudden swing, Ethan's face was smashed, silencing him instantly. His blood rained down, splattering across Alex's face.
"Noooooooo!" Alex shouts in pure agony until his voice cracked.
Alex wakes up immediately, his hands pointing toward the sky, with tears all over his face.
A man was looking at Alex with an irked face.
"You're so weird."
"Who are you?" Alex raises his dagger and straightens his body.
"Relax, I'm not your enemy."
"What happened to the snake I fought earlier?" Alex didn't lower his guard at all. He stared at him with a sharp gaze.
"Oh that! It was me."
I see." Alex relaxed his grip and lowered the blade.
'There's something seriously unsettling about him. He definitely has to be the snake.'
"Why didn't you finish me off?"
"'Cause you are unusual."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Not only did you resist my poison, you survived this place with such a weak body."
"I have never met a human like you. Just who are you?" Alex just cluelessly stares at the man, who calmly points his index finger at him, almost like he's labeling something strange
"I see, is that the only reason you let me live?"
"That's right."
"You might regret letting me live, you know?"
"I can kill you anytime I feel like it." The man grins, full of confidence.
Alex holds his gaze. No words, just a quiet stares not denying the snake's bold claims.
"You do have good eyes, you're a smart man, hahaha." The man pats Alex on the back, forgetting Alex's back was still injured.
Alex quietly shrugs off the pain. 'It doesn't hurt at all, this is nothing compared to the face-off earlier.'
Alex's mind was now completely out of touch. He was only thinking about Ethan and Kyle. After seeing Ethan die right in front of him, this was his first wake up call.
'What happened to them?'
'Where did Kyle disappear to?'
'I need to find them as soon as possible.'
"By the way, why can't I see any humans here? Where are we?" Alex looks around, nonchalantly.
After a brief silence, the man smiles.
"This is the land of the most fearsome beings to ever exist. No human dares come close to this place, if they do, they meet their untimely death here."
The man spoke with more and more enthusiasm the longer he continued.
"This is known as The Heart Of The Abyss, where rulers from all beings gather."
"Sounds so splendid and majestic." Alex gives a small round of applause in his mind.
"Yes, you are right. You're a smart man. I'm starting to think differently of you, haha." The man pats Alex on the back again.
"I've been in this place for more than a week. I did meet some dangerous beings, but I also met extremely weak creatures too. Is there a reason for it?"
"Oh that..." The man smiles sinisterly.
"It's because this is only the surface level." Alex immediately knew what he was trying to say. His eyes widened in both fear and awe.
All this time, he saw underground caves with streams of water, goblins hiding inside a large cave that he didn't get the chance to explore, or the aura he sensed from the almost unseen monsters. Other than them being underground, Alex couldn't find a better conclusion.
But still, he had to confirm his doubts.
"What do you mean by surface level?"
"See the truth with your own eyes." The man taps his fingers, and soon another snake comes out of the pond. He wasn't as large as the man, but still quite big.
"How long can you hold your breath?" The man asks Alex with a stern face. He wasn't smiling anymore.
"2 minutes maybe."
"Way too little, hold on for at least 5 minutes. Now get on the guard snake's back."
"What?? Nooo, I'll die if I have to hold my breath for 5 minutes!" The man pushes Alex toward the snake.
"Hold my back tightly," the guard says with a serious face.
They dive into the water instantly, the snake swimming beneath them with incredible speed. Forget about two minutes, Alex might not even last one.
The man just waves goodbye, staring at Alex.
The pond was incredibly deep, and on the edge of the water, there was a small hole. The snake swiftly swam into it. Alex, barely holding his breath, felt his face turning red from the lack of air.
Finally, after a long 6-minute journey, they reach deep into a cave.
Huff huff.
For almost a minute, Alex just lies on the ground, helplessly drenched in water.
The snake handed Alex something wrapped in a leaf.
"Sir Kai gave you a farewell gift," it hissed. With an irritated expression, the snake threw it on the ground, as if saying, pick it up yourself.
'I can't believe I managed to hold my breath for 6 whole minutes, is this because of the system?'
The guard goes back to the pond.
When Alex checked the gift, he found a shirt made of snake skin, a pair of pants, and shoes. The material was tough and sturdy. Though the clothes were unusual, his own were in such terrible condition that this was the best option he had.
Alex was having a hard time adjusting to the clothes. They weren't comfortable at all, and the spikes were hurting all over Alex's fragile skin, he was just a mere human after all. But surprisingly, he could move both his arms and stretch his body flexibly with no issue.
After the long adjustments, finally his attention focused toward the cave.
Before the guard left earlier, when Alex was sleeping from almost drowning, the guard said some words that Alex remembered just now.
"There are over a hundred floors. They say one of the 20th leads back to the human world. Good luck, not that you'll survive the first one itself."
Alex was also given a small piece of bread, placed right beside the shoes.
The shoes were also made of snake skin, and surprisingly, they were incredibly comfortable. Alex felt as though he could run even faster now. His old shoes had become a burden, their grips worn down and nearly useless.
Soon, Alex heard a noise coming from deep inside the cave. After walking for a while, he reached the end of the entrance.
It was a vast chamber, nearly 30 meters wide, deep inside the cave.
"Just where am I?" he wondered, his mind full of thoughts.
'Is this like a dungeon or something?'
Soon a weird skeleton attacks Alex from behind. But the damage was way too weak, and it didn't even scratch Alex, especially considering he was wearing hard cloth.
Alex just lightly taps on the skeleton and it crumbles down like brittle sand. The skeletons were struggling hard to inflict any damage.
Soon, a group of three skeletons appeared. Alex dodged the ones aimed at his vitals, but was unable to avoid the others, taking hits from the sides. But he was able to tank it, thanks to his hard armor.
"This is just the first layer?" is what Alex remembers as he was almost letting his guard down.
Out of nowhere, a skeleton from far away shoots an arrow. Alex smoothly catches it with his hand. Right then, another arrow comes flying from the opposite side.
"I have to stay focused."
Soon, a group of skeleton army was approaching toward Alex.
And behind them was a mysterious being leading them.
It was a Lich.
So this is only the first layer of the most dangerous place in this world. "Thrilling."
Alex raises his sword, his gaze locked on the Lich.