But then System screen flashed in front of his eyes.
[New Passive Skill Acquired]
Skill Name: [Abyssal Dread Resistance] (Passive)
[Description: Host has endured deep psychological trauma from being trapped in oppressive, lightless places. The memory of endless walls and suffocating dark has forged an unnatural resistance in the Host's soul.]
[Effects:
+50% Resistance to Dark-element spells
+50% Resistance to Mind-control / Fear effects]
[Type: Passive Skill]
Liu Yang's lips twitched up, his chest swelling a little. Inside his head scream with happiness.
"Finally… finally something useful. Dark resist, mind resist… hell yeah. Thank you, System. For once you're not useless."
But the System screen didn't fade. It blinked again.
[Condition Met.]
[Host has triggered OOM.]
[Requirement: All Mana Drained → Confirmed.]
[Secondary Requirement: Continuous Overload Attempt → Confirmed.]
[Process Initiated: Mana Core Reforging…]
[Warning: Pain may exceed human tolerance.]
[System Advice: Try not to scream like a little girl.]
[Expanding Mana Core…]
Suddenly Liu Yang's smile froze. Then his whole chest clenched like someone shoved a fist inside and grabbed his heart.
His back arched, his teeth grinding, spit dripping from the side of his mouth.
"Wait… wait… System… what the fuck is this—"
The System screen flickered.
[Expanding Mana Core…]
[10% complete.]
A hot fire spread in his stomach, crawling up his ribs, burning his throat. It felt like he swallowed lava. His fingers dug into the dirt, nails snapping, his eyes wide like they would pop out.
[30% complete.]
Blue veins lit under his skin, glowing faint. His body shook, his legs kicking on the ground, every breath was the choke.
[60% complete.]
His jaw opened but no voice came. Only a dry scream, silent, stuck, like even sound refused to leave him. His chest looked like it would burst.
[90% complete.]
[Warning: Host may lose consciousness.]
His eyes rolled back, foam bubbling at his lips, his body trembling, he tapped his first on the ground again and again, like stricking the ground with his first again and again.
Then—snap.
[100% Complete.]
[Process Finished: Mana Core successfully reforged.]
[Permanent Mana Pool Increase: +500 MP.]
His body dropped flat, sweat pouring down his face, soaking the ground. His chest rose slow and weak.
The screen blinked one last time.
[Congratulations, Host. You didn't die.]
[Though, honestly, it would've been funny if you did.]
He couldn't hear the System. Couldn't see the screen. Only black in front of eyes. Tightly shut.
He dropped on the ground hard. His body heavy, like all his bones turned into stone. His breath was slow, dragging in and out. Sweat ran down his face and neck, soaking his clothes.
He didn't know how long he lay there. Could be a minute, could be hours. The light outside changed while he was out. The sun went down, the forest turned dark, and the whole place turned silent.
After a long while his eyes moved under the lids slow restless then they opened weak barely holding up his gaze the world first nothing but blur then shifting into broken shapes then finally clear like it all back into his focus.
The first thing he saw was her.
His head rested on her lap while she sat close her long hair falling down over him strands spilling across his face and brushing against his cheeks soft and ticklish his eyes half closed feeling the warmth of her thigh under him like a pillow that breathed.
He stared not sure if he was dreaming then her lashes moved and her eyes opened slowly glowing faint red in the dark and right away her gaze locked on his.
And their eyes met.
"Oh Master you wake up"
Her palm brushed over his head soft warm gentle like it belonged there from the start
"Oh Master, I was sooo worried!" Her hands flew up, one over her chest, the other waving wild in the air.
"You were lying here all day, so pale, so sweaty, and you told me not to go back to that damn cave, remember?"
She leaned in close, her face too close, her mouth moving fast, words flying out like arrows.
A spray of spit landed right on his lips, one drop sliding to his chin. She didn't notice, didn't care. She just kept going, faster, louder.
"So I didn't! Not even once! Even if wolves came, even if hunters came, even if the whole human army came marching in — I was here! Protecting you! Guarding you! Loyal, loyal, loyal!".
Her hands chopped the air, her fist pumped like she was making a speech. "I told myself, Master said rest, so I rest! Master said no cave, so no cave!"
"Even if monster with big horns came, or ugly human with bigger sword came, I was ready to fight! I was here! Here, here, here! All for you, Master!"
Another spit landed, then another, splashing his cheek, dotting his nose. She was basically showering him with her devotion.
And still she kept going.
"And I counted your breaths, Master! One, two, three, four, all the way to ten thousand!"
"Do you know how scary it was when they got slow?! My heart almost fell out of my chest! But I stayed! Because you said don't leave, so I didn't! Aren't I amazing, Master?! Say it, say it!"
Her mouth opened wider, words pouring out nonstop, a waterfall of chatter, until her spit drops were mixing on his lips.
Her words hit him like arrows, one after another, sharp and wet.
Master this, Master that, Master don't leave me, Master I stayed, Master your breath was slow, Master my heart almost died, Master Master Master—!
Each "Master" came with a little spit missile. One drop on his lips. One drop on his cheek. One sliding toward his ear.
Liu Yang's face didn't move. His eyes stared ahead, dead inside. His brain was counting, cold and flat.
"One… two… three… four…"
Another drop landed. He blinked slow.
"…five…"
More came, faster now. His lips twitched.
"…six… seven… eight… oh god it's a rainstorm…"