I felt like I was falling into an endless ocean, but I jolted awake. I felt my back being torn apart by a sharp pain. In pain, I sat up in a lotus position, looking around. I felt cold air around me with a damp and wet rock smell; I could hear the sound of water drops. I was in a cave surrounded by complete darkness, only a dim light was coming from nowhere. I stretched my hand to touch my back. My hand was stained in a watery substance; I placed my hand in that dim source of light, and what I saw shook my heart. It was–blood, my blood. Before I could think anything–
[System updating...]
[Update completed]
A mechanical voice echoed into my skull, which I had clearly known. A light screen like a mobile with glowing words appeared in front of my eyes.
NAME: Nerith Serenth
AGE: 17
RACE: Human
CLASS: None
LEVEL: 1
ELEMENT AFFINITY: Fire
UNIQUE ABILITY: ???
--------------------
STATS:
VITALITY: 30/30
STRENGTH: 29
AGILITY: 27
INTELLIGENCE: 35
MANA POINT: 15/30
--------------------
ACHIEVEMENTS: None
I was amazed by the sudden situation in which I was. I slapped my face hard to confirm that it was true.
"I got transmigrated into another world! With a fucking system, hahahahah!" I laughed maniacally. For some time, I forgot about my own situation—where am I, whose body is this, or any other things.
Typically, I was a high school student without any family or relatives. My parents were dead when I was 10. I lived in an orphanage until a couple adopted me. They treated me well, but I could tell from their behaviour that they were never pleased with adopting me. I also never felt love from them, nor did I expect it—but my grandmother, mother of my stepmother, treated me like her own grandchild. She loved me and cared for me. After my grandmother's death, everything became worse. The remaining story is for another time.
Before the accident that day, I had already left my school and was going home, but in the middle of the road, in my attempt to protect an old lady—truck-kun sent me here. After that, you already know what happened.
[Healing wound...]
Again, I heard the system's voice in my head. The pain I felt in my back completely disappeared.
[Vitality has decreased by 10 points]
Hearing this, "System, show my stats," I called in my mind to confirm something.
STATS:
VITALITY: 20/30
STRENGTH: 29
AGILITY: 27
INTELLIGENCE: 35
MANA POINT: 15/30
So, to heal my wound, the system used Vitality. It's like a regeneration ability—but what happens if all my vitality points are used? Will I die? I stopped thinking because, firstly, I wanted to get out of this cave.
Getting support from my left hand, I stood up on my trembling legs. There were two ways—one in front of me and the other behind. I chose the front. After walking a few steps ahead with the help of the wall, an underground lake came into my gaze. The sound of water drops falling from the ceiling echoed around.
Seeing water, my lips and throat felt dry as if I hadn't drunk water for days. I moved forward, crouched, and drank water like a cat drinking milk.
While drinking, making my throat and heart wet with water, I thought about my new life. It was like a dream for an otaku like me—dying by a car accident and then the next moment transmigrating into another world with a system. How good a coincidence.
As I was drinking water, I felt a repulsion in the water, and with a loud thud and waves of water, a fifteen-meter-long and as thick as three trunks with poisonous fangs like daggers—a giant python—emerged from the lake. It had dark green scales over its giant body like armour, and its deep glowing green eyes with slitted irises looked into mine.
My body froze, and my heart started to beat hard. Cold sweat ran down my face.
[Warning]
[A threat is detected to host's life]
[Analysing...]
As I heard the system's message in my mind, my whole body tensed, my legs pressing against the ground. Grasping my courage in my hand, I dashed towards where I woke up previously.
[Analysis completed]
Name: Seravus
Race: Sea Serpent
Level: 30
Element Affinity: Hydro (Water)
Unique Ability: Conceal
As the analysis completion sound echoed in my head, the information about the monster appeared—but my full focus was on running.
[Quest: Survive for 3 minutes.]
[Difficulty: Mid]
But at the next moment, I ignored the information about that fucking monster—this fucking system gave me an impossible quest! How can a level-one newbie survive in front of a giant python?
I had long crossed the place where I woke up, but I did not stop until I found myself in front of a huge chamber as big as a school's playground. I felt a gust of air behind me. The chamber had a wet floor with algae on the walls and an earthy scent. There were three entrances—one that I came through and two in front: one on the left and the other on the right side.
Without thinking more, I wanted to step forward, but my head hit an invisible wall and bounced back. It was a little smooth for a wall as I had thought. I heard a hiss right above my head. Instinctively, I rolled to my right—and my instinct was right. After I rolled down, with a loud sound, the monster's head smashed the ground. I was only a few steps away from the right entrance. I rushed toward it, but suddenly I felt my world spinning around me. My head went blank for a few seconds. My body smashed into the chamber wall near the left entrance so hard that some of my ribs broke from the impact.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I screamed.
It was–it was its fucking tail.
I felt a metallic taste over my tongue as I vomited a mouthful of red blood.
[Healing wound...]
[Vitality has decreased by 15 points]
As I heard the system's voice, I remembered that I was low on vitality. "I need to survive at least for three minutes," I thought, and I gazed toward that fucking monster—rage building inside me—but what could I do other than run to save my life? Without waiting for it to attack, I again tensed my muscles in my healing body. I dashed toward the left entrance that was close to me.
That monster also didn't stand there aimlessly; with a roar, it moved at a speed that couldn't be seen by naked eyes. It spun its tail so fast that I could barely dodge. I raised my hands in a cross to protect my chest and head. Its tail hit hard on my forearms, and I was sent flying by the impact toward the entrance from which I had come. The bones in my forearms had broken like glass—it hurt, it hurt like hell. Gritting my teeth, I endured the pain silently. Cold sweat dripped down my face as I heard my lungs grasping for air. Pain all over my body, I couldn't even lift a single finger in this situation.
"Is this how I'm going to die? No! I will not die. Not until I live my life fully!" I roared—I roared inside me—while trying to get up from the floor but couldn't.
The monster crept toward me and stared into my eyes with its glowing green eyes as acid-like saliva dripped down from its mouth. This time, I truly felt terrified—not because of the monster eating me, but because of swimming in its poison, my flesh and bones melting. Thinking of it sent a shiver down my spine. Not even in my whole life did I think that I would die like this. "This time I–"
[Quest Completed]
Before my thought process was completed, I heard the system's voice in my mind—it was like a divine melody.
[Reward ×10 because of difficulty]
My consciousness was getting blurry, my body felt lifeless. I could feel tears running down my cheeks. "Am I dying?" I thought—but suddenly, I sensed immeasurable power surging into my body.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading my first chapter. 🙏
I know there might be some grammar mistakes or rough spots here and there — this is my first time writing a novel, and I'm still learning. I really appreciate your patience and support! ❤️
I hope you enjoyed the story so far. Stay tuned and enjoy the next chapter — things are just getting started!