On the other hand, Andy had also been affected badly by his reckless move.
The explosion had shot him like a torpedo through the waters, crossing several miles, and then his entire right hand was mangled.
He was barely conscious.
The pain threatened to knock him out, but the anxiety of being caught or drowning in the water kept him awake.
Andy still had around 8 to 9 minutes left of his Drowned Resolve, and he didn't know whether it would be enough time for his body to heal.
Once the skill's time was up, wherever his injuries had healed, it would stop. And that wouldn't be a good thing for him as an injury would be an indication of activities he didn't want revealed.
Holding onto his consciousness as his body continues to uncontrollably shoot through the water, Andy felt his bones creak.
And a minute later, his body's speed began slowing down. It took him a few seconds to get himself together as his mind was shaken.
By the time he got his bearings, Andy noticed that the rod was still firmly locked into his thigh. As for the missing chunk of meat on his shoulder, it had already started to regrow, albeit slowly.
Locking his jaw, Andy pulled the rod out.
He groaned under the sharp stinging pain coming from his thigh. Just when he was about to throw the javelin-like rod away, something made him feel like he should keep it with him.
There was a slight trace of Mana lingering on the rust.
With that thought in mind, he sent it into his inventory.
At the same time, the pain from his thigh had started to reduce as it had begun healing.
Minutes went by and Andy's Drowned Resolve came to an end. Before it did, Andy had swam to the nearest shore, dragging his body onto land as soon as the skill entered its cooldown process.
His shoulder was still missing more than half of its flesh and meat, however, he had healed enough not to bleed. Also, his fingers didn't throb as much, but his elbow was still bent the wrong way and pieces of broken bones were still lodged in the skin of his arm.
As for his leg, the hole had closed a bit.
With each step Andy took, blood seeped from his thigh, soaking his torn trousers.
He walked for a few feet before falling to the ground. It wasn't a wise choice to go too far from the river, as he would need to get back in there once his skill's cooldown time is done.
But it would also be reckless of him to remain in plain sight.
Who knows, perhaps there were men looking for him at the moment.
While lying on the ground, Andy looked at the night sky. The moon had only shown a quarter of itself tonight, but it was still beautifully bright.
And the stars remained clear, encircling the crescent moon.
The sky looked too peaceful for the numbness of chill that was coursing through Andy.
Suddenly, his eyelids became heavy, wanting to forcefully close without his consent. The adrenaline pumping in his blood had ceased and the little strength he had been using to endure this hardship slipped away.
"I can't…" Andy winced at the pain that filled his head as he tried to sit up. "I can't pass out here." He uttered, struggling.
At the same time, the system's notification popped up, filling his sight with a dozen stats notifications.
[+1 Endurance.]
[+1 Endurance.]
[+1 Endurance.]
…
[Quest Complete!]
[Completion Rate: 70%]
[Quest! Difficulty: Low-Threat]
[The Baron has left the Academy's grounds. Head to the Baron's abode in the forbidden area of the academy and search for his ledger.]
[Penalty: None]
[Rewards: +10 Agility. +10 Endurance. A part of the truth of the Naver Academy (Incomplete).]
…
[Killed a Mutated beast (Pre-Initiate 3rd Rank) +1 Skill Point.]
[Killed an Iron-Horn Beetle Wesen (Pre-Initiate 5th Rank) +1 Skill point.]
…
Name: Anderson Naver
Race: Human
Rank: None
Mana Rank: Initiate
Status: Awakening
Skill Slots: 2/5
Mana Capacity: 20/100
Strength: 104
Agility: 35
Endurance: 130
Will: 123/123
Intelligence: 9
Skill Points: 2
…
His refusal to pass out seemed to have pushed his endurance higher.
Moreover, killing, this time, brought him new surprises.
The first time he saw anything that had to do with skill points was when he saw the information on the Dungeon Key.
Just when Andy began thinking about what these skill points were, he passed out.
…
Unaware of how much time had passed, the moon made way for the sun.
[Warning! You are being traced. Leave the vicinity immediately!]
This notification, though silent, somehow woke Andy up. His eyelids reluctantly opened and for a second, he was confused.
"I smell blood! Over here!"
It was only after Andy heard this that his mind jolted up, subsequently sending his body up. As much adrenaline began pumping back into his body, as much pain followed as he had moved without regard to the state of his body.
Nonetheless, Andy continued.
He pushed himself and ran for the water. As soon as his skin touched the water, Andy activated his Drowned Resolved and swam like a fish into the distance.
With the additional boost from his skill and his current agility, Andy was fast!
Almost 30 minutes later, he exited the water and onto familiar land. His injuries had mostly healed, leaving only residual pain and trauma behind.
Andy forced himself to walk normally, not forgetting to change his clothes before heading to the crowd of students.
He had stored a few layers of clothes in his inventory.
Not long after, he arrived in his room and locked the doors.
Andy leaned on the door and slid to the ground.
Everything that transpired felt like a fever dream to him. He had never imagined that something of this nature would happen to him.
Unconsciously, Andy began laughing at himself, bawling off into a fit of mad laughter.
And then it crossed his mind that he had a few things to check.
The ledger being the first…