For Max, three days had already passed.
At least, that's what he believed.
There was no sun or moon at the bottom of the dungeon—only the constant bluish twilight cast by glowing rocks and the endless echo of his own footsteps. Time had become a vague concept, measured only by the body's exhaustion and the hunger twisting his stomach.
He walked.
He walked because standing still meant death.
His stats were still there, floating in his mind like a constant mockery. Every time the System activated, the numbers dropped even further.
---
Current Status
Level: -18
Strength: -1872
Endurance: -2448
Agility: -720
---
And yet… he was still alive.
"This makes no sense," he muttered, dragging his feet.
He had survived those days by feeding on the remains of Vorak, the Echo Devourer. Tough, dark meat, with a metallic taste that lingered in his mouth for hours. It wasn't food.
It was desperation.
As he walked, the memory returned with painful clarity.
On the second day after defeating Vorak, Max had been lying on the ground, trembling. The hunger was so intense it hurt just to breathe. In front of him lay the incomplete corpse of the abyssal beast.
The System had appeared immediately.
---
Critical Warning
Consumption of Vorak's flesh detected as an option.
Probable result: Death by severe poisoning.
Alternative result: Complete bodily regeneration.
Survival probability: Extremely low.
---
Max had laughed back then.
"Another lie…" he whispered.
And he bit down.
The pain came almost instantly. Burning in his throat, violent spasms in his stomach, dry heaving. It felt as if his body were being torn apart from the inside.
The screen appeared once more.
---
Status Update
Stats decreased.
Level: -22
Strength: -2288
Endurance: -2992
Agility: -880
New skill acquired.
---
He didn't die.
But he didn't heal either.
Since then, his body had been worse. Weaker. Slower. Every step was a battle against the ground, as if it were trying to swallow him whole.
"So… when you say I'll die," he murmured as he kept moving, "I actually survive. And when you say I'll get stronger… I break a little more."
A dry laugh escaped his throat.
"Lie detected…"
Now he understood.
The System wasn't malfunctioning.
It was lying.
All the time.
Max took another step… and his body failed.
His legs stopped responding. He dropped to his knees, then collapsed onto his side, slamming against the cold rock. He tried to move, but couldn't. His vision blurred.
"Great…" he whispered. "This is as far as I go…"
Then he heard it.
"You should not be here, human…"
A deep, heavy voice, as if it came from the earth itself.
Max tried to focus his vision.
In front of him, slowly emerging from the rocky wall, was a gigantic silhouette. A colossal mole, with enormous claws and a body covered in dirt and stone. Its eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
"You have walked too far… and eaten what you should not have," the voice continued.
Max wanted to answer, but he had no strength left.
The world began to darken.
"Easy now," the creature said as it approached. "This is not your end yet."
Max closed his eyes.
The last thought that crossed his mind was bitterly ironic.
Even now… I don't know if that's true…
And he passed out.