System Fall

In the [Hidden Dungeons] of the train stations, the difficulty increased the further I ventured from the starting point, with the easiest level in the basement. Typically, a low tier weapon like a crow bar could be found near the entrance, but the real challenge lay in resourcefulness and critical thinking while in the [Hidden Dungeon].

Usually, the preparation and fear of the unknown were reason enough to avoid entering a [Hidden Dungeon].

At that time, Alvin, Willow, May, and I were on the second level of the dungeon. Our footsteps echoed in the dimly lit space, the flickering lights straining our eyes. Alvin watched me with narrowed eyes as I walked with practiced ease, my footsteps quieter than the others. He didn't believe that my discoveries were mere coincidence. I hoped for his sake he let it go.

My combat knowledge, experimentation, and eerie sense of calm led Alvin to suspect that I had some kind of instinct, perhaps even a sixth sense. Simultaneously, he felt irrationally safe as long as he saw me doing fine.

Alvin didn't want to play second fiddle to me, not when he was growing stronger so rapidly. System Fall was going to be the world in which he reinvented himself.

With that thought, Alvin suddenly quickened his pace, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. He had boiled a Ashwing Moth and reinforced his sword with some of the moth’s essence, giving it a weak [Siphon] property. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement -- something slithered in the darkness, something wet and shiny, staying at the edge of his vision between the blinking lights.

Feeling unsettled, Alvin yelled out, "Come out!"

That was a mistake. The creature surged forward and all Alvin saw was a blur of grey. Something was coming for him with its maw agape, and he barely lifted his sword in time to do a defensive slash.

"Alvin!" I heard May call out as he fell to the ground. A blur went past my vision, wind grazing my face, followed by a loud thwack.

"Fall back!" I shouted, and before Alvin could get up, I grabbed the collar of his hoodie and dragged him away from the threat unceremoniously.

"It's a [Subway Tunnel Centipede]!" Alvin's gratitude for the save seemed to diminish as he noticed the relieved looks the girls shot my way. Apparently, his ego couldn't stomach the fact they didn't trust his abilities.

"Alright, we have a name for the monster but what's its deal?" Willow's question pulled us back to the pressing matter at hand. We instinctively arranged ourselves in a diamond formation, ready to tackle the subway creature. The Subway Tunnel Centipede was as long as a train car, its body armored with thick, metallic chitinous plates that resembled the steel of the rail tracks. Multiple pairs of clawed legs, akin to twisted pieces of railroad spikes, skittered menacingly on the platform. Its beady, luminescent eyes, pulsating an eerie blue, stood out against the used coal looking body, making it appear even more sinister.

The creatures of System Fall seemed to abide by a rule of unnatural adaptation and grotesque enlargement. A notion, perhaps, drawn from the concept of Deep Sea Gigantism where creatures dwelling in the oceanic abyss evolved into monstrous versions of their counterparts inhabiting shallower waters. In this world, every creature, not just humans, had undergone a similar drastic transformation, as if each had dwelt in an abyss of its own and emerged extraordinarily powerful.

"Centipedes are venomous creatures. Their bites, or in this case, possibly stings, can poison you. I don’t know how any of us will be affected if that happens. Don’t let it touch you or puncture your skin," I cautioned, watching as the monstrous centipede assessed us with calculated intent. When I brought my bat down earlier, striking it with a powerful blow, the damage was barely noticeable. Its armored body was proving to be more of a challenge than anticipated.

[System Fall Notification]

 

! Warning: Weapon Durability Compromised!

Your weapon's durability has suffered a substantial decrease. Maintenance required to prevent weapon failure.

! Alert: Ineffective Attribute Used!

Subway Tunnel Centipede is resistant Dark Attributes. The ability[Siphon] was not very effective.

 

"Well, we’ve got some other problems too. It’s resistant to Dark Attributes, and apparently [Siphon] is one of them," I admitted.

In my previous life, I learned that all creatures in System Fall could be categorized based on different elemental attributes. Some possessed a single attribute, while others boasted a combination. The primary elements were Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Darkness, and Light. In certain regions, Darkness and Light were the primary attributes over regular elemental attributes.

For instance, my skill, [Siphon], was derived from a Dark creature - an Ashwing Moth. Thus, it was inherently imbued with the Dark attribute. Unfortunately, I faced a dilemma. The Subway Tunnel Centipede in front of me shared this Dark attribute, making it resistant to my attack.

"So, how have you messed up, then?" Willow asked. "You’ve got a plan for this, right?"

"Well, it's poisonous. There's a limit to how much our weapons can handle corrosive substances," I explained. "I received a warning when my weapon came in contact with its skin."

Every choice carried a consequence. This wasn't a video game where we could monitor the durability of our equipment with a neat bar on a heads-up display. No, the durability notification served as a stark reminder of the centipede's poisonous potential and its fatal effects. My previous experience with sturdier equipment had made me complacent, causing the initial struggles of my survival to recede into a distant, almost forgotten memory. Now, my error was a bitter pill to swallow.

"Fantastic. So we've managed to downgrade our swords by infusing them with that Ashwing Moth Essence. Great thinking, Nick," Alvin spat out, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Alvin, cut it out. We all made the choice to infuse our weapons. Nick didn't force us," Willow interjected, her tone firm yet weary.

I kept my silence, accepting his scorn. After all, my mistake was mine alone. But we were far from safe and needed to escape the centipede's striking range.

It sparked an idea.

Without responding to Alvin's snipe, I dug into my pocket and pulled out some jerky I'd picked up at the store. "Fall back!" I commanded, hurling the jerky towards the centipede. The beast's beady eyes locked onto the flying treat, and it dived towards it, temporarily distracted

We used this opportunity to make our hasty escape. It didn’t take long before the familiar glow of the convenience store safe zone was visible in the distance.

Alvin kept silent.

His gaze was fixed on my aluminum bat, clearly comparing its evident resilience to their quickly deteriorating swords. "

“Thanks I guess," he finally muttered, his voice barely audible as we reached the safety of the store's threshold.

"We should rethink our strategy now that we know the centipedes are there," Willow said brightly. I was a bit thankful for her. I didn't want to assume any kind of leadership, but as things were, I didn't want to end up with a sword in my back either.

A wet, slapping noise on the pavement made us turn back. The centipede had followed us back. And it was not alone. It had brought with it many companions, all of them sizing up the humans. In a hurry, we scrambled back inside the convenience store and boarded its door with the rickety chairs.

Having made our retreat into the open, the Subway Tunnel Centipedes wasted no time in flaunting their relentless pursuit. One would think this convenience store, our current safe zone, would serve as a sanctuary where we'd be immune to their attacks. But that illusion was shattered as their massive tails thrashed against the exterior, the vibrations echoing within the store. The Safe Zone force shield held them back, but their relentless assault was starting to chip away at the exterior of our safe haven. We needed a plan, and fast. I wasn’t worried about them getting in, but I was worried about them causing something to collapse or break.

"What do we do? What do we do?" May's voice echoed her rising panic.

In response, I rushed to the back of the store where I'd found the camping stove. Now, I had my sights set on several canisters of kerosene. Grabbing those and a packet of washcloths from a nearby aisle, I supplemented my haul with some duct tape and a few bottles of beer from one of the fridges.

"Nick, what are you up to?" May questioned, her wide eyes following my frantic movements. She watched as I hauled everything into the store's restroom, curiosity piqued.

Ignoring her question for the moment, I placed the beer bottles at an angle against the sink and swiftly popped their caps with a practiced move. I emptied most of the beer down the drain before refilling the bottles with kerosene. In May's watchful presence, I began to create what I hoped would be our saving grace, using a washcloth.

"Done," I declared, handing a completed Molotov Cocktail to May. "This will be quicker in the future. Lighters are near the counter."

[System Fall Notification]

Title: Add To The Appendix

Recipe Saved: Molotov Cocktail!

Henceforth, this recipe can be instantly assembled, utilizing your mana and the following ingredients:

Bottle (1x) Flammable Liquid (1x) Cloth Strip (1x) Ignition Source (1x)

 

"Since when do you know how to make a Molotov Cocktail?" Willow shouted from her cover.

Ignoring her question, I continued making more of them, amassing a modest stockpile. "Let me help," May offered, scrutinizing my actions before mirroring my movement. I was able to tell she had an impressive amount of Dexterity and was able to keep up with me. Meanwhile, Alvin and Willow tried to attack the centipedes through the windows of the store and launched whatever makeshift projectiles they could find.

In situations like this, I found myself in my element. The beating of my heart, the adrenaline surge, the feeling of numbness in the fingers as they grip a weapon. It was all strangely comforting. It was familiar. It was more like the life I’d known the last twenty years.

Hurling the flaming Molotov cocktails through the slightly ajar windows, my aim was dead-on. One searing bottle crashed into a centipede, rebounding off its hardened chitin, yet the ignited fluid clung on, setting the monstrosity ablaze. It shrieked, a nightmarish sound that echoed in the walls of the train station. My next Molotov found its mark slamming into the soft eyes of one of the other monsters.

Even though they couldn’t get through the shield, the outside of the store was under a relentless onslaught from six monstrous, iron-grey centipedes. Their sheer size dwarfed the confines of the station, and from what I knew of them, they had no intention of leaving. They would wait us out if they had to.

"Nothing this bat can’t fix," I muttered to myself, knowing the flames, while useful, would not be enough to end this.

The situation was irritation, but the fiery inferno from the Molotovs opened a window of opportunity. I stepped out of the safe zone's protective barrier, my bat clenched in one hand, another fiery cocktail in the other.

A centipede hissed, a guttural warning, exposing its razor-sharp fangs. Without a moment's hesitation, I launched the flaming bottle into its gaping maw, swiftly sealing it shut with a forceful swing of my bat. The creature convulsed in agony, its innards igniting, spewing toxic smoke. I pulled a wet cloth over my mouth as a barrier against the poisonous fumes and kept going as s a rallying shout erupted from behind me.

"Charge!" Alvin's voice echoed, a desperate war cry more to steel his own nerves than rally us.

I concentrated on the looming threats, engaging two of the hulking centipedes simultaneously. Agilely darting between them, I targeted their scorched, softened flesh. They grew wary of me, but it was futile. I utilized every tool at my disposal, the fire having softened them up and I launched a lethal strike that shattered the exoskeleton of one before turning on the other.

Once they were immobilized, I mercilessly crushed their heads, dispatching them before setting my sights on the next centipede. We kept going until all of the centipedes had been killed in the same manner.

[System Fall Notification]
Title: Achievement Unlocked: Infernal Exterminator

Congratulations, Survivor! Your fiery onslaught has destroyed the centipede swarm.

This achievement grants the passive ability: Scorching Strike - Amplifies the impact of your first fire-based attack on any foe. Light the path of survival!

 

[System Fall Notification]

Title: You’ve Gained A Skill

New Skill Acquired: Poison Resistance!

 

As you expose yourself to various types of poisons, your body's resilience to them increases.

 

Do you wish to accept this skill? Yes/No?

 

Breathing heavily, soaked in sweat, I clenched my hand, my gaze fixated on the new skill prompt. In my previous life, I hadn't been aware that I could scrutinize a skill before adopting it. In the past I’d originally go the [Homing Beacon] skill and it had come in handy, but when I’d faced the [Admin] and had brutally lost to the eldritch god, it wasn’t the [Homing Beacon] skill I’d used, and none of the skills I had were strong enough to really matter. I wanted a different outcome.

One of my key strategies this time around was to deliberately limit the number of skills I adopted. By restricting myself in the early stages, I was trying to only get higher level skills, and by only choosing a few, I would be able to level those skills up beyond the limits I’d known in my last life. This approach was vital to my ultimate goal - to break through the boundaries of the common tiers and ascend into the realm of the SSS-Tier, a level no one had attainted. This time, I would. I was not merely surviving System Fall - I was on a path to kill the [Admin].

Which brought my attention back to the prompt in front of me. It just wasn’t good enough for what I needed.

"I don't think so," I muttered as I dismissed the skill. I already had a clear idea of what kind of skills I wanted, as well as how to obtain them. Poison Resistance was good, but it was also fairly common. Maybe if it was something like Poison Nullification, I would have been tempted, but no thank you. I wasn’t going to waste my time on anything less than an absolute defense.

It wasn’t worth thinking on anymore.

With a tap of my left temple, I viewed my current stats.

STATUS

 

Name

Nick Vandal

Overall Ranking

F

Class

Lone Survivor - The fickle whims of fate have favored you. You have gained the class exclusive skills, Indomitable Will and Tenacious Vitality, which mitigates the effects of stress and other mental conditions, while tenacious vitality allows rapid healing and fatigue recovery. These do not count against your overall skill slots.

Title

[None]

STATS

 

Strength

F- (13.1)

Agility

F-(12.2)

Endurance

F+(18.7)

Mana

G (4.4)

Stat Total

48.4

UNLOCKED SKILLS (0/7)

1. [Empty]

 

2. [Empty]

 

3. [Empty]

 

4. [Empty]

 

5. [Empty]

 

6. [Empty]

 

7. [Empty]

 

EQUIPMENT

[No Current Set Items]

Aluminum Bat

[Empty]

Hard Toe Boots

[Empty]

Canvas Jeans

[Empty]

Jacket

[Empty]

[Empty]

[Empty]

QUESTS

 

1. Kill the Administrator

 

Rank

SSS+

Objective

Defeat the [Admin] who wields absolute control over System Fall. To succeed, you must overcome their immense power, acquire necessary abilities, and confront eldritch beings, lesser gods, and reality-altering abilities they employ.

2. The First Deception by the [Admin]

COMPLETE

Rank

F

Objective

Eliminate the Undead Horde within the initial tutorial starting area.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

1. [Essence Apprentice]

Your overall vitality has been subtly enhanced, granting you increased resilience and stamina

2. [Infernal Exterminator]

Amplifies the impact of your first fire-based attack on any foe.

3. [Empty]

4. [Empty]

5. [Empty]

Recipe List Molotov Cocktail - 1 Bottle, Flammable Liquid, Cloth Strip, Ignition Source

CURRENT LOCATION

New York City - Central Station - Safe Zone

   

AFFILIATIONS

In A Party - Self, Alvin, May, Willow

The progression I had managed so far brought me a sense of satisfaction. The passive perks I received from the Lone Survivor class had helped to fuel my growth and let me keep up the pace I was on, while the series of achievements were gradually turning me into a force to reckon with. But there was an undeniable issue: my weapon was on its last leg.

My battered aluminum bat had endured numerous fights, bearing cracks and dents as proof. But it was reaching its end. the fight with the centipedes had basically finished it off and I'd need something else to fight with very soon.

"There should be a broadsword somewhere on this floor," I muttered, my eyes scanning the surroundings.

This bat had served as a versatile weapon, one I could wield with both hands when necessary. But I understood that in the fight for survival, everything had the potential to be a weapon, and I needed to be the most lethal of them all. I took out a roll of duct tape I grabbed from the store and tightly wrapped it around the bat. It was a temporary fix, but it would serve for a few more fights.

A smirk crossed my face as I remembered an odd moment from my past involving tennis balls and a candle holder. Using the bat had been one of my better choices given the options I had for what I'd use as a weapon, but it was time to move past it as soon as I could. I needed to grow stronger, my equipment needed to match that.

As I ascended from Rank F to E, I was aware that the journey of leveling up would only become steeper. Even though the Zagrid had informed everyone about rankings, this early on, nobody really understood what it meant until seeing higher ranks in person. I had the advantage of past knowledge. Many placed a significant emphasis on rank, but I knew the practicality of rankings was also situational. Even a Rank E could theoretically bring down a Rank A, given the perfect conditions. However, theory and practice rarely align.

Adding to the complexity were the variables of skills, attributes, elemental advantages, and unique artifacts that System Fall presented. If the Subway Tunnel Centipedes had not been resistant to but rather had an affinity for Dark [Skills] like [Siphon], our weapons could have turned against us instead, and the [Siphon] affect would have been outgoing instead of incoming. Such was the intricacy and unpredictability of System Fall.

But the ultimate challenge in System Fall was the ultimate wall, the [Admin], a force beyond the reach of any mortal. To stand any chance against the [Admin] I was going to have to transcend the boundaries of mere humanity. I was going to have to become godlike myself. . As if mocking my resolve, a hollow laughter echoed through the dungeon.