Derek fell to his knees, his vision spinning from exhaustion and too much blood loss. He could have died if it were not for the system helping him out. He had also made a few mistakes, mistakes that could have ended up with him dying,
The first one was that he had dropped his cautiousness after killing the First Reveler, and thus, when the two Revelers started attacking fiercely, he was not prepared; he could have prevented today's injuries by simply allocating his reserved 20 Attribute Points, but he had forgotten about them in his fear and unpreparedness. But now was not the time to dabble in his mistakes; it was a lesson learned the hard way.
" Hey system, can you get me an affordable healing potion with no side effects?"
[ I would love to host, but you are out of System Credits ]
" NO...no !! " Derek felt a bad premonition when he heard the system's reply.
[ Yes, host, how else do you think you were able to awaken the suppressed form of a D rank skill, magic?, There is a price to pay for everything ] the cold voice of the system rang in his ears.
Derek just knelt there, too stunned to speak.
[ Quick Reminder: You should claim the loot from this battle ]
" Right," Derk nodded in appreciation. He was beginning to understand the system; despite its unprofessional behaviour, it seemed to be doing a good job.
After killing the Nether Reveler, his Endurance had increased. Endurance was linked to his recovery speed, so the bleeding gradually stopped, and his side no longer hurt like mad. He got up slowly and then found a shelter from three jutting bones.
He had directly leveled up to level seven, and he had three mystery boxes and a new skill, and thirty unassigned attribute points.
After thinking for a while, he allotted 10 to speed and 5 to the remaining attributes; his decision was because he felt the noticeable change that more speed could bring to the battles he had fought earlier on.
Like the Colossal Netherhound he had fought earlier, if he had been more faster, he could have ended the battle quickly or been able to retreat, furthermore, he felt there was no use in having too much strength if your opponent was too fast for you to hit him.
After dealing with that, he sighed and rubbed his hands to open the three D-grade mystery boxes, This was the first time he had gotten something like this as a reward.
" D-grade should give me something good," but knowing the system, he knew he was in for an emotional roller coaster.
The first box shimmered with dull violet light and floated up slightly before cracking open with an anticlimactic pop.
[ D-Grade Mystery Box Opened ][ You have received: Pocket Alarm Toad – A tiny mechanical toad that croaks violently when danger is nearby. Can be set to silent mode, but… what's the fun in that? ]
Derek blinked. "...A frog?"
The item blinked back. The small, palm-sized brass toad in his hand let out a lazy "URRRRHHHMP."
[ Not just any frog. It's the Pocket Alarm Toad, trusted by professionals. Detects hostile intent within a 20-meter radius. Loud. Proud. Unsubtle. ]
He held it at arm's length. "This thing sounds like it has asthma and a megaphone."
[ Warning: Do not keep it near your ear during activation. Unless you're into permanent hearing loss. ] Br^o+ught+ to you by the f.o!l-ks at *-.$
"Well… at least it's better than another mineral water."
[ Fact: 98% of apocalypse survivors agree that screaming toads are more helpful than snack bars. The other 2% were eaten. ]
Derek grinned despite himself. He clipped the toad onto his belt. It made a small "URRRMP" of approval.
The second box hovered and cracked open, giving off a faint shimmer.
[ D-Grade Mystery Box Opened ]
[ You have received: Null Thread Vest (Damaged) – Lightweight armor made from Abyssal Spider Silk, once worn by a great warrior. Grants minor resistance to piercing damage. Durability: 20/100. ]
Derek raised an eyebrow. "You gave me a used t-shirt."
[ Correction: You have received an exclusive, limited-edition Abyssal Undervest. Stylish. Breathable. Slightly haunted. ]
"…Haunted?"
[ Minor spiritual residue detected. No big deal. It just whispers sometimes. You'll get used to it. ]
He threw it on anyway. Even if it whispered terrible bedtime stories, it was better than nothing.
Finally, the third box glowed and opened with a slight chime.
[ D-Grade Mystery Box Opened ]
[ You have received: Skill Scroll – Mana Echo (F-Rank) ]
[ Description: Allows the user to release a delayed mana pulse after using a skill. Can disrupt enemy casting or momentarily stagger nearby targets. Cooldown: 20 seconds. ]
"Now that's actually useful."
[ I aim to please. Eventually. ]
"Learn it."
[ Skill acquired: Mana Echo (F-Rank) ]
[ Current Skills: Fast steps, Adaptive Combat, Bloodburst (Suppressed), Mana Echo ]
Derek leaned against the jagged bone structure, the last bits of tension easing out of him. He had climbed from level 1 to 7, acquired actual gear—even if one piece whispered and the other was edible depression—and picked up a new skill.
"Maybe I am the protagonist," he muttered with a smirk.
[ Correction: Protagonist Candidate. Please survive the next twenty-four hours to apply for official status. ]
"…You really know how to kill a moment, huh?"
[ You're welcome. ]
[ Main Netherworld Mission arriving, please wait a sec....]
" Huh? "
[ Netherworld First Floor Mission Generated:
1. Find the Nether Flower.
2. Kill 4000 Nether Creatures 54/4000
Time Limit: 30 days. 28 days, 13 hours remaining.
Reward: Fret Not, A Generous Reward Shall Be Granted
" Do you mean I have to stay for 30 days on this dimension before I can leave? " Derek asked, alarmed.
[ You have to complete the mission before you can leave. The timer is because if you do not leave in thirty days, by the time you arrive home, you might miss the introduction to the big show ]
" The beginning of the apocalypse...But I thought it was 2 we..."
[ Different dimensions have different frequent temporal frequencies, and a whole lotta theories, in short, read Einstein's patch notes if you want the details ]
" Oh," Derek finally understood the system's point, while he had 30 days here, only 30 days would pass on Earth.
" That means if I complete the missions quickly, I can go back before the apocalypse as well."