'This is the First Minor Crisis.' My pulse quickened as he rushed alongside the students, his eyes locked on Resha. Sumatra Chronicles had 21 Minor Crises and 4 Major Disasters—until the Mystic 7 appeared. After that, Minor Crises were never mentioned again, as the group became so overpowered that only Major Disasters could pose a threat. Resha met his end in the fourth Major Disaster.
'Why am I explaining this? I already know.'
Minor Crisis or not, it was still a death trap—especially for someone like me, who's never fought in his life. Half the settlement's population gets wiped out by the end. And me? How did I read that chapter and thought, 'Yeah, I'll survive.'
The settlement's Empyrean Tusk Gannla ranked dead last—44th place—old and weakened. 'Which is bullshit! I know her origin, and she was meant for greatness! But even I can't deny she's a shadow of her potential.' Her weakened steps led her off-course, straight into a Mud Viper nest.
A swarm erupted—vile creatures that spit mud to trap victims like sculptures for later feasting. They'd immobilize the Tusk, latch onto her joints, and bring her down.
Forty thousand people against a million Mud Vipers. It wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.
I tried to sense a faint wisp of energy in my body and focused it upon the rugged bone sphere, watching it twitch in response. I know what this energy was, it was the energy that can be used by every organism in the continent "Prana". 'Okay, at least I'm not completely useless after all.'
Suddenly—
*CRASH!*
The shelter's entrance collapsed as the instructor came crashing in. Pressing him were a group of Mud Vipers, spitting mud balls on his joints to constrict him while they clawed upon his flesh. One of the Mud Vipers opened its mouth wide to bite off the instructor's eyes
'I take that back—I am useless.'
"They're here!"
"Run!"
The students scattered to the corners of the shelter as more and more Mud Vipers entered through the broken entrance. Resha was the sole individual daring to stand out in the middle of the room as that is what the protagonist is supposed to do. He grunted and seeped more Prana into the bone sphere, causing it to soak up the Mud Viper's blood.
Mystic Bone Art—Toxin Refinement!
Resha crushed the sphere in his palm and licked the venom, his body invigorated. "Finally… I can move properly."
'Right, wait what was the use of Toxic refinement?'
"Right, the refined toxins from a Mud Viper can temporarily suppress the Fragment Disease," I remembered, mumbling under my breath. 'Eh, I guess this body might be inferior to my old one, but my brain is so much faster in this one.'
Suddenly, I saw Orakha as he approached Resha, knowing full well what was about to happen to him. But I didn't interfere since it was a canon event.
*CRACK!*
Resha's bone sphere slammed Orakha's face—jaw dislocated, body down. The Mud Vipers swarmed Orakha instead, feasting on his limbs.
'Brutal. But he's not dead, yet but I know my fate will be the same if I don't think of a plan soon.
But… what about me?
'Wait, if I wasn't summoned by Rendulu, does the Transcendent Eater even has my data?'
'Can I even revive?'
'I'm on hardcore mode… and they're on survival.'
"FUCK YOU, @Unknown!"