Eyes snapped open instinctively as a silhouette jumped to his feet, breath ragged, but the first sight he encountered shattered his heart completely..
At the summit of a towering mountain, shrouded in biting winds and drifting mist, was a cross, and nailed to the cross was none other than the middle-aged man — Mr. Jaggers.
Despite being very far away, this silhouette could see him clearly, as if distance meant nothing in this strange place..
Nailed to the cross with both hands spread wide apart and feet nailed together.. Not just ordinary nails but black hot metal rods that glowed faintly with heat. Blood trickled down from Mr. Jaggers' face in thin crimson lines as he tried his possible best not to die.. not to give up..
His bare body was exposed to the cold of the summit, harsh mountain winds whipping against his skin, he was only putting on a boxer..
A sleek black boxer..
The silhouette also checked himself and found out that he was also putting on nothing other than boxer, his skin prickling under the cold air, and he was also far away from the mountain..
He was in the forest, surrounded by towering trees with twisted branches, but he could see the mountain as clear as day through the open stretch of land ahead..
"I've to save Senior.. I've to save him.." Socrates folded his fists tightly, nails digging into his palms, as without hesitation he started racing towards the mountain, kicking up dry leaves beneath his bare feet.
He hasn't even run up to 3 meters when the air before him split as something whooshed past his ear with a sharp slicing sound..
It was an arrow and he had barely escaped it..
'What was that?' Socrates turned his head to look at the flying arrow, watching it bury deep into the bark of a distant tree, and by the time he turned around again, another arrow shot straight into his stomach, piercing through flesh and bone, killing him instantly.
...
Eyes snapped open again as Socrates woke up.. The first image he saw was still that of Mr. Jaggers, but this time, there was a long nail driven into his thumb finger, blood dripping steadily from the wound and staining the wooden cross..
"Whats happening? I was shot by arrows.. They're archers in the forest or what? I've to proceed with care.. I've to save Mr. Jaggers.." Socrates' whole gaze and mindset was on Mr. Jaggers that he moved out again..
This time no rushing but with calculated speed as he kept his eyes open, scanning the trees and bushes carefully in order to avoid the arrows being shot at him.
The first arrow came and he dodged it cleanly, twisting his body sideways at the last moment, the arrow brushing past his shoulder, the second one came and he still dodged that either..
He didn't increase his speed but still running slowly while peeling his eyes opened for the third arrow when he stepped on a plant which closed its leg instantly, its jagged mouth snapping shut and biting into his left leg, cutting it off his body in a horrifying instant..
"Aaahh..." Socrates cried in pain as blood oozed out of his lap as he used both hands to support his stand, trembling violently from the shock..
A system screen appeared before him showing his HP bar which was green now turned to yellow, flickering faintly in the air before his eyes..
Before he could fathom what's happening, two arrows plunged deep into his chest as his HP hit zero instantly and his body collapsed on the floor, lifeless among the crushed leaves..
...
[Total death — 2]
[Life remaining — 998]
[HP: 100/100]
Socrates' eyes snapped open once again as he jumped up with fast reflexes, chest heaving violently..
"Whats happening to me?"
It was at this moment he realized something was wrong with him.
"I was shot by an arrow the first time and I woke up in this same place.."
"I was shot the second time and I died and still woke up here.."
"How can I die and wake up?" He asked himself as he looked up at the floating screen to see the message hovering faintly in the air before him..
"I had 1000 lives and I've used up 2.. is this some kind of game or something? What for? Why do I have 1000 lives?"
"HELP.. PLEASE HELP.." Socrates' heart broke instantly as he recognized the voice that was crying for help, weak yet filled with pain..
"Senior..." He looked up to see Mr. Jaggers.. He was still nailed to the cross but this time, another nail had been attached to his pinky finger with blood trickling down it in thin steady lines...
"I've to save Senior.. He's suffering so much.. I've to.." Socrates wanted to move but the pain he received before dying burned into his mind like a newborn baby's first cry..
The pain of having one's leg chopped off..
Now, he has his two legs but he still couldn't feel his second leg, phantom pain crawling through his nerves like fire..
He was contemplating whether to go or not when a talon suddenly pierced out of his neck from behind..
Socrates' hands reached for his neck as he gagged with his eyes widened as he watched his HP drain instantly..
The pain tore through his entire body as the talon tore out of his neck, ripping it apart as his head fell to one side before his full body collapsed to the ground.. His HP reaching Zero..
Screech!
A large vulture screamed loudly, its wings spreading wide like shadows across the forest floor before disappearing into the forest canopy..
...
[Life remaining — 997]
Socrates woke up once again and this time he felt crazily horrified as he stared at Mr. Jaggers who was losing a lot of blood... Another nail had been driven into the poor man's finger..
"No no.. This can't be possible... My every death and his situation worsens." Socrates almost cried out as he moved..
He didn't wait as he ran into the forest... He had just discovered one thing from his previous death, if he wasted any time here.. He's going to die..
Socrates ran with all his might, taking account of his surrounding as he dodged arrows and plants that were in the ground, his breathing growing heavier with each passing second..
He was able to reach a distance of 8 meters when he was shot dead by another arrow...
The more he proceeded the faster the arrow came out..
..
Socrates woke up once again and as he looked up at Mr. Jaggers, he found out that another nail had been driven into the old man's finger..
"No.. No.. no... you can't keep doing this..." Socrates cried loudly, voice echoing faintly in the forest clearing..
"You're the one doing this to him... You keep dying unnecessarily.. You can't even conquer this first stage.." A voice drifted into his ears, cold and distant, as if carried by the wind itself..
"Conquer the first stage? What's the first stage? Hello.." Socrates called out but there was no response..
"Please Help..." He heard Mr. Jaggers again and he quickly rushed in...
'I've to make sure I don't die or Senior will suffer for it..'
But Socrates' conviction is far from the truth.. The farther he got into the forest, the faster the arrows came..
He got to a direction where he had to veer left and change course, at that moment two arrows were fired simultaneously at him...
Socrates dodged the first one cleanly but the second one stabbed into his right shoulder..
The pain hit him hard as 80% of his HP was shoved away instantly leaving behind 20%..
But he couldn't move nor speak as he stood rooted there... He tried to move forward but his body had already stiffened, muscles refusing to obey..
He tried to endure but the pain was too pressing..
He looked around him and discovered that he's in the only pathway in the middle of the forest, hemmed in by thick thorny bushes and towering trees..
Before he could turn, another arrow lunged into his chest, ripping his life away instantly.
...
Socrates woke up again and cried in frustration after finding out that the tenth finger of Mr. Jaggers had been driven with nail..
"Maybe I should not follow this path.." Socrates rose and cut through the forest.. He didn't follow the pathway but the forest itself, forcing his way through dense vegetation..
Unfortunately for him, such tricks weren't permitted as he stepped into a blade of grass which pierced every parts of his body instantly, sharp as steel needles..
[HP: 0]
[Total Death: 11]
[Life remaining: 989]