'I did it. I really did...'
Ari, lying on his back and breathing hoarsely after hitting the claggy mud, could feel the heavy, wet filth soaking straight through his torn clothes. The impact had knocked the wind right out of him, leaving his lungs burning as he gasped for air.
His ribs felt like they had been sprawled and crushed over by a horse's giant hooves.
Ari felt like he was about to pass out any minute now. Hell, he even wanted to. But he couldn't. It was already getting late- the white lumminating sun was almost gone, replaced by the deep, ink-black darkness of the jungle night.
Sadly, Ari didn't possess the ability to see in the dark, nor did he have any source of light he could use to see. He felt utterly helpless against the cold, lingering darkness of the chilling night.
"Augh.."
Gritting his teeth, Ari forced himself to a jagged standing position.
The pain flared through his chest like liquid fire, a sharp reminder that despite his massive victory, his physical body was still entirely human. He leaned heavily against the massive, moss-covered trunk of the tree he had just jumped from, his fingers sinking into the damp bark just to keep his balance.
Every breath was a chore, tasting of copper and thick, humid mud.
He stared out into the pitch-black void. The complete absence of light was suffocating.
Ari knew he needed to find a shelter for tonight and fast.
Tapping the engravings that were situated right above his hand, a familiar screen was summoned.
[Name: Ari]
[Rank: Scavenger]
[Level: 4]
[Exp: 5/100]
[Stats:]
[Strength: 0]
[Agility: 2]
[Vitality: 0]
[Sense: 1]
[Intelligence: 0]
[Stat points: 12]
The blue holographic screen cast a faint, cold glow over the surrounding mud, illuminating the massive, slumped carcass of the Bone-Hoof just a few feet away.
Twelve stat points. It was a massive windfall, and right now, it was his only ticket to surviving the night.
Ari stared at the screen, his mind working rapidly despite the throbbing pain in his chest. He couldn't afford to be blind, he couldn't afford to be weak, and he desperately needed his body to endure whatever the jungle threw at him next.
Ari thought, his teeth gritting. In the end, he decided to put 5 points into Sense, 4 points into Vitality, and 3 points into Strength.
The moment the command registered, a violent, electrifying sensation surged through his entire body.
First came the Vitality. The liquid fire in his chest suddenly cooled into a soothing, restorative warmth. The agonizing pressure of his crushed ribs dissolved as the bones mended themselves instantly, shifting back into perfect alignment. His ragged breathing steadied, his lungs expanding fully without a single hint of pain. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his soul.
Next was the Strength. A heavy, dense coil of raw power flooded his muscles. The fatigue washed out of his limbs, replaced by a firm, solid energy that made him feel twice as grounded as he had a moment ago. His grip on the damp tree trunk tightened, his fingers digging into the bark with effortless pressure.
But the most jarring transformation belonged to his Sense stat.
A sharp prickle snapped behind his eyes and ears. Suddenly, the oppressive, suffocating darkness didn't feel so absolute anymore. The pitch-black void began to separate into shades of deep violet and charcoal grey. His pupils dilated, catching the microscopic traces of light reflecting off the damp leaves.
With his newfound strength and enhanced senses, the jungle floor no longer felt like an invisible death trap, but he knew he couldn't stay down here. The scent of fresh blood from his kill was getting stronger, and something much larger was bound to notice.
Looking up into the shadowy heights of the giant tree, Ari braced himself. It was time to find that shelter.
Ari lunged forward quickly, analyzing his surroundings. He started searching for a suitable place to rest for the night and perhaps, even relieve himself.
'Damn shitloads, I really have to piss.'
Ari knew he couldn't stay on the ground- it was too perilous, his safest bet was relying on the tall tree branches to protect him from the horrors that roamed the dark jungle.
With his enhanced vision cutting through the deep violet shadows, the vertical network of massive, winding roots and thick vines scaling the giant trunk now looked less like an impossible obstacle and more like a rugged staircase.
Ari lunged upward, his hands wrapping around a thick, braided vine. His new Strength allowed him to haul his weight up effortlessly, his muscles flexing with a solid, reliable power that he hadn't possessed just minutes prior. He moved with deliberate care, planting his mud-caked boots into the deep ridges of the bark. Climbing a tree of this scale would have left him entirely winded before, but his boosted Vitality kept his lungs clear and his heart pumping at a steady, rhythmic pace.
Higher and higher he went, leaving the oppressive, copper-scented air of the jungle floor behind.
At a height of about twenty meters, the trunk split into a massive, sprawling fork. Nestled between the two colossal timber walls was a wide, hollow cradle, heavily sheltered by a thick canopy of oversized, fan-like leaves. It was perfect. Standing near the edge of the massive branch, he finally relieved his bursting bladder, a small, ridiculous comfort in the middle of a death trap.
But as he turned to collapse into the hollow, his stomach gave a sudden, monstrous growl that practically shook his ribs.
'Ah, damn it!' Ari swore silently, slapping his forehead.
In the pure panic of the darkness and the rush of allocating his stat points, he had completely forgotten to harvest the Bone-Hoof carcass. He had been so desperate to climb that he left a literal mountain of high-level meat sitting right at the base of his tree.
Ari looked down over the edge of the branch. With his new stats, he could hear bushes shaking below. Small, dark scavengers were already moving toward the dead beast. He knew it was too dangerous to climb all the way back down into the dark, but he managed to slide down a few low vines. Hanging on tightly, he reached out and used his dagger to quickly cut off a few thick chunks of the meat. He wrapped them in large leaves, tied them to his belt, and climbed back up to his safe spot as fast as he could.
Finally back in the wooden cradle, Ari collapsed onto the thick bed of dry moss, letting out a long, ragged exhale of pure relief. He was safe, and he actually had food for tomorrow.
Below him, the darkness fully came alive with the terrifying sounds of aggressive growls and tearing flesh as the larger predators descended upon what was left of his kill. But up here, twenty meters above the nightmare, Ari closed his eyes. The adrenaline was finally fading, leaving behind the profound, heavy quiet of a survivor who had beaten the odds. Tomorrow would bring a whole new set of problems, but tonight, he had earned his rest.