I don’t know exactly how much time has passed, but I feel a terrible pain in my stomach, and before I can even react, I vomit everything in front of me. At least I passed out on my side and didn’t end up choking on the rocks.
I try to open my eyes slightly, but my vision is blurry and I see only white, before everything goes dark again.
This happened a few times before I finally managed to wake up. My mind is foggy, and I feel like I can barely see because of it, but I try to move slowly.
— AAAHHH!! It hurts!! — I scream, feeling my arm.
The intense pain overwhelms me as I lie there, not daring to move. I feel like I’m about to pass out again, but I force myself to stay awake.
After a while of taking deep breaths, waiting for the pain to subside a little, I look around.
— …Cave.
Remembering what happened and my current situation, I don’t know whether to laugh for having survived or cry for being in this state.
— I need… Go back…
There’s little time left before I’m rescued, but the pain is so intense I can’t move. I decide to stay lying down, trying to calm myself a little more.
— Open… panel. — I whisper, my voice hoarse.
═══════════════════════════════════
| [Name]: Rafael | | [Race]: Human |
| [Level]: 02 | | [Magic Power]: 22 |
───────────────────────────────────
[Skills]
[…]
| [Hunter]: 10 | | [Gatherer]: 15 |
[…]
| [Determination]: 25 | | [Stabber]: 15 |
[…]
| [Immunity]: 36 | | [Survivor]: 28 |
| [Tolerance]: 30 |
───────────────────────────────────
[Magics]
| [Protective Membrane]: 16 |
[…]
═══════════════════════════════════
— It really worked… — I think, looking at the [Immunity] level. — That… saved my life.
Just looking at my condition, soaked to the bone, with a broken arm and a freezing body, shows that I probably shouldn’t even have woken up after what happened.
I remember the moment I gained this ability. It was when I absorbed the first stone and gained magic power. At that moment, I didn’t think much of it, other than imagining that it must have been my illness which made me gain it.
But after observing for a while, I noticed something strange: it only leveled up after I absorbed a magic stone. In other words, it’s an ability that needs magic to improve.
And so I came to the conclusion that, when I absorb magic stones, my immune system is strengthened, and perhaps even my body as a whole.
This must be something the people of this world don’t even know about, since the only way to heal they know is by going to church.
In any case, this temporary strengthening that is improving my Immunity must be the reason I’m still alive.
— Haa… Water…
I try to move my good arm toward the shrimp protector, but it’s too far away to reach.
I lie still again, staring at the cave ceiling. The pain in my arm is excruciating even when completely still, preventing me from moving.
— …No choice.
I pick up a few pieces of the magic stone from the floor near me and put them in my mouth. I activate the [Protective Membrane] magic and swallow them whole, before slowly closing my eyes.
Even with the pain, my body is so exhausted that I pass out in an instant, hoping to wake up again.
[…]
I open my eyes slowly and look up at the cave ceiling. I don’t know how many times I’ve done this, but it’s starting to become a familiar sight.
I spit out the little pieces of stone from my stomach, which has nothing left to vomit.
I’m hungry, thirsty, and exhausted, feeling extremely weak.
— Open… Panel.
═══════════════════════════════════
| [Name]: Rafael | | [Race]: Human |
| [Level]: 02 | | [Magic Power]: 35 |
───────────────────────────────────
[Skills]
[…]
| [Determination]: 35 |
[…]
| [Immunity]: 47 | | [Survivor]: 40 |
| [Tolerance]: 45 |
───────────────────────────────────
[Magics]
| [Protective Membrane]: 20 |
[…]
═══════════════════════════════════
— No new… Magic…
Looking at my skill levels, I see that I’m truly at the extreme. I know they usually only become useful after level 50, but that’s because the people here train for years.
And I’m already approaching that minimum in less than a month. That speed was absurd, but it also makes sense given my current state.
I’m at the point where, if it weren’t for the magic stones sustaining my body, I would have already died.
Knowing this, I grab the last pieces of the stone and swallow them with some effort.
— I don’t even know how I haven’t gone crazy yet… Or am I already crazy? — I wonder, slowly dragging my body toward the wall.
The pain, though still intense, is now bearable.
— … What… Happened… To… My arm?
Looking at it, I see that it’s still broken and in a position that shouldn’t be possible, but there’s something else now.
It’s as if my veins are about to burst through the skin, giving it a bizarre appearance.
— … The plant?
Without moving my arm, I try to look at the palm of my hand. Since I can no longer feel anything in it besides pain, I don’t know exactly what happened to it.
With some effort, I turn around and manage to look, realizing that the root is gone, indicating that it must have hidden itself inside my arm.
— … Let’s get out.
With my good hand on the cave wall, I struggle to get up, nearly falling a few times.
— AAHH! — I let out a cry of pain before taking a deep breath. — Haa… I did it.
Dragging myself along the wall, I walk outside and see the damage. Fallen trees, a huge hole in the ground, the scorpion’s corpse, and massive roots scattered everywhere.
With every step I take, the pain intensifies, likely because the blood is circulating more and more with my movements.
I walk slowly through the area, barefoot and carrying nothing but what’s on my body. I see the enormous scorpion in front of me. If it weren’t for my current condition, I would have already tried to find its stone.
After passing it, I keep walking until I return to the area with trees and begin to lean on them.
— … No… Insects?
I don’t know if it was luck, or if that flower wiped out everything on the island, but I didn’t see a single insect on my way to the spring.
When I reach it, I crouch down to drink some water.
I don’t care about anything else anymore, so I sit practically right under the spring and get completely soaked while I drink.
Even the pain in my arm seems to have lessened a little because of it.
— Would be nice… To have ice.
After a while at the spring, I stand up and start walking back toward the cabin. The path I’m used to seems to have doubled in length, probably because of how slowly I’m walking.
As I look around, a thought crosses my mind.
— Almost there…
If it’s true that I’ll be rescued in a month, then my life as a survivor must be nearing its end.
— This hell… Will end…
As I move forward, I finally see the cabin in the distance, with a few holes and looking a bit messy, probably because of the rain.
— Ha… Hahaha! Home! ….Blargh!
I spit out the last bits of the rock, almost causing me to fall, but I quickly brace myself against a nearby tree.
Without giving it much thought, I start walking toward the cabin again, wanting nothing more than to lie down in the hammock and sleep.
As I get closer, I see the bucket full of rainwater and realize the meat smells strong. The humidity must have sped up the process.
— ...I need food.
Even though I’m weak and just want to sleep, I force my body to cook. I know that now, with the magic stones gone, I can’t run out of energy.
Since I have no idea how much time is left, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to survive much longer in my current state, I decide to eat everything that’s left.
I place the meat on the campfire and light it with the last piece of carapace I had left. The sun is already setting, but it was still enough to start a fire.
— Meat… So good.
When I started eating, before I even realized it, I had already devoured everything.
Sleep comes right after, even with the constant pain in my arm, sending me to bed.
— What should I do… Show Panel.
═══════════════════════════════════
| [Name]: Rafael | | [Race]: Human |
| [Level]: 02 | | [Magic Power]: 38 |
───────────────────────────────────
[Skills]
[…]
| [Determination]: 39 |
[…]
| [Immunity]: 52 | | [Survivor]: 43 |
| [Tolerance]: 49 |
───────────────────────────────────
[Magics]
| [Connection]: 01 |
[…]
═══════════════════════════════════
— … Really? Why can’t I get a normal magic!?
[To be continued…]
[???]:
— And so he got another strange magic… With this, he has 4 magics, but only one that’s useful right now.