Chapter 8: The Great Escape.
Adam’s POV
“Hey, Nove.”
“Yes, Alper?”
“How long have I been walking?”
“Precisely six hours and seventeen minutes.”
WELL, IT CERTAINLY FELT LIKE IT!
I groaned inwardly. Six hours might as well have been six days in this winding, labyrinthine cave. It felt like I was on some twisted roller coaster, except there was no fun and no ride—just my own two feet trudging through endless ascents, descents, side paths, loops, and spirals.
The monotony was broken only by a few encounters, like the time I ran into some bats. I’d killed them without much effort, but apparently, they didn’t count as monsters—no Nexus Blood, no Nexus Cores, nothing. Just regular bats. Still, I kept their little corpses for emergency rations. You never know when charred bat-on-a-stick might save your life.
At least the Terra Mend passive had been working wonders, steadily replenishing my NEP as I walked. Granted, I had to wear these ridiculous shoes made of dirt and stone for it to activate, but hey, I wasn’t going to complain about results.
My NEP pool now sat at a respectable 470 points—just over half my total capacity. Feeling a bit more confident, I couldn’t resist extracting some more of the odd-looking materials from the cave walls. Small amounts of common stuff like granite, quartz, and marble—nothing spectacular, but still useful down the line
But then I stumbled upon something really cool—Harmonite Resonate Ore. A greenish and blackish looking metal. This beauty could control, amplify, or dampen sounds and frequencies. Just imagine the possibilities! I could have crafted some amazing tools or even weapons if I had the skills.
And yet, all I could do was stare at it longingly. Why? Because I lacked the Metalweaving stat points and the techniques needed to extract it...
CURSE YOU, ALPER! I screamed internally, shaking my fists at the ceiling. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR BEING JUST A NERD!!!
Spite simmering in my chest, I decided to channel my frustration productively and test out the skills from my Core Nodes. With my NEP reserves sitting comfortably, now seemed like the perfect time to see what they could do.
The results were… interesting.
After trying each ability once, an info window suddenly upgraded itself, adding new details. Confused, I turned to Nove for an explanation.
“The update occurred because I now have complete data for those abilities,” she said in her usual calm tone. “Since all information is processed and shown to you through me, if you’re unfamiliar with certain skills, so am I. As the skills are activated, I absorb and update the data in real time.”
The updated info was worth it though. The skills now displayed their cost, duration, and cooldown time, making things way easier to plan. Here’s the rundown:
Earthen Grasp (Lvl: 1)
Description: Allows the user to temporarily enhance their hand grip and stability, useful for resisting pushes, pulls, or maintaining balance on uneven terrain
Duration: 60 seconds
NEP Cost: 3
Cooldown time: 20 seconds (After buff ends)
Petrifying Strike (Lvl: 1)
Description: Allows the user to deliver a strike that temporarily petrifies a small area of an opponent upon impact, slowing their movements.
Power: 10 damage
Slow rate: 30% damaged part of body, 10% on full body
Duration: 5 seconds
NEP Cost: 8
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Stone Shield (Lvl: 1)
Description: Creates a temporary protective stone shield on any part of the user, absorbing a portion of incoming physical damage when activated.
Shield Health: 40 HP
Number of shields at one time: 1
Duration: 20 seconds
NEP Cost: 10
Cooldown: 12 Seconds (After skill ends or all shields break)
Sticky Web (Lvl: 1)
Description: Allows the user in creating and utilizing sticky webs for various purposes and can be used on enemies to slow them down.
Slow: 15%
Duration: 2 seconds
NEP Cost: 2
Cooldown: n/a
The descriptions of the skills were pretty straightforward: Sticky Webs slowed targets, Stone Shield created a shield on my hand, Petrifying Strike slowed enemies down further, and Earthen Grasp improved my balance and resistance to knockback.
The good news? The NEP costs for these skills were almost negligible. The bad news? So were their effects—at least for now. The real deal was that I could level them up!
I didn’t have all the details, but the gist was clear: to level up a skill, I needed Nexus Blood from a monster with the same star tier as the Core Node I wanted to upgrade. For example, if I wanted to level up Stone Shield, which came from my 2-star Stone Core Node, I’d need to find a monster ranked at 2 stars.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
For reference, that Muck Worm I killed earlier? A measly 0.5-star tier. Yeah, I’ve got a long way to go.
Oh, and another thing?
I. Was. Soooooo. Bored.
Seriously, there were a million things I wanted to do—craft better weapons, experiment with my new skills, maybe enjoy a meal that didn’t taste like desperation—but nope. Stuck in this cave. Wandering aimlessly. Losing my mind one step at a time.
When all you do is tiptoe through an endless labyrinth, your brain starts to shut down. And when that happens, you inevitably start to lower your guard.
Anyway, I trudged on, my trusty spear lighting the way, when I came across a fork in the road. Two paths stretched before me: left or right—the eternal question of indecisive adventurers everywhere.
Feeling a bit cheeky, I smirked. Well, well, Cave. Let’s see what you’ve got for me.
“All right, Nove, watch and learn. You’re about to witness a master adventurer in action,” I boasted, puffing out my chest like I was auditioning for the role of some cool badass action hero.
With a dramatic flourish, I dashed down the left path, imagining the roar of an invisible engine as I became the fastest car in this underground race track. The eerie quiet only added to the thrill. No monsters, no obstacles—just me and the wind in my hair. Well, metaphorically.
When I reached a sharp 90-degree turn, I skidded theatrically, adding a sound effect of a screeching tire for good measure. “Vrrrroooom!” I muttered to myself, fully committed to my role as the cave’s speed demon.
Swaggering around the bend like I owned the place, I stopped dead in my tracks. My confident grin faltered, replaced by a gaping jaw.
Right in front of me, standing tall under the dim glow of my spear, was a colossal creature straight out of a nightmare. Its skeletal frame resembled a warped, horse-like monstrosity, with red tendrils twisting unnaturally around its bones, pulsing like veins in some grotesque biology experiment gone wrong.
“Oh, no,” I whispered, the realization hitting me like a runaway train. Slowly, I hid my spear behind me. Shining it’s eyes with light didn’t seem like a good idea when faced with what looked like a walking anatomy lesson of doom.
Turning on my heels, I tried to play it cool, strolling away as if I hadn’t just stumbled upon a bony nightmare.
“Hey, Nove,” I quipped nervously, “I’ve decided to retire as a master cave adventurer. Effective immediately.”
Before I could fully commit to my new career as a not adventurer, Nove’s voice screamed in my head.
“RUN!”
The creature let out a blood-curdling war cry, a sound that could give a banshee chills, and I was off like a shot. My feet barely touched the ground as I sprinted, heart hammering in my chest.
“Time to make like a tree and leave!” I shouted, adrenaline overriding any shame I felt for using that line. Totally worth it.
In a desperate bid to outsmart the skeletal nightmare hot on my heels, I flung my hand backward, fingers splayed in my best Spider-Man impression, and cast Sticky Web. Maybe, just maybe, it could trip up this monstrous bone-beast.
A quick glance over my shoulder crushed that hope faster than a speeding train. The creature plowed through the webs like they were cobwebs on an old bookshelf, those eerie red gemstone eyes locking onto me with a focus that screamed, You’re next.
“HEY, NOVE!” I yelled, my voice cracking just a bit. “I’M OPEN TO THE IDEA OF BEING RESCUED BY THE RESCUE TEAM RIGHT ABOUT NOW!”
“GO LEFT!” Nove’s frantic command rang in my head.
But nope. I wasn’t going left just yet.
Instead, I pulled off what I considered a masterclass in evasive maneuvers. I feinted hard to the right, making it look like I was committing to that path, then veered sharply left at the fork.
The gamble paid off. The skeletal steed charged forward like a freight train, crashing into the wall with a bone-rattling BOOM! that shook the cavern. The sound of its collision echoed around me, and I couldn’t help but smirk. Sometimes, acting is survival, folks.
Not wasting a second, I told nove to use Base Arts to set up a makeshift obstacle course behind me—nothing fancy, just enough to buy me a few precious moments. Then I bolted, sprinting up a steep incline that wasn’t exactly my idea of an optimal route.
The thundering hoofbeats of the bone beast didn’t stop, though. It was closing in, and fast. Whether it wanted me as dinner or just had a serious bone to pick—pun fully intended—I wasn’t about to hang around to find out.
“Come on, legs, don’t fail me now!” I muttered through gritted teeth, my spear bouncing in my hand as I pushed forward with every ounce of strength I could muster.
I kept running until I stumbled into a massive chamber, its sheer size making one thing painfully clear: this wasn’t going to be a sprint—it was a marathon. The cavern stretched endlessly, dimly lit by faintly glowing pools of water scattered across the floor. Creepy, muck worm-sized bugs scuttled about, their movements making my skin crawl.
But then, salvation—or at least the promise of it. Across the chamber, a faint light seeped through an entrance, beckoning me forward.
“I’M NOT RELIGIOUS, BUT I HOPE TO GOD THAT’S THE EXIT!” I yelled, my voice echoing across the chamber. Unfortunately, my outburst also attracted every creepy crawler in the vicinity, their tiny legs skittering toward me.
Ignoring the horde of bugs, I bolted for the light, conjuring a Stone Shield on my left hand just in case one of those little critters decided to get brave.
Behind me, the skeletal horse burst into the chamber, its towering form framed ominously in the dim glow. Its hollow, red eyes scanned the space, looking for me. My instincts screamed to find cover, but I didn’t even have time to blink before its gaze locked onto mine.
The beast let out a blood-curdling war cry, shaking the cavern walls as it charged, crushing every bug in its path.
The light at the far side grew brighter with every step, but the skeletal nightmare wasn’t letting me go that easily. Its thundering hoofbeats drew closer with terrifying speed.
With no options left, I made a desperate move. I hurled my spear with all the strength I could muster. The weapon soared through the air… only to bounce off the beast like a pebble hitting a tank.
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I SHOULD’VE INVESTED IN A BAKERY INSTEAD OF WHATEVER THIS SHIT IS!” I hollered, pushing my legs to their limit.
The exit was within reach. With one last burst of energy, I practically threw myself through the narrow opening, feeling the rush of fresh air hit my face as I tumbled out
Time seemed to stretch as my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. I found myself on a narrow ledge high up on a colossal mountain. Below, a group of people huddled around a campfire, their relaxed expressions snapping to shock as one of them spotted me.
In the blink of an eye, I assessed the situation. The drop wasn't significant, but I executed a quick roll to mitigate the impact. Debris scattered, with some pieces unintentionally hitting one of the bystanders near the campfire. Meanwhile, the colossal boney horse tripped as it came out of the cave and tumbled down the mountain next to me. Before it even had a chance to recover, I targeted the joints of its leg with my Petrifying Strike skill, As I activated my skill, I punched the joints of its legs, causing the white bones near my strike to turn grey-ish. With the immediate threat neutralized for the time being, I turned my attention to the group of six people.
"Apologies for interrupting your fine morning, but can I borrow a weapon? I left mine in the cave."
“What in the goddam?” I heard one of them say.
