L2L - Death Code

The cavern was eerily silent, save for the occasional sound of slithering scales against stone. He crouched in the darkness, his breath steady, his mind sharper than ever. His first encounter had been a harsh reality check—his fists alone weren't enough to kill the serpent. He needed a weapon.

But before that, he needed a strategy.

His breath was steady. His mind sharp.

His fight with the serpent had taught him one thing—raw instinct wasn't enough.

Hiding and attacking in bursts might have helped him survive, but to win, he needed more. A plan. A real plan.

The cavern was still alive with danger. Shadows shifted as serpents slithered across the ground, their tongues flicking out, tasting the air. Their movements were slow, but their patience was endless.

He kept his Stealth active, maneuvering carefully to avoid unnecessary fights.

But he wasn't just avoiding them—he was manipulating them.

A loose rock, kicked just enough to echo through the space.

A soft shuffle, forcing one of the creatures to pause, sensing something was wrong.

A quick movement, just enough to make them hesitate.

Enough to keep them away from their nest.

The more restless they were, the more their patterns changed. And the more their patterns changed, the easier it was for him to strike.

But he wasn't reckless. He needed the right place to fight.

After moving through the labyrinth-like cavern, he finally found it.

A tight, natural choke point—a narrow passage leading into a chamber filled with jagged rocks and uneven terrain. The ground sloped slightly downward, making quick movements harder for something as large as the snake. Stalagmites jutted from the earth, forming natural barriers that could restrict its movements.

It was perfect.

But three major problems still remained.

First— The scaled serpent. If it got involved, he wouldn't survive.

Second— The complexity of the cavern. If he panicked or lost his way, his plan would fail.

Third— The unknown factor. Was the snake poisonous? If so, getting close was a death sentence.

Each problem needed a solution.

The first problem had a simple fix—Stealth. If the scaled serpent appeared, he would disappear before it noticed him.

The second problem required calculation.

He needed to memorize the path to his execution point perfectly.

So he ran.

Not aimlessly—but with purpose.

He moved at full speed, calculating his stride length, timing, and turns. Every movement burned into his brain.

Ten strides. Right turn. Five more. Small jump. Sharp left.

Over and over, he repeated the loop, ensuring he wouldn't make a mistake when it mattered.

His footsteps echoed.

A deliberate challenge.

And then—the response.

A faint hiss.

A shifting shadow.

Then, a sudden burst of movement.

The serpent shot forward, its body sliding across the cavern floor, its head weaving side to side as it locked onto him.

The chase began.

But this time, he wasn't just running. He was leading.

He kept just enough distance to stay out of reach, taking sharp turns, guiding it deeper into the planned route.

Twist. Turn. Loop back. Another turn.

The foolish beast had no idea. It was slithering straight into a trap of its own body.

Soon, the chase tightened.

The snake lunged—but instead of striking, it found itself caught in its own coil.

It thrashed, trying to correct its position, but the tangled mess of its own body made movement impossible.

It could still move its head—but that was all.

Checkmate.

He activated Stealth, vanishing from its sight.

Then—he struck.

A sudden, vicious kick—directly to its eye.

The serpent recoiled in agony, hissing wildly. Its body convulsed, smashing against the rocks in frustration.

But that wasn't the real damage. That was the bait.

He stepped in front of it, staring it down.

It saw him.

Rage filled its eyes.

It flicked its tongue out—and that was the moment he needed.

His hands shot forward.

He grabbed the tongue.

A sharp, wet muscle, twisting and writhing in his grip. It tried to pull back, but he held firm.

All of his remaining 10 stat points had been dumped into Strength.

And now—he used them.

The snake's own strength betrayed it.

Its head slammed against the cavern wall with a sickening crack.

The impact left it stunned. Its coils loosened slightly.

Then—pure fury.

It pulled its tongue back with full force, yanking him toward its open mouth.

Exactly as planned.

He didn't resist.

He let the force pull him in.

The world turned dark as its jaws clamped down—but he was already moving.

His fists slammed into the soft flesh inside.

Again. Again. Again.

Every punch landed deeper, sending violent tremors through its body. The creature convulsed, its pain turning into something closer to terror.

Then—he felt something.

Something sharp.

A fang.

Without hesitation, he ripped it free.

A furious, agonized hiss erupted from the beast as blood sprayed from its mouth.

It spat him out, but it was already too late.

He landed, the serpent's own fang clutched in his hand.

A weapon. His first weapon.

The snake coiled back, preparing for a final strike.

But he didn't let it.

Using his enhanced agility, he sprinted toward the cavern wall, running up the uneven surface to gain momentum.

Then—he leaped.

The stolen fang glinted in his grip.

With all his force, he drove it straight into the beast's skull.

The snake howled in pain, thrashing wildly.

But the fang wasn't enough to kill it outright.

That didn't matter.

Because the snake finished the job itself.

In its blind agony, it slammed its head against the cavern ceiling.

Once.

Twice.

Then—silence.

The massive body collapsed.

Lifeless.

He stood there, breathing heavily, fang still clutched in his hand.

A mere human. No combat experience. No proper weapon.

And yet—he had won.

A single notification flickered before his eyes.

[System: First Kill Achieved.]

[System: 250 XP Gained]

[Level Up! Reached Level 3.]

[Stealth upgraded to Level 3.]

[New Skill Acquired: Pain Resistance (Lv 1).]

He blinked, his vision blurred with exhaustion. The notifications hovered before his eyes, but it took a moment for them to register.

Checking the system, he saw that all his base stats had increased by 2 points—except for SP, Mana, and Luck, which remained unchanged.

Bonus Reward: +5 Stat Points

But one thing stood out.

Pain Resistance (Lv 1)

Unlike his other stats, which were simple numbers, this one had a level attached to it. Even more troubling—it couldn't be upgraded manually. No stat points could be assigned to it.

It could only grow through experiencing more pain.

Why did I get this?

Then—it hit him.

A sharp, searing agony exploded in his left arm, radiating through his entire body.

His adrenaline had been masking it, but now that the battle was over, his body finally felt the damage.

He gasped, his vision going white for a second as pain roared through his nerves like wildfire.

His left arm—it was torn open.

Deep gashes ran down from his forearm to his wrist, where the serpent's teeth had grazed him. Blood trickled steadily from the wounds, staining his hand red.

His legs gave out.

He collapsed to the ground, his back resting against the cooling corpse of the serpent he had just slain.

Fatigue had finally caught him.

Darkness consumed everything.