NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 6: No Way Out
A dull ache pulsed through his body as he stirred awake, his back pressed against the cold stone floor. His muscles convulsed, pain wracking his limbs with each shallow breath. His vision swam, unfocused, before settling on a glowing notification hovering before his eyes.
[Beginner's Blessing Used]
His brows furrowed. What the hell does that mean?
No explanation followed. No further system prompts. Just that single line. He had no choice but to push the confusion aside for now.
With effort, he opened his status screen.
To his shock, both his HP and Stamina were completely restored.
More than that, his Pain Resistance skill had leveled up to Lv 2. His Combat Experience had jumped to 200 points. And…
[Max HP: 920
Max Stamina: 630]
A pattern emerged. His maximum limits had increased—exactly 5 points per level.
So leveling up wasn't just about stat points. His very body was evolving, adapting to survive.
Yet before he could fully process the implications, a far more immediate problem struck him.
Hunger. Thirst.
His stomach twisted painfully, his dry throat screaming for relief. The exhaustion from his battle had masked it before, but now the full weight of starvation bore down on him.
His mind scrambled for solutions. Food. He needed food.
His gaze drifted toward the massive serpent's corpse beside him.
He immediately shut down the thought.
No way in hell. That thing wasn't meant to be eaten. He didn't even know if it was poisonous.
He opened his inventory instead. Relief flooded him as he found two buns and two bottles of water. Not much—but enough to keep him alive for now.
He tore into a bun, devouring it in seconds, washing it down with half a bottle of water.
The temporary relief was immediate, but the looming dread remained.
He had one more meal left.
Then what?
His entire body tensed. If he stayed here, hunger would kill him. If he moved, the serpents would rip him apart.
A death trap.
A cursed place where his choices were limited to suffering or death.
His fists clenched. "Damn it… Damn it! DAMN IT!"
The words echoed through the cavern, swallowed by the darkness.
Then—
[System: Quest Available.]