Mushoku Tensei: A different path

(Rudeus POV)

Time blurred as I navigated the labyrinth of tunnels. The noises coming from deep within them were unbearable, pressing in from all sides as though the maze itself sought to smother me.

Every step is weighed down by constant anxiety. My right leg throbbed in pain; the injury had lingered far too long. Still, I pressed on, driven only by the instinct to survive.

Again and again, I encountered black dragons prowling through the caves. After stepping into their nest, they were hell driven to find me no matter what.

Even if rested for just a second, I could feel the tremors of their movements in the stone beneath my feet, a constant reminder of the danger lurking around every corner.

Somehow, I always managed to escape—just barely. Whether by hiding in cracks, raising barriers to protect myself, using mist as cover, or doubling back at the last second, I managed to avoid becoming another smear on the cavern floor.

But with each near miss, my strength ebbed further, and my movements grew sluggish. Each I get into a brush with death, their adaptability to my attacks increases with each encounter.

My body screamed for rest, but there was no time. If I stopped for too long, I would die.

And yet, I still couldn't figure out the layout of this labyrinth after all the time. I was too occupied to run for my life to make out any marking point the dragons might be using.

When I finally found a small chamber hidden behind a narrow, jagged crevice, I could barely stand. My muscles trembled as I squeezed through the opening. The small space offered me just enough room to sit, and the low ceiling ensured that no dragon could follow me.

No matter how precarious my situation, I always gripped my staff firmly with both hands, continuously channeling mana into it while striving to stay awake as much as possible, even as I tried to snatch the slightest bit of rest.

Although my method for staying awake isn't perfect, and I struggle to maintain alertness, another factor has been hindering my sleep, even making me forget about my leg entirely.

I winced and clutched my abdomen. My stomach growled, the sound echoing through the cramped space. Hunger gnawed at me relentlessly.

I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten before falling into this hellhole. The adrenaline had dulled the sensation until now, but the moment I found a tiny sliver of safety, the emptiness in my gut was impossible to ignore. It was a hollow, aching void that nothing could fill.

"This can't go on," I muttered weakly. "I need... I need food."

But there was nothing. At least, nothing that seemed edible. I was almost desperate enough to try the glowing moss, regardless if the dragons used their homemade fertilizer to grow it.

My eyes drifted to my staff, glowing faintly, casting eerie shadows that danced across the stone. I would have been doomed if I didn't have [Aqua Heartia] with me. I really need to repay Eris for this wonderful present.

Yet, as reliable as this tool is, the magic that had kept me alive so far wouldn't conjure food from thin air.

The thought of food, real food, made my stomach twist in desperation. The hunger that had gnawed at me for so long now felt like an unbearable force that clouded my thoughts and dulled my senses.

I couldn't remember the last time I felt this empty and desperate.

That feeling was foreign to me for most of my previous life during my two decades as a shut-in. And yet, in this world, it has never gone as far as this.

The scarce knowledge I accumulated from that miserable life never seemed as useless until now.

"The strong survive, and the weak stay weak," I muttered, laughing at how ironic it was.

I wasn't strong enough to leave that room, and now I'm not strong enough to escape this nest.

Back then, my own will kept me from leaving that room; the terrifying thought of experiencing such humility and betrayal in humanity once more lingered.

Now, however, I was surrounded by the menacing presence of monstrous beasts determined to annihilate an uninvited intruder who had dared to step into their domain, especially the place where they safeguarded their offspring.

I couldn't help but despise those dragons just as much as I hated my previous self, even if they were just reptiles going after instinct.

'Hmm. Now that I recall, wasn't there a mention of reptiles sharing common ancestors with chickens? That's why many claim they have a similar taste... Wait, chickens?'

From that little fun fact, a thought began to take root, one I couldn't shake even as I tried to ignore it. Why haven't I thought about that earlier?

The dragons. They were just as much living creatures as any other, weren't they? And they were made of flesh. If I could kill one… just one... I might survive a little longer.

The idea made my stomach twist further but made my mouth drool a little.

Killing a dragon, dragging its carcass through the caverns, and cutting it apart for food… It was madness to go through with this. Yet the gnawing hunger in my gut made the line between madness and reason increasingly difficult to distinguish. Survival felt like the only thing that mattered now.

"I have to," I whispered hoarsely, almost convincing myself. "I can't starve to death in this hole."

It felt like I had gained some strength, even if just a little. But I wasn't going to let myself end this way.

Armed only with my staff and the ever-dwindling remnants of my strength, I ventured back into the labyrinth of tunnels. My senses were on edge. Every step was deliberate, every sound amplified.

My legs felt like they were made of lead, each movement bringing me closer to collapsing. But I couldn't stop. I had to keep going and fighting the urge to give up.

It wasn't long before I found one. The dragon prowled in an open cavern, its massive form silhouetted against the faint bioluminescent glow of fungi dotting the walls.

It was smaller than others I'd seen but still enormous compared to me. Its black scales shimmered faintly in the dim light, and its tail lashed lazily against the ground. The deep rumble of its growls reverberated through the stone, setting my teeth on edge.

My heart pounded in my chest as I ducked behind a jagged outcrop of rock. I could hear its hot and heavy breath filling the cavern.

I pressed myself flat against the cool stone, trying to blend into the shadows. From this position, I had a clear view of the dragon. Its glowing eyes scanned the darkness, and I could feel the ground tremble with every step it took.

I gripped my staff tightly, my mind racing. I couldn't overpower it outright. My only hope was to strike hard and fast.

With trembling fingers, I gathered my mana, amplified it with [Aqua Heartia], and then shaped it into a compressed [Stone Canon] that would strike with the force of a boulder.

The stones erupted from my staff, slamming into the dragon square on the side of its neck. It roared in pain, its glowing eyes snapping toward me. The cavern seemed to shake as the beast staggered, its claws scraping across the ground in a deadly arc.

Even when facing a juvenile, I could only manage to scrape it a bit. These scales definitely serve their purpose instead of just being decorative.

Driven by fierce bloodlust, the scaled beast lunged at me, its poisonous jaws wide open.

I barely rolled to the side in time, narrowly avoiding being crushed by its massive jaw.

I fired another [Stone Canon], this time hitting its shoulder. The dragon shrieked, black blood oozing from the wound, but it wasn't enough to bring it down. It thrashed wildly, its tail smashing against the ground, sending dust and moose all over the place.

I ducked behind a stalagmite, using the terrain to my advantage as the dragon's enraged roar filled the air.

Every moment was a dance with death. The dragon's jaws snapped inches from me, its breath foul and hot. I threw up barriers to deflect its strikes, but each one drained me further, each spell wearing away at my already diminished reserves. I needed to finish this, but my body screamed for rest and nutrition, my vision blurring at the edges.

Finally, I saw an opening. The dragon lunged, its momentum carrying it forward as I sidestepped. I turned and channeled every ounce of my remaining strength into another [Stone Canon].

The energy just shot through me, and the slap of stone slammed into the dragon's skull with a deafening crack. The beast reeled back, its roar turning into a garbled cry, before collapsing in a heap. Its body twitched once before falling still.

I stood there, panting and trembling, staring at the fallen creature.

Thank goodness it was just a juvenile. If it had been an adult or if more dragons were nearby to help, I wouldn't have made it.

My stomach growled louder, reminding me that I had no time to waste. The scent of blood would surely draw others. I couldn't afford to hesitate.

Instead of trying to move the massive carcass, I focused on its tail. It was thick and muscular, and it looked like the most manageable part of the creature.

I took out my rough stone knife, forged with Earth Magic. Its edge is jagged yet sharp enough for the job.

Cutting through the tail's tough hide was a slow, exhausting process. My arms burned with effort, and the black blood coated my hands and knife. It was nauseating to watch as the blood pooled around the wound, dark and viscous.

Finally, with a sickening rip, I severed the tail from the body.

At around five feet in length, the scant scales and bones from the wound still exuded a menacing aura. Or, it could just be that there was some poison stored inside of it.

I hoisted it onto my shoulder, struggling under its weight, and staggered back toward my small refuge, careful not to attract any of its brethren.

By the time I reached the crevice, I could barely stand. My muscles felt like they were made of stone, and I collapsed, breathless.

The tail slid off my shoulder and onto the cold floor, its strange liquid leaking out in thick, black rivulets. Poison. I'd expected it, but seeing it was another matter entirely.

I hesitated, knife hovering over the flesh. The poison in the blood was potent—deadly, even—but hunger clawed at me from within. My stomach twisted in protest. My skills in Detoxification Magic were rudimentary at best, nowhere near enough to deal with the venom of such a high-ranking monster. But the hunger… it felt like a fire consuming me from the inside.

With a grimace, I cut off the hide first. Before cutting it into pieces, I cast at least ten beginner-level Detoxification Spells on the meat, hoping it would lower the poison, even if just a little bit. Then, I crafted a bucket filled with water with my Magic, washing every piece on itself to wash out some of the remaining poison.

Cooking it in any way would risk attracting the other dragons, so I had to eat it raw.

I grimaced as I held the first piece in my hands. The smell was foul and sour with decay.

If only I had some soy sauce paired with a bowl of rice. But if I had rice, I wouldn't be caught dead eating like a barbarian.

With every bit of willpower I could muster, I forced the dragon flesh into my mouth. The taste was bitter and metallic, like rust and rot. Still, I forced it down, barely able to chew on it. Bite after bite, I ate, my tears mingling with the dragon's blood as my stomach twisted in protest.

The pain came quickly. A sharp, burning agony spread through my gut. I gritted my teeth against the searing heat, but I couldn't stop. My body was failing, but I had no choice. Survival demanded that I sacrifice my body to the poison if I was to have any chance of living.

The burn intensified, and my veins felt like they were on fire as the poison worked its way through me. I kept eating, forcing myself to swallow another bite, though my body trembled with every movement. The sharp ache in my stomach seemed to consume everything, but I couldn't stop—not yet.

Somewhere in the haze of nausea and pain, I felt a change. The searing pain in my stomach began to ease, shifting into a dull throb. The poison was still there, still dangerous, but it no longer felt like it was killing me.

Once I finished eating, I let out a ragged breath, a flicker of hope surging through me as the void in my stomach was finally filled. I wasn't out of danger, but I was still alive.

A bit of the tail meat remained, yet I was unaware of how keenly the dragons could detect the scent of their fallen kin. As much as I would like to avoid going through such an awful experience again, I would need to keep it rationed in this chamber.

Then, a distant rumble reached my ears—the unmistakable sound of claws scraping against stone.

I forced myself to my feet, legs weak and unsteady from the lingering effects of the poison.

'Shit. I figured this would happen, but not so soon.'

The dragon's blood had drawn others. I tried to be as careful as possible on my way here, but it wasn't enough.

Panic surged as I staggered toward the narrow crevice. My right leg buckled beneath me, but I pushed through the pain. I had to move.

The sound of the approaching dragon grew louder, echoing through the labyrinth. Desperation fueled my every movement as I gathered my mana.

With a deep breath, I quickly conjured a stone lance and waited for the beast to examine the crevice, one of its vital spots exposed for my shot.

I hurled it toward the incoming beast. It struck true, piercing the dragon's eye and into its head, sending it crashing to the ground with a final, agonized roar.

I barely had time to register my victory before a sharp, shrill screech echoed through the caverns, reverberating off the walls. The sound was frantic, too loud.

No. More dragons were coming.

I can't dispose of the body quickly enough. They are going to find out about my hiding spot soon.

As much as I hated repeating this, I had to run away again.

Crawling through the crevice from the haven I temporarily occupied, I made my way past the dragon carcass and back into the tunnels of the cavern.

Their screeches reverberated through the tunnels, louder and more frequent. They were coming. And this time, they were closer to catching me than ever before.

But I had to move. I had to persist for as long as I possessed the will to live.

The maze of tunnels felt suffocating, every corridor looking the same. Despite the unsettling sensation of running in circles, I pushed onward, making turn after turn in a frantic effort to escape my pursuers.

And then, I found myself in a large chamber.

The space was vast, the ceiling towering high above, lost in the shadows. Stalactites hung like jagged teeth, dripping with moisture that glistened in the faint bioluminescence of the moss-covered walls.

For a moment, I allowed myself to hope.

But that tinge of hope shattered the moment I saw shapes emerge from every passage this chamber had, even the one I came from.

Black scales glinted in the dim light, and golden eyes glowed like embers in the dark. It was the Black Dragons. They have reached me.

I was surrounded. The realization hit me like a blow to the chest, knocking the breath from my lungs. There was no escape. No hidden crevice to wedge myself into, no convenient terrain to exploit.

I tightened my grip on my staff, my knuckles turning white. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, but where? There was nowhere to go. I was… doomed.

The dragons encircled me, their growls intensifying and becoming more menacing. Their movements felt calculated, almost taunting. They were aware I was cornered, and they relished the suspense.

Among them, one figure clearly emerged as the most compelling, confidently entering as the others instinctively parted to create space.

It was by far the largest of them. Its hide was scarred, its scales rough, and its tails and wings adorned with spikes, the tips oozing acid fluid.

This was the alpha—the one who had claimed leadership through the law of domination. And strong it was.

The massive dragon, the alpha of the nest, fixed its glowing golden eyes on me. Its gaze radiated an intelligence far beyond what I had expected—a cold, calculating malice that promised my end.

Somehow, I knew that it recognized me as the intruder they had been hunting for the last few days, and it made me feel a cold shiver run down my spine. My breath hitched as I struggled to calm the storm of fear rising in my chest.

There was no running now. This... this might be my end.

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