NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: The Death
In the Grand Abyss Labyrinth's 1st Floor, at one of the eight starting areas.
'This can't be happening. We are all classmates, and this is our important day…my important day to change my life, so why…'
A black-haired young man with a thin figure was in a dark hall made of stones and illuminated with flame torches on the stone pillars every ten meters apart.
Almond Crowshade turned eighteen nine days ago in his second life which wasn't aware of yet, and was dealt with a bad hand in this new life.
"Hey, Almond. You're lucky, eh? Come on, give that thing you got from the treasure chest. I can't believe you found a treasure chest in the starting area."
A young man with dark red hair and two other boys of the same age surrounded Almond, his back against a pillar as he looked at the trio with a mixture of fear and hate.
The dark red-haired young man grabbed Almond's black hair and forced him to look at him, a hint of jealousy in his eyes, "I hate your eyes, bastard. They always glow in golden-almond color in light, like your fucking name. Hurry up and take out the thing you got!"
*Ptui*
Almond clenched his teeth, feeling anger but also helplessness as he wiped away the spit from his face.
'I can't overpower him even if I use the Physical Enchantment I've learned...! Damn my body! Why is it so weak!? If only I had some time to level up! Fuck!'
[Lamp Benom]
-Adventurer rank: Bronze.
-Level: 1
-Class: B-rank Flame Sorcerer.
-Stats:
-Physical:
↳[Strength: ??? | Health: ??? | Stamina: ???]
-Magic:
↳[Mana: ??? | Focus: ??? | Perception: ???]
Almond couldn't see their class or stats usually, but since he had learned about Lamp's class from his own mouth, it appeared in the interface. As long as the information he heard was true, it would appear in the interface.
He looked at his classmates with a mixture of hate and fear. As his luck would have it, after entering the labyrinth that was mandatory by the system for everyone who turned eighteen and awakened their class, he encountered these bastards.
There were eight beginning areas on the Labyrinth's first floor, eight different corners. After entering any of the thousands of gates, one would arrive at one of the eight areas in this Grand Abyss Labyrinth, but he just had to encounter these bastards from his class, thanks to his misfortune.
"Pff, he selected the Support role and got a D-rank Clergyman class, hahaha. I know you have some defect making you physically weak and all, but seriously…did you think you could do anything with this class on your own?"
*Smack*
A punch struck Almond's face, making his nose bleed.
"If you don't want to die, hand over the thing you got," the blue-haired young man put the dagger at Almond's throat, his eyes menacing as he grinned sadistically.
[Seyung Kim]
-Adventurer rank: Bronze.
-Level: 1
-Class: C-rank Dagger Killer.
-Stats.
-Physical:
↳[Strength: ??? | Health: ??? | Stamina: ???]
-Magic
↳[Mana: ??? | Focus: ??? | Perception: ???]
"Hurry up, Almond. Nobody is waiting outside to cry for you, and nobody gives a damn. Stop wasting our time," said the third boy with an annoyed expression.
He had brown hair and looked at Almond as if he were looking at a dead man, his eyes cold as he felt no empathy.
[Jacob Roshir]
-Adventurer rank: Bronze.
-Level: 1
-Class: A-rank Sentinel Swordsman.
-Stats.
-Physical:
↳[Strength: ??? | Health: ??? | Stamina: ???]
-Magic
↳[Mana: ??? | Focus: ??? | Perception: ???]
"Seriously… Just disappear and rest in peace, would ya? Weaklings are supposed to die here in the first place," Jacob said with a deadpan expression.
'Why can't you leave me alone?!' Almond's eyes were bloodshot as fear of death enveloped him. He really felt they were going to kill him, especially Jacob.
'This was my chance to turn my life around, but these pieces of trash!!'
'I have to survive for now.'
Almond tremblingly took out the reward from the treasure chest he got. He had no other choice.
It was a Rare-grade item called Pearl of Light Flower, able to cure all types of harmful effects and give a protection barrier for ten seconds after activating it with a cooldown of 1 day.
He was super lucky to find a treasure chest right after entering Labyrinth's first floor in this area, and even more lucky to find a Rare-grade item inside the Bronze treasure chest.
But now, he had to give it away.
"Damn, this bastard got a Rare-grade accessory item?!"
"That's pretty lucky, eh?"
"It's super lucky to get this here, lol! But I guess we are the lucky ones, boss," Seyung grinned.
"Thanks, Almond," Seyung Kin looked at Almond with squinted eyes and a nasty smile, his dagger still on Almond's throat.
"You said you would let me go…" Almond's eyes were filled with more and more fear of death as he saw Seyung's eyes.
'Will he kill me? No way, right?'
'He is eighteen years old, first time entering the labyrinth like me.'
'Will he kill his classmate for nothing?'
"Are we really gonna kill him?" Lamp asked while looking at Almond, looking slightly nervous.
"Tsk," Jacob picked his right ear boringly and turned around. "Finish him off, Seyung. Today is your debut killing."
"My father told me that if I make a conflict, I have to make sure there are no loose ends," Jacob glanced at Lamp to his side. "If we don't want complications Almond can bring, we have to finish him off."
"Do it, Seyung."
"Yes, boss!"
"No," Almond's pupils shrank. He tried to get up using all of his strength, but it was lower than Jacob who suddenly pressed his foot on my shoulder.
"Sit down," Jacob snorted.
Seyung grinned, ready to slash his dagger.
'Don't!'
'I only have two skills…Healing Wisp and Cord of Peace. I have to…'
*Slash!*
[Your Health is dropping rapidly. You have been poisoned.]
'Use…them...'
"Let's go. And Lamp," Jacob turned to Lamp. "Get used to killing if you want to join my father's guild."
"S-Sure."
"I killed somebody, but it doesn't feel much. Hey, Jacob, I want to kill one more," Seyung displayed a nasty grin.
Meanwhile, Lamp was pretty nervous and even felt like throwing up seeing Almond twitching, but he held it in and turned around.
"Let's see…" Jacob looked at the map he brought. "We are in this area of the first floor."
"We should start with the goblin settlement in the west. It's not far and a perfect starting area to hunt. They are easier to kill with our team, and once we level up, we'll target the goblin colony," Jacob put away the map and said, "Let's go."
"We might also meet some people on the way," he added with a grin.
"Hopefully we meet more of our classmates, hehe. We can form a team with our lead in that case."
Almond looked at them with blurry vision as they walked away. He heard their words for several seconds before everything started going blank.
[You have used Healing Wisp (D).]
Healing Wisp: Create a wisp that can enter into a wound, purify it from harmful effects, and heal the wound.
[You have used the Whisper of Peace (D).]
Whisper of Peace: Alliavete the pain and calm the mind.
[Your Health is at a critical juncture.]
[Your Mana is drained. Poison can't be removed completely.]
[Your Health is at a critical juncture.]
'I am…not dead…yet?'
Almond regained his consciousness, but the system notification told him that his survival chances were…zero.
'I can't do anything?'
'Why did I have to get the treasure chest right off the bat?'
'Would they have left me alone if I didn't find the treasure chest?'
[Your death is imminent.]
'I don't want to die.'
'I don't want to die!'
Almond looked at the system panel.
'Is there no way?'
'Anyone out there?'
'Help…'
[Your lifeforce connection is ending.]
'I don't want to die…I just turned eighteen, and this was my chance to turn my life around!'
'I don't want to die!!'
[You are dead.]
[...condition fulfilled.]