THE SKILL TREE

Rave ran like his life totally depended on it and frankly, it did. Adrenaline pumping through his veins as the horde of rats chased him, their claws scraping the stone floor, their red eyes burning with rage.

"I am NOT getting eaten by these filthy rats!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the maze of tunnels.

He gripped the two tusks he had left, cursing himself for leaving the rest outside to dig those holes. But there was no time for regrets. These were all he had, and he had to make them fully used or else the rats will use their claws.

He spun around, his muscles tightening as he hurled the first tusk with all his strength. It flew straight, piercing through a rat's chest. The creature collapsed instantly, its body tumbling back, tripping up the ones behind it.

A system prompt flashed before his eyes:

[Lesser Tier Metal Claw Rat killed. Obtained its core.]

He didn't have time to celebrate. Another rat lunged at him, jaws snapping. Rave ducked, his Swift Steps skill kicking in, boosting his speed just enough to dodge the attack. He stabbed forward with the second tusk, striking the rat right in the heart and next second it dropped lifeless.

[Lesser Tier Metal Claw Rat killed. Obtained its core.]

Rave's chest heaved as he pulled the tusks free, blood dripping from its tip. These rats were fast and vicious, but their defenses were weak. And with his skills, he could still fight back.

But there were too many. Their numbers were endless, more pouring in from the dark tunnels. Rave tightened his grip on the tusks, his eyes flicking around for an escape. His body screamed in pain, exhaustion setting in, but he couldn't stop.

"Damn it. I have to get out of here!" he growled, turning and sprinting deeper into the labyrinth, the rats right on his back.

Time dragged on around the chase.

Rave could feel his strength fading rapidly. His legs grew heavy, his steps became slower. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and now his body was paying the price. His vision blurred, and his head felt dizzy. Even still he was murmering few words to make himself not fell in unconsious.

"I can't die here," he muttered, forcing himself to keep moving. "I just got another chance at life and I won't lose it now!" he shouted loudly at the air.

Just then, a sharp pain shot through his back, knocking him forward. He crashed to the ground, his body skidding across the rough stone floor. He looked back and saw one of the rats snarling, its claws dripping with his blood. A fresh wave of pain surged through him, and he gritted his teeth.

"Aghhh...!" he groaned, but he didn't have a chance to wallow in pain. He pushed himself up and, without a second thought, hurling his tusk at the rat. It pierced the creature's chest, killing it instantly.

[Lesser Tier Metal Claw Rat killed. Obtained its core.]

But he didn't retrieve the tusk as the rest of the horde was closing in and their red eyes fixed on him. Rave stumbled back, his heart racing. He was down to just one weapon now.

He turned and ran, blood streaming from his wounds, his body screaming in agony. The rats were relentless, claws ripping into his flesh as he fought to stay on his feet. Pain flared up with every step, but he forced himself to keep moving, his only lifeline being the Vital Surge skill. It dulled the pain just enough to let him push forward, but his energy was nearly gone.

But then, a system prompt poped before his eyes:

[Passive Skill: Stone Body obtained]

[+10 Defense]

Rave's eyes widened. "What...?" he gasped, hope flaring inside him. Just then, a strange energy surged through his body, spreading to every cell. His muscles tightened, his skin felt tougher, and the bleeding from his wounds stopped, though the cuts didn't heal.

He took a shaky breath, feeling a small burst of strength return. "This... this might save me," he whispered and bolted forward. His speed increasing just a bit. The rats' claws still reached him, but now they only left bruises instead of deep gashes.

But he knew this defense wouldn't last forever under these hundreads of rats chasing after him like frantic. He needed a way out.

Ahead, a narrow tunnel appeared out of the darkness, just big enough for him to squeeze through. He didn't think twice. He dove into the tunnel, scrambling through the tight space, his body brushing against the rough stone walls.

A moment later, he stumbled out on the other side, collapsing onto the cold floor. It was eerily dark, the only light coming from a few flickering torches mounted on the walls. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath.

He was safe... for now. But he knew the rats wouldn't give up that easily.

Rave didn't waste a second. Using the last of his strength, he demolished the tunnel by sliding all the sand down. He watched as the entrance collapsed, sealing off the rats' path to him. Finally, he was safe.

His knees buckled, and he sank to the ground, his body trembling from exhaustion. His eyes locked on the wall, his vision blurred with tears he didn't realize he was holding back. Fear still gripped his heart, his chest heaving as he tried to calm his racing breaths.

"Why the hell did I even come to this world?" he muttered, his voice breaking while taking the deep breaths. "Why didn't I think about these dangers...?" He wiped his eyes roughly, anger and frustration boiling inside him.

As he was feeling some what releved with a great escape, a scratching sound echoed through the air. It was faint at first but growing louder. Rave's eyes widened as he turned to face the wall.

"No... Don't tell me..." he whispered, horror settling into his bones. The rats were digging into the wall. Not just one, but all of them, each carving out their own tunnel towords him.

"Fuck these beasts, why the hell they were chasing after me" he cried out in anger. The sheer number of burrowing holes weakened the structure of the wall as the sand shifting dangerously.

Cracks formed at the destroyed tunnel, spiderwebbing across the wall. The noise grew louder and a deep rumble that made the ground to vibrate. It was like standing under a gathering storm, the roar building up around him.

"Stupid creatures... even dumber than me," he muttered, trying to steady his breathing. But before he could react, the entire wall—stretching as far as a kingdom's border walls—squeezed inward.

The hundreds of layers that had formed over centuries merged together, the gaps between disappearing as the wall compressed with incredible force. The rats caught in the middle were crushed instantly, their tunnels collapsing on top of them.

A deafening roar echoed through the labyrinth as dust and sand exploded outward, the force of the collapse shaking the ground beneath him. Rave shielded his face, his heart pounding as he watched the spectacle, more shocking was he was get notifications of their death.

[Lesser Tier Metal Claw Rat killed. Obtained its core.]

[Lesser Tier Metal Claw Rat killed. Obtained its core.]

.

.

.

Hundreads of prompts blurred his vision for a second.

When the dust finally settled, there was nothing left of the rats. No sound, no movement. Only a solid wall of sand, sealed shut by its own weight.

Rave stared at it, his body still trembling. "I... I actually survived... and I even get their beast cores. Is this my dream or what " he whispered, his voice shaking in excitement. A broken laugh escaped his lips, his fear slowly giving way to relief. "God is with m…"

But just as relief washed over him, his heart sank another time. It was third time on that day and only in this labyrinth. The wall started to bend toward him slowly, a massive section breaking loose, ready to crash down.

Rave's blood ran cold. The shadow of the falling wall loomed over him, blocking out the light from those minor torches. Every hair on his body stood on end as he realized there was no way out. No time to run.

He dropped to the ground in despair, curling into a tight ball, his arms wrapped around his head, his knees pulled up to his chest. "Please... let it be quick and painless," he lost intreast in living any more. One after another, shock after shock, stars were rotating around his head and any time he will just die of heart attack due the surprises and twists seen in this world.

As crounched low the ground beneath him quaked, the deafening rumble of the collapsing wall echoing around him.

The air grew heavy as the sounds from the crumbling wall felt thundrous. Dust and sand blasted around him, the shockwave making his body tremble. Rave squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the end.

He stayed like that, waiting... waiting for the crushing impact, for the darkness to take him. But nothing happened.

After a long moment, Rave opened his eyes slowly, confused to why he didnt die now. Slowly, he lifted his head, his body trembling as he looked up.

And then his jaw dropped. "What... in the world...?"