Running on Empty

The town of Westwood was closer now, its spattering of wood and stone buildings grew dark as the sun retreated from the sky above. Every step I took sent pain through my legs, they felt like jello, and my back wasn't doing much better, even my arms felt numb as they held her legs up to keep her from spilling off of me. Mara's limp form weighed against my back, her head lolling slightly as I adjusted my grip to keep her steady. She was alive, and the damage from the Alpha Dire Worlf was minimal, especially after her healing, but her overzealous spellcasting had left her unconscious and nearly as pale as the faint glow of moonlight that had begun to shine in the sky. 

Each step was met with the dull ache of my muscles screaming in protest. My health bar wasn't great, but I would survive. My stamina was far worse, and I would likely survive, as it hovered just above empty. 

Westwood was such a short distance away and would provide us shelter from the night and all that dwelled within, but despite how close it was, my legs refused to hear it, to them it might as well have been on the other side of the mountains.

"Come on, Lucian," I muttered under my breath. "You've done harder things. Like dying. That was fun, remember? And don't forget the second time you died or the third."

Every so often, a wagon would roll by or a mounted traveler would pass, I tried to flag them down for help but they rushed past me. If I hadn't seemed like a murderer before, now that I had an unconscious woman draped over my back, that probably solidified their concerns.

"Not much farther," I whispered, more for my benefit than anything.

But my legs were done negotiating. They buckled beneath me, and I staggered forward, catching myself just before we both collapsed. My breath was coming in short gasps, and my heart was pounding in my ears as my stamina bar was running on fumes.

Wait, didn't I have a level I could use? I don't remember allocating my points. That might be just enough to get me there, at least I hope so.

Name: Lucian

Level: 11

Race: Parasite

Health: 21/21

Mana: 42/42

[Experience: 15,392/25,600]

[Current Attributes]

Strength: 17

Dexterity: 17

Constitution: 24

Intelligence: 22

Perception: 14

Willpower: 30

Host Health: 150/150

Host Mana 50/50

[Skill Points Available: 2]

[Attribute Points: 5]

[Bonus Attribute Points: 5]

[Attribute Points Available: 10]

God damn, I'm not sure what happened, hadn't even realized I my body healed and my mana had been restored out of combat, but aside from the absolute exhaustion, I wasn't in bad condition. 

Put 5 points in Constitution to get some stamina back, and maybe 5 points in dexterity to better use it? I don't want to just dump everything into con, as badly as I need it, but it is tempting. Yeah, this is what I want, go for it system. 

[Constitution Leveled to 24 from 19]

[Stamina: 1/290]

[HP: 35/35]

[Dexterity Leveled to 22 from 17]

This is bullshit, system, why am I still exhausted?

[System Response: Request acknowledged.]

[Inquiry: Stamina not improved upon leveling.]

[Explanation: Stamina is inherently tied to the host's physical body and does not increase directly through leveling your parasite form. Improvements to constitution enhance host's stamina regeneration rather than host's total stamina capacity. This allows the host to recover stamina more efficiently over time but does not affect the host's innate physical limitations.]

[Current Stamina Regeneration Rate: 290×0.024=6.96290 \times 0.024 = 6.96290×0.024=6.96 stamina per minute.]

[Would you like to access the available abilities for review and allocation?]

The sound of struggles and snarling echoed within the woods around me as I processed my choices. I couldn't stay any longer, there wasn't a lot of distance between us as safety, so I would just have to deal with the pain and take things a bit further than I had hoped and deal with the abilities tomorrow.

I didn't have a choice. To hell with the consequences.

[Nerve Surge Available: 6 Mana Cost]

Nerve Surge (Active): Send a surge of adrenaline through the host's nervous system, granting a temporary burst of speed or strength at the cost of host stamina. Costs 6 Mana. Prolonged use may cause host damage.

I had been walking for some time now and my mana was fine, but how would this work with nearly zero stamina? The threat of prolonged use hung in the air; was that just keeping it active for too long, or was it tied more to stamina? 

"Tomorrow's going to suck," I muttered, activating the ability.

[Nerve Surge Activated]

[Current Mana: 44/50]

The surge of adrenaline hit like lightning, electrifying my body and overriding the exhaustion. My muscles burned, my vision sharpened, and I dashed forward with ease, no longer feeling Mara's weight or the pains in my body, but I knew the price. The warning signs flashed in my peripheral vision like red sirens.

[Warning: Stamina Depleted. Risk of host collapse imminent. Continued exertion or sustained use of Nerve Surge may result in unconsciousness or host incapacitation. Recovery period may extend significantly if thresholds are exceeded.]

The town gates loomed ahead, and with a final burst of effort, I stumbled into Westwood. The guard at the entrance barely spared me a glance, though his nose wrinkled at the sight of me. I didn't care.

The inn was the closest sanctuary, its wooden sign creaking as it swayed in the faint evening breeze. I pushed the door open with my shoulder, the warm glow of the hearth light spilling out to greet me. The innkeeper, a middle-aged man with a grizzled beard, looked up from behind the counter.

I fished out a gold coin from my pouch, slapping it onto the counter with more force than necessary. "Room," I rasped.

The innkeeper hesitated, his gaze flickering to Mara's unconscious form. He looked like he had questions, but the sight of the gold silenced them. With a nod, he slid a key across the counter.

"Top of the stairs, second door on the right," he said.

I grabbed the key, my hands shaking as I adjusted my grip on Mara. The stairs were a cruel joke, each step was like scaling a mountain as my body screamed for rest. By the time I reached the room, I was drenched in sweat, my vision blurring, and the same warning flashing, with every new notification another bar of red highlighted the warning.

The door creaked open, revealing a modest space with a single bed, a small table, and a chair. The bed might as well have been a throne.

I laid Mara down as gently as I could, tucking her staff at her side and making sure she was comfortable. Her face was peaceful, her breathing steady.

"Guess you'll be fine," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper.

My legs gave out, and I slumped to the floor, my back against the side of the bed. My head tilted back until it rested on the mattress, the warmth of the room pulling me into a haze of exhaustion.

The world spun around me, the edges of my vision fading into darkness. My last thought before sleep claimed me was a faint hope that tomorrow would be less exhausting.

It wouldn't be. But for now, I didn't care.

And for the first time in a long while, I felt safe.

[Neural Surge Deactivated]

[Strength Leveled to 18 from 17]

[Dexterity Leveled to 23 from 22]

[Constitution Leveled to 30 from 29]

[Health: 36/36]