Chapter 5 - Dimensional Orbs

"Oh shit!" Lin Shen shouted as the sight of the charging horde sent his heart into overdrive. Without a moment's hesitation, he pivoted on his heels and sprinted in the opposite direction, the barren ground blurring beneath his hurried steps.

The thunderous sound of thousands of tiny legs pounded the earth behind him as the ants surged forward. Their varied sizes made the scene all the more surreal—tiny ants darting in between the larger, menacing ones that towered over him. Every instinct screamed at him to run faster.

Lin Shen's mind raced as he navigated the treacherous terrain of the barren land. The ground, already unstable from the earlier battle, now trembled beneath his rapid footsteps. Rocks and dust whipped past, and he forced himself to dodge gaping holes and rugged outcroppings that threatened to trip him up.

He couldn't help but wonder what these relentless creatures wanted—were they drawn by the scent of his blood, or was there something more sinister behind this sudden onslaught? But there was no time for contemplation. The pounding of the ants' march grew louder with every heartbeat, and Lin Shen's legs burned with the effort of outrunning what felt like an unstoppable tidal wave of nature.

As he ran, his thoughts blurred into a single, desperate focus: survive, adapt, and find a way out of this nightmare. The chaotic roar of the horde and the tremor of the earth around him formed a harsh symphony of danger—a reminder that in this strange new world, nothing was ever truly safe.

---

After running for half an hour, Lin Shen was utterly exhausted. His labored breaths filled the barren air as he slowed to a reluctant halt. Between ragged gasps, he muttered,

"Hey, why—huh!—are you still following me? Aren't you afraid that something will barge into your nest?"

The question hung unanswered as he realized the ants were nearly upon him. Panic surged through him. Was today the day he would die again? Dying just like that—devoured by a horde of ants? Was he destined to suffer that soul-tearing pain once more, never even getting a chance to explore this strange new world?

Before he could settle on an answer, a sudden, searing pain shot through his back. An ant had attacked him from behind. With a cry of shock, Lin Shen staggered and fell to the ground. In that instant, the horde descended upon him.

Tiny mandibles and ferocious jaws swarmed over his body. Despite his desperate attempts to fight back, the sheer numbers of the ants overwhelmed him. Their bites were relentless, tearing into his flesh and sending waves of agony coursing through his body. In a matter of moments, the once-empty Training Space was filled with the sound of his anguished screams and the crushing, insistent thrum of the ant horde.

Lin Shen's vision blurred as the pain became unbearable. His struggles grew feeble, and he felt himself being buried under the onslaught—a tragic end orchestrated by nature's merciless swarm.

---

As soon as he opened his eyes again, Lin Shen found himself back in the same room as before. "Aargh!" he cried out, a soul-wrenching pain erupting all over his body. The agony was so intense that he could barely breathe.

Time seemed to slow as the pain pulsed through him, each heartbeat a reminder of his brutal defeat. Eventually, the searing torment began to subside, leaving him weak and trembling. "What is happening? What's with this pain?" Lin Shen thought, struggling to understand the relentless barrage of sensations coursing through him.

Before he could gather his scattered thoughts, a cold, disembodied voice echoed in his mind:

[That is the penalty for death in Gladiator Space, Host.]

Lin Shen's eyes widened in shock as the system's words sank in. The realization hit him hard—his brush with death in the Gladiator Space had exacted a price. Now, battered by an almost unbearable pain, he was left with no choice but to come to terms with the system's harsh lesson.

"Hmm?, hey system, where were you until now? Why was I unable to contact you? And what's with death and its penalties?" Lin Shen demanded, his mind reeling with questions as the system's voice echoed in his thoughts.

[In Gladiator Space, Host can neither take external help nor contact the system.] The system answerd simply.

"Oh! Is that so?" The words slipped from Lin Shen's lips as the realization dawned upon him.

[Yes, Host.]

While Lin Shen was lost in his thoughts, the system's voice rang out once more:

[Congratulations, host, for obtaining 2 Dimensional Orbs during your first trip into Gladiator Space.]

"Wait!? What? What did you say? What are they?" Lin Shen blurted, his mind struggling to catch up.

[Dimensional Orbs are resources earned by defeating creatures in Gladiator Space. They are concentrated energy that helps you cultivate.]

Lin Shen's eyes widened in sudden recollection. "Oh! Are you perhaps talking about those small, light-green orbs? But I lost them—when I touched them, they just vanished!" He scratched his head awkwardly, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Seriously, who knew I'd earn my cultivation resources only to have them play a disappearing act on me? Guess I should've kept an eye on my loot!"

The irony of it all didn't escape him—a rookie mistake, and now his cultivation resources were gone before he could even brag about them.

[No host, they were not lost. They were stored in your mental Dimension.]

Lin Shen blinked, his expression shifting from bafflement to reluctant amusement. "Stored in my mental Dimension, huh?" he repeated, scratching his head once more. "So, apparently I'm too clueless to even keep track of my own loot. Well, at least I don't have to worry about carrying extra baggage!"

He paused, then let out a small chuckle despite the lingering pain. "I guess that's one way to save space... mentally, I mean."

The system's voice remained as calm as ever, leaving Lin Shen with nothing but his own thoughts—and a slightly bruised ego—to ponder.

"So, how do I get them? And before that, how the hell do I see them?" Lin Shen asked, his tone a mix of exasperation and curiosity.

[Check your Soul Of Sea, Host.]

Sure enough, as the system had hinted in the corner of his mental Dimension, an extra cube-like transparent space began to materialize in his mind. Within that space, the two light-green orbs floated gently, glowing with an ethereal light.

"How do I get them out?" he queried, eyeing the mysterious orbs.

[Touch them with your mental energy, Host.]

The system replied.

Lin Shen stared at the orbs, then at his own mind. With a cautious determination, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Slowly, he began to channel his mental energy towards the floating orbs, feeling an odd tingling sensation as his consciousness reached out to them.