Survival

[WARNING: Player will die in 0 seconds if excess mana isn't released]

[Skill: Causality Negation]

[Player, do you want to activate skill 'Causality Negation']

"Yes."

[Skill: Causality Negation has been activated]

[Player has avoided fate and has rediverted the excess mana]

[New skill gained]

[Mana Core Level 1]

[Stores excess mana. It can be used to create powerful shots, as a store of mana, and an extension of one's life.]

[New skill gained]

[Pain Resistance Level 1]

[Player can resist more pain]

[New Skill Gained]

[Regeneration Level 1]

[Player can use mana to boost their natural regeneration speed]

What. How did I survive that? The system definitely said I'd die, but instead I got a bunch of new skills? This just sounds like plot armour. Didn't that system administrator say I have no plot armour? Maybe this happened cause of my skill Causality Negation.

Okay, enough blabbing, I still got a demon goblin thing standing in front of me, and it looks shocked. It must be a surprise to see someone survive mana overload.

Uh oh, it's picking up its weapon, and I still have nothing; none of these skills seem useful. Wait, doesn't that mana core store mana?

Actually, I feel a bit different, it's the same feel as I had during the mana overload, but without the pain. Wait, could it be?

"Menu".

[STRENGTH: 5]

[SPEED: 4]

[AGILITY: 4]

[MANA: 17]

[INTUTION: 7]

No way, the mana I had during the mana overload has just been added to my stats. I got so many cheat skills. Doesn't this mean if I eat more mana crystals, then I'll just get stronger?

[Guide: In the short term, you will experience a rapid growth rate. But in the long run, your mana vessels won't be able to hold that amount of mana, then even your Causality Negation skill won't save you.]

Okay, so I got a cheat skill, but it's limited. Okay, I get it.

Right as I finished processing all of this, that demon goblin lunged at me. I dived to the left to avoid part of the attack, but I was too slow. I was slashed in my right arm, with a deep cut.

With blood trickling down my arm and my arm burning, I was frozen. Through the pain and exhaustion, I was done for.

[Passive Skill: Pain Resistance Level 1 has been activated]

Okay, now I can actually think. I got some regeneration, so maybe that'll help.

"Activate Skill Regeneration."

[Skill: Regeneration has been activated]

As soon as it was activated, my bleeding slowed down a whole lot, and the cut was slowly getting smaller. Yes, it's very slow, and I feel what I believe to be my mana is getting drained, but it's better than a gaping wound.

The demon lunged at me again, this time I dodged, barely, and this time grabbed its head, lifted my knee and banged the two together.

No weapon? No problem, the human body has bones, and I have pain resistance.

As the demon stumbled back, I hit it with a right hook to the head. Then sweep kicked it. As it fell down, I could feel the demon's emotions. It was feeling pure embarrassment and terror.

"Ha idiot demon, must be sad getting beat up by the guy which nearly died from eating a random ass crystal."

The demon even started crying, but I felt nothing from it. I didn't feel a tinge of sympathy or empathy, I guess I am still the same sociopath I was ten years ago.

Enough yap. I lunged down, pinning the demon, then gave it several swift punches, then, when it was in disarray, I took its dagger.

The dagger felt nice, like it had this sharp edge and was made of some black metal, a cool find.

The demon put its hands up in defeat, but I've been betrayed too many times to believe anything it would say.

"Die."

As soon as I said that, I pushed the dagger into its throat, then into its chest, around where the heart was. The demon screamed and cried in agonising pain, but it was too late for it.

A few minutes pass, turns out demons have some crazy resistance to pain and stabs.

[Enemy Defeated]

[EXP Gained: 10]

[Bonus: 3 exp]

[Total EXP Gained: 13]

[Drops: 4 coins]

Finally, that demon died. Ooh, I forgot about my exp boost, I got some more exp, eh, not much more, but anything more is better.

I'm exhausted, from the mana overload, to regenerating that wound, so long has passed. I just remembered, the guide said this dungeon gets harder the longer it takes to clear. I'm screwed.

"Quest."

[Current Quest: Survival of the Fittest]

[Time Left: 42 hours]

What. How has 8 hours passed? There's no way that long has passed. The difficulty must've increased by so much if 8 hours have passed. How am I supposed to complete this quest?

Nah, I'll be fine, if I can survive mana overload, then I can survive anything.

Wait, where are the other people? Multiple people got this quest, so by now, people should've entered. Wait, don't tell me each dungeon differs per person. No, that doesn't make sense, so why?

Maybe this dungeon has multiple spawns? That's probably more likely. Anyways, I should probably get going through this dungeon, I still have a boss to slay.

As I started walking, I thought what the boss might be, then I saw it.

Red eyes, piercing through me, masked by the darkness ahead. I could already feel its pressure, it was far greater than that demon goblin's pressure. I felt a raw instinct within me.

I started shaking relentlessly, I was frozen in place. I felt pure and utter fear and despair. I couldn't win against that monster. I'd die if I tried.

As I realised that, I saw it, lunging at me at speeds that my eyes struggled to follow. Before I could react, I was hit. A dagger had pierced straight through my chest…