Rise from the Depths
The darkness pressed in on all sides.
Cold. Heavy. Suffocating.
Lin Feng lay still on the damp stone floor of the cavern, his breath shallow, ragged. Every inch of his body ached. Pain pulsed through his ribs, his arms, his legs. His head throbbed with a dull, constant pressure.
He could barely move.
The fall had battered him badly. Bruises. Scrapes. Maybe worse. He didn't know.
For a long moment, he simply lay there — eyes closed, trying to will the pain away.
But then —
Drip.
A faint sound echoed through the darkness.
Drip… drip… drip…
Lin Feng opened his eyes. The blackness was absolute. No light. No way to tell how deep he had fallen — how far below the forest he now was.
But the sound was real.
Water.
Somewhere nearby.
He turned his head slowly, grimacing at the pain that shot through his neck and shoulders.
The faint echo of dripping water seemed to come from deeper within the cavern.
It was impossible to tell how far — or in what direction.
Still… it was something. A sign of life. A way to orient himself in the dark.
And right now — anything was better than lying broken and helpless on the cold stone floor.
He tried to sit up.
Pain flared through his side — sharp, hot, blinding.
He bit back a cry, teeth clenched. His arms trembled beneath him.
No good…
He couldn't stand. Not yet.
But he had to move.
Had to do something.
Gritting his teeth, Lin Feng forced himself to roll onto his stomach. His fingers scraped against the rough stone, finding uneven cracks and patches of moss.
And then — slowly, painfully — he began to crawl.
Inch by inch.
Every movement sent fresh waves of pain through his battered body.
His arms and shoulders burned. His ribs ached with each breath. His knees scraped raw against the cold floor.
But still — he moved.
Toward the sound of water.
Toward life.
Drip… drip… drip…
He followed the faint echo, twisting and turning through the unseen corridors of the cavern.
The darkness was absolute — impenetrable. He had to rely on touch, on sound, on instinct.
His hands brushed against stone walls, feeling their rough texture. He dragged himself forward, heart pounding, breath ragged.
Time lost all meaning.
How long had he been crawling? Minutes? Hours?
The only constant — the steady rhythm of the dripping water.
And the pain.
Always the pain.
His body screamed for rest, for relief.
But he couldn't stop.
Not here.
Not now.
He pushed on.
Crawled through narrow passages. Around unseen corners. Over jagged rocks.
And slowly — the sound grew louder.
Closer.
A soft hope stirred in his chest.
Finally — after what felt like forever — Lin Feng crawled forward one last time and felt the stone beneath him grow smoother, colder.
The sound of water was louder now — echoing clearly through the chamber.
He strained to lift his head.
Somewhere ahead — faintly, barely visible — a dim glimmer of light.
Reflected off the surface of water.
A pool.
Relief surged through him.
He dragged himself forward the last few meters.
His battered body trembled with exhaustion.
But when he reached the edge of the pool — when he saw the clear, rippling surface of the water — Lin Feng nearly wept.
He lowered his head, lips trembling, and took a shallow sip.
The water was cold. Pure.
And with that first sip — something changed.
The first sip sent a cool rush through Lin Feng's mouth, down his throat, and into his chest.
But more than that — something else happened.
A strange warmth spread through him, subtle at first, then stronger.
His fingers tingled. The ache in his arms seemed to fade, just a little.
Eyes wide, Lin Feng leaned closer to the pool. His battered body trembled with exhaustion, but the thirst was overpowering.
He dipped his head toward the water — and drank deeply.
Cold, pure, refreshing.
Each swallow sent a fresh wave of energy surging through him.
The pain in his ribs — dulling.
The sharp ache in his shoulders — easing.
His raw hands and scraped knees — numbing.
Breathless, Lin Feng paused, lifting his head slightly.
His heart still pounded. His body was still weak.
But… different.
What… is this water?
A faint glow seemed to pulse beneath the surface of the pool — soft, bluish light shimmering in the darkness.
And inside him — the warmth grew stronger.
A strange, electric sensation danced through his veins.
Lin Feng let out a shaky breath.
Then — unable to resist — he plunged his face into the pool.
Cold water splashed over his skin.
And he drank.
Deep gulps.
Over and over, the cool liquid filled him, washing away exhaustion, driving back the pain.
He lost track of time — drinking until his stomach was full, until he could barely take another sip.
And just as he leaned back from the pool, gasping for breath —
Ding!
A bright, clear tone echoed in his mind.
A translucent System window blinked into view:
[Level Up.]
[Current Level: 3]
Lin Feng froze.
Eyes wide.
For a moment, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Level 3.
He had gained another level — not by fighting, not by killing — but from drinking this strange water.
His heart raced.
And then — he noticed something even more surprising.
The pain was gone.
Completely.
He flexed his fingers — no ache.
Lifted his arms — no stiffness.
Shifted his legs — no soreness.
Breath came easily. His chest no longer burned.
The bruises, the cuts, the raw scrapes — healed.
As if the injuries had never happened.
Lin Feng stared down at his hands, turning them over slowly.
Smooth skin. No blood. No bruising.
His entire body felt light. Strong.
Better than before.
Stronger. Faster.
He rose slowly to his feet — and to his amazement, the motion was effortless.
No pain. No fatigue.
This water… it healed me…
A flood of relief washed over him.
And with it — a surge of joy.
A small, exhausted laugh escaped his lips.
He had survived.
He was alive — stronger than ever.
For the first time since falling into this dark place — he smiled.
Lin Feng stood still for a moment, breathing deeply.
His body felt… incredible.
Stronger. Lighter.
It was as if the pain, the exhaustion, the fear — had all been washed away.
Gone were the bruises. The torn muscles. The raw scrapes on his arms and legs.
He clenched and unclenched his fists. Flexed his shoulders. Shifted his stance.
Everything moved smoothly. Effortlessly.
And the System window still floated in front of him:
[Level 3]
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Against all odds — he had made it.
He was alive.
And stronger.
He glanced down at the pool of water, its surface calm once more, the soft blue glow still pulsing faintly beneath.
This place… this water… it saved me.
But as the rush of relief began to fade, another thought crept into his mind —
My bag…
In the chaos of the chase — the fall — it was gone.
Lost somewhere in the jungle.
No food. No supplies.
Not even the baseball bat.
All he had now — was himself.
He exhaled slowly.
No choice. I have to keep moving.
The cavern stretched out around him — wide, deep, the far walls lost in shadow.
Somewhere in this place, there had to be an exit. A way back to the surface — or to another part of the Tower.
Standing straighter now, Lin Feng took his first steps away from the pool.
The stone beneath his feet was cold and uneven, slick with patches of moss.
But each step felt steady. Confident.
Stronger than before.
The strange energy from the water still pulsed through him — subtle, but constant.
With each breath, he felt more alive.
More aware.
His senses sharpened.
Ears straining for any sound beyond the dripping water. Eyes scanning the darkness ahead, adjusting slowly to the faint light.
He moved carefully, following the curve of the cavern wall.
Around one bend. Then another.
Step by step, he explored the vast underground space.
No sign of danger — yet.
But Lin Feng knew better than to relax.
The Tower was full of surprises.
And this place — this hidden cavern — was no different.
Still — with each step, his confidence grew.
He had survived the fall.
He had escaped the predators.
He had leveled up.
And now — he was ready for whatever came next.
But then — Lin Feng stopped.
A sudden thought hit him.
I haven't even checked the rest of my stats…
He called the System to the front of his mind.
It was time to see just how much stronger he had become.