As he read the notification, Elias' eyes grew heavy with emotion, and before he knew it, tears were silently tracing down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself, his arms hanging stiffly at his sides.
Fourteen years of pain, suffering, and training until he could no longer move, just to raise his Vitality to a measly level 4. And now, in a single day, with hardly any effort by comparison, he’d increased it again.
For the first time, Elias allowed himself to truly acknowledge how angry and bitter he felt about being born with such a weak body. Then, as the anger receded, hope blossomed in his chest. At last, the end of his poor health and sickly constitution was in sight.
For a long moment, he allowed himself to truly feel and process how much the looks he received when he went out had hurt, along with the not-so-quiet comments whispered as he walked past. Then, with a long exhale, he began to let it all go.
He stood there for what felt like minutes, simply breathing in and out, reflecting on the difficulties he’d faced growing up. With each breath, it felt as though a weight was slowly lifting from his shoulders.
He recalled Melinda’s laughter when he asked her out years ago, the unspoken disgust on her face, and the hurt and humiliation that followed. This time, though, the pain was dull, a shadow of what it once was, and he could feel it fading more with every passing second.
“Ah!” Elias yelped, his eyes widening in shock as his legs were suddenly yanked out from under him.
Looking down in alarm, Elias saw a vine wrapped tightly around his legs, coiling all the way up to his knees. It was pulling with enough force to drag him across the ground.
His eyes followed the length of the vine to a small sapling nearby. The seemingly innocuous monster stood waist-high, with four vines flowing from its crown—one of which had wrapped around his legs.
Elias cursed himself for his carelessness, for letting the monster sneak up on him while he was distracted, and quickly used Analyze on it.
*******Hanging-Tree Sapling
Common
Level 6
*******
Up ahead, in the direction the sapling was pulling him, Elias spotted an opportunity to turn the situation around. It was about to drag him past a fairly thick tree, just to its left, so he jerked himself to the right, digging his feet into the ground for a split second.
As a result, he shot past the tree’s right side instead, forcing the cord-like vine to loop halfway around the trunk and abruptly halt his momentum. Using the brief moment of respite his gambit had earned him, he hurriedly uncoiled the vine from his legs and freed himself.
Elias let a growl rumble from deep in his chest as he grabbed the now-loose vine before it could be pulled back. Using the large tree for leverage, he yanked on the monster’s vine like a tug-of-war.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
He pulled with everything he had, straining the cord-like appendage until the Hanging-Tree Sapling began to bow and creak. Finally, with a scream fueled by adrenaline and rage, he gave one last heave—and the sapling tore free from the ground as its roots gave way.
 
You have gained 120 exp
 
Letting go of the monster’s now-disintegrating vine, Elias panted from the effort of the fight. His blood pounded in his ears like the beat of a drum, though more from the fright he’d just experienced than from physical exertion.
His face flushed with a mix of outrage and embarrassment at having been caught so completely off guard. In that moment, he made a silent vow: the trees of this dungeon would rue the day one of their own had crossed him.
Heart full of righteous rage, Elias returned to hunting monsters. This time, however, he made sure to double-check anything around him that seemed even slightly suspicious, determined not to make any more careless mistakes.
He had originally planned to head back as soon as he leveled his Vitality, but he couldn’t bring himself to end his first day on such an embarrassing note. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to earn a few thousand more exp.
Already, the new level in his Vitality was proving its worth, allowing Elias to push well past dinner time without feeling too tired. His muscles were still going strong, and he felt like he could keep going for hours more if he really wanted to. He didn’t, however, choosing to call it a day instead.
His stomach had already begun to complain, and he’d much rather have a proper meal at home than settle for the sandwich he’d packed in his backpack. Besides, even after gathering over 13,000 exp throughout the day, killing more than a hundred low-level monsters, he was still far from leveling his Vitality again.
Thanks to the cavern’s artificial lighting, Elias had no trouble finding his way back to the clearing where he’d first arrived. The jungle was just as bright at night as it was during the day.
He couldn’t help but notice that monsters seemed easier to find at night. It was likely due to fewer people being in the dungeon hunting them. Whatever the reason, he seriously considered arriving later in the day and staying into the evening from now on to maximize his experience gains.
Just as the clearing came into view, Elias was pulled from his thoughts by a rustle in the foliage behind him. He froze, glancing around in alarm.
A figure in all black—mask included—stepped out from behind a tree, and Elias groaned. He raised his guard, ready for whatever came next, eyes scanning for a chance to escape. If he could make it to an open area like the clearing, he’d probably be safe.
“Give me all your stuff. No one needs to get hurt tonight, friend,” the robber said, his voice edged with nervous urgency. “Drop your weapons and put your hands up—slowly.”
As soon as the man finished speaking, Elias took off running toward the clearing.
He probably should’ve taken off sooner, but he’d wanted to assess the situation first, mainly to determine whether the man was truly alone. He heard the would-be robber curse under his breath and give chase, but with the clearing so close, Elias didn’t expect to be caught. Which was why it shocked him so much when, after only four steps, something struck the back of his head.
“Ouch—” Elias began, only for his startled cry to be cut off by a firm hand clamping over his mouth. Before he could react, his legs were swept out from under him, and he hit the ground hard on his back, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. To make matters worse, the man slapped a palm against his chest, and a rope of translucent blue mana shot out, binding him completely.
That was the moment Elias truly understood just how badly he had screwed up. The robber had to be at the Beginner rank if he could use the Bind (Common) Skill. Even with years of combat training, Elias couldn’t bridge the gap created by Skills and significantly higher attribute levels. He had never stood a chance—and now, with the rope of mana binding his mouth, he couldn’t even call for help.
Shock and realization flooded Elias’ thoughts as he lay on his back, but his attacker felt no such hesitation. The moment the man confirmed that the rope had fully sealed his mouth, the beating began.
Blows rained down on his stomach and face, each one drawing a grunt of pain and rage, but there was nothing he could do to make it stop. His vision soon began to darken at the edges, and then, everything went black.