Amadeus lay drenched in blood, his body wracked with excruciating pain. The system's emergency protocols had activated, and despite his desperate struggle, he couldn't fight back.
A stark notification flashed before his eyes.
[Notification]
Endurance reached 0%
Entering coma state until sufficient recovery.
"No, I can't lose consciousness now… not here," Amadeus thought, fighting against the overwhelming darkness.
But his efforts were futile, and soon the world went black as he slipped into a deep, unconscious sleep.
****
Back at the starting point, both Albus and Ixer returned to a scene that defied expectation.
The area was clean—no scattered bodies or spilled blood, as if the battle had never taken place.
Albus, clearly taken aback, asked Nienna, "Did you cast a cleaning spell?".
Nienna, with a quiet but unmistakable pride, replied, "And why would I waste my time learning a useless spell".
Before the conversation could settle, Vegas joined in, his voice edged with suspicion.
"After you left, they lingered for a bit… then one by one, they began disappearing. The blood they spilled faded with them—as if they were never here."
Ixer added thoughtfully, "It must be part of the tutorial settings."
Nienna's eyes narrowed as she remembered Amadeus's escape. "And what about that weakling?".
Albus was preparing to respond, but Ixer cut him off sharply. "Forget about him. He's no threat to us."
Albus cast a doubtful glance at Ixer but kept silent, knowing any admission of failure would only undermine his position.
Then Vegaz's voice rose, his tone shifting from amusement to menace. "Only five of us remain. So Let the strongest win."
****
Deep within his memory domain, Amadeus's thoughts twisted and swirled.
"Well, that was one hell of a start," the Assassin muttered.
"It was terrifying," the Mage admitted.
"Doesn't matter," the Bagger said coldly. "He won't last long in the deep forest."
"At least we followed the most logical route," the Noble added.
"The boy who helped him is kind," the Slave whispered. "Perhaps it was his way of repaying our kindness when we saved him from Jax."
But the Knight's voice cut through the murmur like a blade. "Enough. What matters is that he's already faced death three times—and this is only the beginning."
The Assassin tried to argue, but the Knight's deathly glare silenced him.
"This only proves his weakness," the Knight growled. "And I refuse that his survival depends on running away."
Amadeus lay in the darkness, hearing their words.
"They're right," he thought.
"I came here to become the strongest—and I will, no matter what it takes.".
A a sudden, resonant chime like a distant bell snapped Amadeus back to reality. The system screen expanded with new notifications:
[Notification]
Endurance fully recharged.
Coma state terminated.
screen changed.
[Notification]
HP is below 50%.
Please seek treatment.
Amadeus pushed himself up on trembling arms, each movement sending a jolt of agony through his battered frame.
He inspected his injuries.
multiple bruises, several cracked bones, and a deep, ragged cut on his shoulder from the splintered log piece's.
None were immediately fatal—except the relentless bleeding from his back that had drained most of his health.
"First, I need to stop this bleeding," he muttered.
As if summoned by his request, a new memory appeared.
A memory of an old man manifested—calm yet commanding—dressed in the humble clothes of a commoner, his bags overflowing with strange flowers and herbs. His piercing, wisdom-filled eyes locked onto Amadeus with a sense of urgency.
Without speaking, he extended his hand, into the deep forest.
With no other choice, Amadeus stumbled after him, the forest closing in around them. His vision blurred from pain, and his system display showed his health slipping further: 35/100.
Suddenly, the old man stopped and pointed at a small, strange plant growing among the roots of an ancient tree.
The tree emitted a faint, ethereal glow—barely noticeable unless you focused intently.
"You want me to take this?" Amadeus asked.
The old man nodded.
Kneeling, Amadeus plucked the plant. "And now?"
Without a word, the old man knelt beside Amadeus and pressed his hand against the bleeding wound on his back.
Amadeus hesitated, but with no better options, he pressed the plant against his wound.
The moment it touched his flesh, a searing pain tore through him like fire, and he let out a scream, instinctively throwing the plant away.
"Are you trying to heal me or kill me?" he demanded.
But then a new system notification appeared:
[Notification]
HP increased by 0,1.
Amadeus's eyes widened as the plant's description surfaced:
Item Identified:
Nr Plant : A rare herb found only in the deepest parts of the forest under ancient trees. Known for its extraordinary healing properties, it can mend only minor wounds not critical damage. However, the excruciating pain it causes stopes most from using it.
"Exactly what I need," Amadeus whispered, gathering more of the plant.
"You must be a herbalist. Forgive me for doubting you," Amadeus said.
The memory responded with a gentle smile, showing there was no anger.
He tore a strip from his already-tattered clothes and carefully secured the Nr Plant against his back, gritting his teeth as the searing pain flared.
The pain was immediate and brutal, dropping him to his knees as his scream echoed through the forest.
But slowly, his body adjusted to the pain.
He applied the plant to other wounds, enduring the agony in silence. When he finally looked up, the herbalist memory was gone.
"Thank you," Amadeus said softly.
Emerging from the woods, Amadeus returned to the cliff where he had fallen unconscious.
"I need to rest until my wounds heal," he told himself, checking the system's latest update:
[Notification]
Healing in progress using Nr Plant.
Estimated time: 5 hours.
He settled beneath a sturdy tree, letting exhaustion claim him. Yet even as his body rested, his mind remained active.
"While I wait, I should use this time to learn more about the system," he decided, navigating toward the Database section.
"Let's see what Jax wanted us to find in the database," Amadeus whispered, determined to seize any advantage he could.