After experiencing a feeling of falling down from high above, Millo opened his eyes and found out immediately that he was back in the nightmare that he had left behind that morning. He looked around and saw that he had fallen onto a pile of unknown rotten and smelly bodies.
He tried very hard not to vomit as he wiped his hands on his trousers and held his breath. He had no handkerchiefs or masks to rely on.
"Where is that monster?" Millo looked around nervously, licked his already dry lips and swallowed hard. He remembered that dangerous thing was chasing him right at his heels before he slipped, lost balance and woke up.
The air surrounding him was as still as ice. Not a single sound could be heard.
'Drip, drip …'
A drop of gruesome liquid dripped on Millo's forehead, followed by another drop landing on his neck.
Millo stiffened, holding his breath. He then raised his head, moving slowly like a puppet on a string. Just above his head, there floated a half-transparent ghost-like figure. It resembled the shape of a mixture of a two-head goat and a titanic hen and was twice the size of Millo.
It had a dozen reddish eyes, some looked dizzy, some looked crazy, some half open half closed, which all rolled randomly around its body. The big hole that seemed to be the monster's mouth was wide open. Millo couldn't see far into that hole, as it was too dark and went too deep down. At this moment, Millo was fully aware of the thick whitish saliva that hung like ropes from its mouth. He realized that two drops of the monster's saliva had landed on his skin.
"Ah ah ah ah AHAHAH!"
Millo's face went as white as paper and gave a loud piercing scream. The sight of the monster nearly scared him to death. He had never seen anything as disgusting, evil and sinister as this. The appearance of this half-transparent ghost-like mixture of a goat and a hen gave him a satanic feeling.
It was as if only looking into the monster itself could expel his soul out of his body.
"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! SPLASH!"
Millo's scream was like a signal, and just after hearing it, the monster threw itself right on top of Millo, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.
Millo could feel the gruesome liquid spreading all over him, wetting him, and glueing him to the point, making it hard for him to take action.
At that moment, Millo thought Death looked just like a rocket flying towards him, targeting its point at his heart and his brain.
"MUNCH!"
The monster finally sank its teeth into Millo's shoulder and had a bite of him. And then another thick slice of flesh was torn away. A few tiny pieces of bones fell from the monster's huge mouth.
'AH!"
Millo's blood along with the monster's saliva blurred his eyes.
"Am I going to die today? In my own dream?'
Sobbing and howling with unbearable pain, Millo had the feeling that if died here, that would mean the end of him. He would never wake up to greet the sunset, not to mention the rising sun of the next morning. He didn't know how he knew that. But he just knew.
'NO, I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET!!!'
Crying out loudly and fiercely in his mind, Millo raised his arms with all effort and dragged whatever he could hold on to.
And without looking at what specific part of the monster he was holding, Millo too, sank his teeth into the monster, tearing a pudding-like flesh from it.
Millo had no time chewing or tasting what he had taken from the monster. He spat most of the flesh and blood out of his mouth as soon and as fast as his muscles would allow him to, and then took a second bite, then a third, a fourth, a fifth …
Although he spat continuously, he inevitably swallowed some bits by accident but was too busy and attentive to notice.
Millo's fingers gradually moved more smoothly around the body part of the monster he was holding tightly, digging into whatever hole-like openings he could find or get a touch of and tearing them apart with all his might.
Once in a while, he could feel a ball-like object falling from the cracks.
Millo's bites were furious and determined. He didn't need to look and yet he still knew where to sink his teeth by nature. He didn't need to think twice and yet he still knew which was the best point to tear open the flesh. It was like he had the in-built talent and pure instinct of an experienced predator.
"BANG! BOOM!"
Millo didn't know how long he had been acting like a mad and primitive man before he heard a loud noise of something heavy falling and crashing onto the ground. He was so surprised by his willpower. Since when had he been so tough? He hadn't expected himself to persist until now. What a miracle!
With liquid such as blood and saliva blocking his sight, Millo couldn't see clearly what had fallen, but he didn't need to see for himself to know, because right now, the weight of the monster had been lifted and left him completely and he was entirely free once again.
The monster was dead. Millo knew that. Don't ask him why, he just had the feeling.
Millo puffed heavily to catch his breath. Feeling relieved, he was now sleepy and dizzy due to his losing so much blood. He didn't try to stand up and check out immediately. In fact, he didn't even want to move his fingers, which were now swollen and looked like fresh sausages.
'I need a doctor or a healer. Otherwise, I might die unconsciously.' Millo murmured with a rather relaxed tone and thought to himself but he didn't move an inch.
As Millo lay back and flat on the pile of unrecognizable rotten bodies he had detested, he was in no mood of considering the bad smell.
He didn't make any effort to clean his round face.
He didn't care about the sticky mixture of dark red blood and saliva that covered his overweighted body either, which made him look exactly like the corpse he was lying on and smell like rotten eggs that had been stored in a box for days.
What importance was it anyway?
Coming to think of it, he NEARLY DIED in his own dream! He only escaped by inches and with, perhaps, a few lucky movements driven by pure instinct!
That Nightmare System of his was the evil backstage manipulator, pulling the strings from behind, putting him in a whole lot of danger!
Millo was now very suspicious of his newly gained system.
He didn't know why it took him for a host. He had no idea where it came from. He had no clue what it wanted from him.
And that rude sham servant somehow made him annoyed and shiver with unease. Most importantly, the name Nightmare System didn't sound like a proper or upright name.
And most of all, he just didn't believe anyone would get anything free of charge for long.
There MUST be a price to be paid!
The question was WHAT exactly?
What would have happened if he hadn't killed the monster?!
Just then, a screen and lines of sentences started forming. Millo stared with caution as he watched with his eyes half-closed.
[Quest No. 1 completed!]
[Congratulations, Master!]
[Reward Received!]
[Exp: 5]
[Disposable Point: 1]
[Horror Influence: 10 (Try it on your opponents and find out the consequence for yourself.)]
[Additional Award: 1 Stamina (Due to your persistence during the fight.)]
[Additional Award: 1 Perception (Due to special elements and substances you absorbed.)]
Millo was glad to see some explanations of where he got the awards. That finally gave him a solid feeling, at least. So now, he knew that the actions he took could earn him extra points. That sounded reasonable.
A wise reaction deserves a better treat.
Looking at the description, Millo hoped he had absorbed more of the special elements and substances, but now that he was limp and fragile, he didn't move. Besides, the disgusting feeling really held him back.
It didn't take long for Millo to decide he wouldn't let greed control him.
What is done is done, so let it be.
After taking in the last words, Millo thought carefully before putting the disposable point into Agility.
Millo's reason was simple, he had to speed up himself. Otherwise, he would always remain the punching bag, which, he hated.
After that, Millo summoned the Statue Screen. On it, he saw his present status.
[Host Name: Millo Tibery]
[Nightmare Level: 0]
[Horror Influence: 10]
[Horror Coins: 0]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 2]
[Defense: 1]
[Stamina: 6]
[Perception: 6]
[Requirement for Level Up: 95 Exp & 3 Agility Points & 4 Defense Points]
Having thought carefully after taking every possible aspect into consideration, Millo had decided, although he couldn't fully trust the system, he could still take full advantage of it and become stronger.
After all, he was, by all means, weak and vulnerable, and had nothing to lose except his soul and life.
But, for his own sake, Millo promised himself that from now on, he would be cautious about how he would use the system.
Especially when it came to decision making. That really meant something!
He wasn't at all sure if he could survive another random quest without any preparation. At least, he had to be mentally prepared next time.
"FLASH!"
A beam of light shone on Millo's face. He naturally blinked and then he recognized where he was. He had woken from the nightmare and now there he was, safe on the bus as if nothing had happened.
Only Millo knew that he was slightly different from before.
........
A couple of days passed. The bus picked some students from other schools on the way and then continued to head for the Distributing Test Center.
"ROAR!"
"BOOM! BOOM!"
Without any warning, the bus came to a sudden halt, throwing a few of the relatively weak and slow students into the air!
"BANG!"