He was finished. There was no escape.
Looking down, there were the furious dwarves. Looking ahead, the magma mountains.
What should he choose?
It wasn't an easy decision.
He began calculating every possible move and, within seconds, reached a conclusion:
Run.
The dwarves quickly rushed out of the cave, but to their surprise, the being they were searching for was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were magma mountains. Both the dwarves and Froggy watched in horror as a wave of magma rose.
The dwarves hurried back into the cave. Only one remained outside—the one carrying the giant axe that filled Froggy with dread.
—What is he…?
The dwarf gripped the axe tightly and raised it. The moment the wave arrived, he swung once and split it in two.
Froggy stared in amazement. The axe, ordinary just moments ago, now had a glowing blade, as if some kind of enchantment had been cast upon it.
—Magic!
It was the first time he had seen anything like magic.
But unfortunately for him, that lack of magic still applied to himself.
The magma wave swallowed him whole.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
"You have died."
[Revive]
[Mysterious Option]
He sighed.
He pressed revive.
The instant he reappeared, another wave rose and devoured him.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
"You have died."
[Revive]
[Mysterious Option]
—…
He had to try again and again, advancing only a few meters each time before being swallowed by another wave, until at last he escaped that infernal respawn point.
—YOU'RE NOT CATCHING ME! YOU FILTHY GOLEMS!
He ran with all his strength, which wasn't much. The mountains launched no more magma waves; instead, they busied themselves with the dwarves. It was fortunate they were slow.
But that wasn't the problem…
Another magma wave came again.
—Not again!
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
"You have died."
[Revive]
[Mysterious Option]
—AHHH!
He remembered this kind of frustration—when the respawn point was placed right before your death.
While the system countdown continued, he used the time to think before the mysterious option was selected.
—What can I do?
8…
—There has to be something…
5…
—Maybe just run?
2…
[You have selected Mysterious Option]
[You have obtained Old Potato]
—What?
He had no time to question the system—to question anything.
He had to run.
He estimated he had gotten about two hundred meters or less from those mountains. Even if the dwarves had distracted them, they were still there.
He had to flee.
However, his strength only kept fading until he collapsed in exhaustion, sitting on the ground.
How many times had he been in this situation already?
—I… I made it!
He threw himself onto the ground, stretching his hands out in victory.
—Ha! In your face, system.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
"You have survived threats of 'Titanic' level."
Reward: Congratulations.
Froggy looked at the screen in front of him with dry amusement.
—By the way, what was that thing you gave me earlier?
[HERO INVENTORY]
[Old Pickaxe]
[Mysterious Stone]
[Old Potato]
—Old potato?
[Old Potato]
Description: An old potato cultivated long ago somewhere in the world.
—Does that even make sense?
Though it seemed strange, he only shook his head. It seemed better than a potion he simply couldn't use; at least it was useful.
He took it out of his inventory and examined it carefully. His stomach was beginning to growl with hunger, so he bit into it without thinking much.
It tasted sour, but it was the closest thing to edible food since the small lizard.
He took another bite.
—This is pretty good…
In the distance, he saw the mountains moving away. Meanwhile, the small armed group approached cautiously: the dwarves.
He kept eating, without even getting up to run. He was tired—far too tired to keep running.
They were dwarves, he thought.
What was the worst they could do to him?
The dwarves arrived, only to find a pitiful sight: an armed group standing before a man in underwear lying on burning ground.
The dwarves spoke, but he couldn't understand them.
—Any problem, comrades?
The dwarves tied his hands and feet with rope.
—What…?
They bound him to a spear and carried him between two of them, like hunted prey.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
—Now what? Another problem? —he muttered irritably.
[HEAT HAS EXCEEDED MAXIMUM LEVEL]
"Ultra power-saving mode has been activated as a precaution."
Loading…
"Good luck… until next time… hero…"
—System?
The system did not respond.
The screen that had accompanied him vanished in an instant.
—Hey… wait! I was joking! That thing about killing you… I really don't want to hurt you!
One dwarf shouted at him to be quiet.
—DON'T ABANDON ME NOW!
His scream echoed through hell.