POTLS - Chapter 11: Back Again

Paul blinked and found himself standing on solid ground.

He was in a basement within the Crimson Moon Estate, one of the scattered safe rooms throughout the map. Its architecture was simple: rough gray stone blocks forming the walls, their surfaces coarse and jagged, betraying a lack of care in their construction. Fitting, really, since this room would collapse within an hour if no one left, or monsters would pour in from the four staircases leading upward. Fighting in such a confined space would be foolish beyond measure.

Paul wasn't alone in the basement. Other Survivors milled about, some in groups of two to five, speaking in hushed tones as they reviewed their plans for the surface. Only a few, like Paul, had entered solo.

Most had already selected their weapons and were preparing to depart after brief discussions. The solo players were quick to leave as well.

Paul glanced at the system notification offering a choice between three weapons, then turned his attention to his newly acquired talent.

//

Your Rank E Talent is: [Steady Progression]

Effect: Each successful run will grant you one stat point that you can freely allocate.

Just one stat point? Paul wondered, his face scrunching in disbelief.

//

His initial reaction came from surface-level assessment. A single stat point seemed too meager to create any meaningful change. It irritated him. The value paled compared to talents like [Scavenger], or those that increased Experience Shard collection range, or even the elemental talents. While elemental talents weren't particularly valuable in Rank F Portals, they became highly sought after at higher ranks when the diversity and danger of Portals increased.

Then came a deeper realization as he considered the long-term implications. Paul's temperament had always drawn him toward immediate benefits. This flaw had been corrected by David many times. The reminder to question problems from multiple angles echoed in Paul's mind.

The strength of [Steady Progression] lies in the long game, Paul concluded.

One stat point meant little, but ten would show tangible results. Fifteen points equaled more than half the bonus granted when rising from Rank F to Rank E: 24 points.

So if I clear 24 runs at Rank E, I'd be twice as powerful as others at the same rank, Paul thought, eyes widening.

Had the system made a mistake in giving him such an exploitable talent?

Paul shook his head, dismissing the notion that the system could be foolish. He believed there must be limits to how many points he could earn at each Portal rank. Perhaps he'd only be allowed to clear ten Portals before hitting a ceiling.

But ten points still offered a tremendous advantage. He could specialize, allocating points to critical stats to increase his value in the Survivor community and gain more support. Or simply enhance his solo capabilities.

With each rank increase, a Survivor gained equal stat improvements. Rank E added four points to each stat. This balanced distribution ensured Survivors could adapt to the randomness of maps. Drawing mana-intensive skills with a low mana pool spelled disaster, with survival chances approaching zero. The reverse was equally problematic: skills requiring stamina or dexterity might fall to those with insufficient required stats.

Hence, the even stat increase ensured anyone could function with whatever random skill set they acquired. Unless, of course, they used a reroll artifact.

The sound of falling pebbles snapped Paul back to reality. He'd entered the portal after many others back on Earth, so this room must be nearing collapse.

He ascended the damp staircase.

Dawn greeted him with lush green trees in the distance. The sky held only drifting white clouds without a hint of rain. A refreshing breeze carried a crisp sweetness, and the perfect temperature caused his skin to tingle pleasantly.

If not for the blood-thirsty nights, Crimson Moon Estate would truly be a poetic paradise.

A deer grazing nearby fled at the sight of the emerging human. Curious rabbits and squirrels observed from a distance.

Paul felt sorry for these animals. They served as blood reservoirs for the vampire creatures, only to become recovery food for Survivors. The vampires, having found superior fare in humans, no longer bothered with such lesser beings.

He listened for the sound of a nearby stream, following the PDI's Survival Guide advice: always stay close to water sources.

Hearing nothing, Paul pressed deeper into the forest. Dappled sunlight danced across his face through the canopy.

He walked until he caught the faint gurgle of flowing water. Smiling, he adjusted his course slightly westward.

At that moment, the map presented his first challenge. A pack of Shadow Hounds always appeared when Survivors ventured far enough from the Safe Room.

Without hesitation, Paul selected the silver sword from the weapon options. He had considered trying the other weapons before, but lack of training time had dissuaded him. Swords felt most familiar, resembling the pipes he'd wielded against thieves who tried to steal his money and food.

A quick assessment revealed about a dozen Shadow Hounds surrounding him. Their mouths dripped with anticipation, and their skin smoked under the sunlight. Rather than causing distress, the sun only intensified their frenzy. Shadow Hounds hunted during daylight because they were weaker than other monsters, being only thigh-high to a human. They could only hunt when their vampire competitors slept.

"Come on then, good puppies," Paul taunted, wiggling his fingers.

Angered growls answered his provocation.

One hound broke from the encirclement, taking long strides toward Paul.

For a moment, Paul froze. Only when the creature drew near did he hastily sidestep, nearly tripping over a tree root.

He stared at himself in amazement, bewildered by the change he experienced. He hadn't stopped because the monster moved quickly, but because he perceived it moving slowly. The strange sensation reminded him of watching footage in slow motion, not dramatically slow, but noticeably different from before.

When he was Rank F, his speed had matched the Shadow Hounds'. Any advantage came from knowledge and experience. Now, his reaction time was significantly faster.

So this is what happens when stats exceed 10, Paul marveled silently.

Reports indicated that crossing the threshold of 10 in any stat triggered major changes in human physiology, an evolution of sorts. Theories suggested the system prepared Survivors for increasingly difficult challenges. Information about higher-ranked individuals remained scarce, but rumors claimed they could demolish houses with a single punch, equivalent to reducing the Shadow Hound before Paul into a splatter of internal organs.

The Shadow Hound, having missed its target, circled back undeterred.

Paul gripped his sword, casually tilted his head aside, and delivered a punch to the creature's neck.

Crack!

The brittle sound startled Paul. The Shadow Hound, its neck bent at a sharp angle, convulsed on the ground. It whimpered, coughing dryly. Blood leaked from its mouth and nose.

Paul ignored the pitiful moans, letting the creature die slowly as he focused on the remaining pack.

With his newfound strength, Paul charged into the midst of the monsters. His movements lacked grace but proved effective thanks to his previous portal experiences. Each slash disabled a creature or struck a vital point. His movements weren't as fluid as when fighting a single opponent; they were longer, more energy-intensive to avoid attacks from behind or from the sides.

Whistling slashes and precise thrusts left pools of black blood on the ground.

The Shadow Hounds lay dead or dying. Paul methodically finished those still clinging to life.

The Blue Experience Shards generated from the creatures amounted to exactly ten, enough for him to level up.

<<You leveled up! Choose your skill!>>

<<Option 1: Silver Strike>>

• Three-hit sword combo with Holy Mark chance

<<Option 2: Blood Pulse>>

• AoE damage from Survivor position.

<<Option 3: Dusk Retreat>>

• Brief backward dash.

After brief analysis, Paul chose [Silver Strike]. [Blood Pulse] consumed too much mana and only became powerful at higher levels, with an area of effect no larger than a sword swing. [Dusk Retreat] was useful only when fighting alone; against hordes, retreating backward accomplished little more than advancing forward. It suited bow-wielding Survivors better.

[Silver Strike] remained Paul's familiar choice.

He scanned his surroundings, then continued toward the stream.

This small encounter had already shown him his chances of surviving seven days were much higher than before.

Yet he wondered if he might face competition from another Survivor who had also used a Rank Transcendence Token.

What if, even after surviving all seven days, the rewarded essence wasn't enough for him to rank up naturally? Would his talent's stat point still apply? How could he survive future runs once he lost the stat buffs?

Paul sighed deeply, silently cursing David for teaching him to question everything before he could properly enjoy his momentary advantage.

The challenges ahead hadn't diminished. They had only grown heavier.