The Dreamer's POV

[You Have Died]

<Dream Sequence Has Ended>

{Based On Exclusive Skill: <Dream>; your recent experiences have been dissolved into a dream}

<You Will Now Be Returned To The Preset Save Point>

[You Will Now Wake Up]

... And just like that, I died.

*********

[00 Months: 00 Days: 00 Hours]

"W-what...?"

I found myself being materialized on the same hill as last time, feeling the very same sensation I felt when I first appeared in this new world.

'A-ah, I died...'

Everything slowly started coming to me, and I strangely took everything in stride.

It almost felt natural.

"But... how did I die?"

I remembered falling asleep, and then the System told me something about a Demon, but before I could even do anything, I was already dead.

'My Life Force is ridiculously low, so I'm not surprised it was instant if I wasn't expecting it.'

But where did such a Demon come from? How was it able to sneak up on me so quickly, and also finish the job before I could even budge?

'The worst part is that I was asleep, so I don't know when exactly it happened.'

After thinking hard for a while, I decided to give up on trying to find the culprit out based on my past experiences.

I was literally going to get nowhere if I kept dwelling on the issue.

~DING~

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

<Welcome To The Ground Floor Of The Tower Of Trials!>

{You are among the few chosen ones who have made it this far. As a result, other than your 500 Currency for your monthly allowance, you will be given an additional 300 Currency, for being in Rank 6 in the final Leaderboard Rankings}

~Make sure to use <Shop> at your convenience, so as to obtain items and abilities that will aid you on your journey~

[GOOD LUCK!]

'Oh crap! I forgot!'

Everything had been reset! Everything, including how much I spent on information and the likes.

That meant I currently possessed 2,950 Currency!

'Pfft! Hahaha! Looks like something good did come from my death'

Unfortunately, it also meant I no longer had my Spatial Pouch.

'I don't know the exact time I got it from ~Lucky Draw~ too...'

I don't have a functional watch here, and the only way to tell the time was by the timer always that existed at a corner side of my vision.

It told me the month, day, and hour, but I didn't see any mention of minutes or seconds.

'That means I can't accurately tell what the time is.'

At least, not yet.

'Since my Currency has been reset, I have enough funds to get some things from <Shop>.'

I had five things on my mind to get.

The first was, of course, a functioning watch in this new world.

Considering the fact that my powers relied heavily on time, I had to know exactly what the time said.

The second was a blanket, just like last time.

Of course, food was also a given, and I could always get water from the stream.

The fourth thing to get was a form of map/compass or navigating device, since I would be exploring as much of the Lyma Region's Wild Lands today.

And the final thing I wanted to get would help me nab the culprit behind my demise.

'Alright, then. Let us begin!'

*********

[00 Months: 00 Days: 15 Hours]

"Haaa... I'm so tired."

Slumping on the ground and resting my back on the sturdy tree that served as my companion on the hill, I smiled softly and took in the night sky.

When I first arrived in this world, it was daytime, and now, 15 hours in, I could see the amazing night sky.

The stars adorning it, and the three moons that all illuminated the sky... they looked amazing.

'Honestly...' A warm smile coursed through my face as I felt my body relax.

I was able to purchase a 'Navigator' Item to help with my travels, and I was also able to purchase everything else I needed for my night's rest.

Wrapped around in my warm blanket, I stole one final glance at the night sky, and then closed my eyes.

Perhaps it was due to my exhaustion, or maybe nature's call itself, but I quickly fell asleep.

... And then...

[SYSTEM WARNING]

<You Have Encountered A Demon>

'... Hmm?'

~WHAM!~

The sudden echo of an impact instantly roused me from sleep, and I swiftly opened my eyes to observe what had just occured.

It seemed the enemy had finally made its move, and I was finally going to be able to catch it.

"W-what? T-this is—?!" My eyes bulged as I took in the shocking sight that manifested before me.

What I witnessed defied Lol expectations.

'N-no way...'

"GRRRRRRRRRR...."

The Demon that killed me... the Demon I was so actively hunting...

... It was the tree all along!

Its bark-like skin stretched and contorted, forming grotesque, gnarled features reminiscent of a twisted oak tree.

Massive roots protruded from its feet, intertwining with the forest floor, anchoring it firmly to the ground.

Its limbs, thick and gnarled, branched out like ancient branches, covered in moss and adorned with clusters of vibrant, swaying leaves. Each leaf seemed to possess a life of its own, rustling softly as if whispering secrets to the wind.

Its eyes, mesmerizing and radiant, glowed with an otherworldly green light.

They bore into my very soul, filled with nothing but malevolence. Vines dangled from its elongated fingers, moving with an eerie grace, as if ready to ensnare any unsuspecting prey that dared to venture too close.

"GRRAAAAUGGGHHH!!!"

The terrible roar of the tree monster sent me flying backward a little, though I controlled myself so as not to lose my footing on the hill.

'Oh boy, I wasn't expecting this!'

I had purchased a one-time-use protective bracelet, which generated a barrier if it sensed an attack.

Its effect had already expired, so if I was to be hit again by those humongous branches, the chances were... I was going to die very badly.

There was only one thing I could do now.

'Run!'

~WHOOSHH~

Instantly using <Sprint>, I sped away from the rooted monster, leaving its range before it could lash at me with its bodily extensions.

I was able to create a considerable distance between us before launching my Energy Rock at it, firing it with all of my strength.

~WHAM!~

~BAM!~

'It's a large target, and since it's still a tree monster, that'll make it quite slow.'

Compared to my projectile that moved at breakneck speed, the monster stood no chance.

'And the best thing of all is the fact that its restricted in movement!'

I could continue maintaining my distance and hitting it while it helplessly flailed it's branches around in a sorry attempt to hit me.

'All in all, the one with the advantage is m—'

~BOOOOOMMMM!!!~

In a surprising twist, the tree monster jumped from its location on the hill, instantly detaching itself from the earth.

"What?!"

It leaped towards me, it's eyes gleaming with evil as it growled in its unintelligible monster language.

'Oh fuck!' Why did I have to jinx it?

I activated <Sprint> once more, using the effects of my Invisibility Cloak to obscure myself from the tree monster's vision.

I ran to create more distance between us, also moving away from my initial direction in an attempt to mislead it.

Unfortunately...

"GROAAAGHHH!!!"

... It was onto me like crazy!

'Shit! Does it have some sort of Skill that allows it to sense my movements?'

It was still a tree, after all.

The earth trembled as the Tree Demon chased me with it's root-like legs, growling as it swerved its branches at me while groaning in pain with every attack my Energy Rock dealt to it.

'Its faster than it looks!' I thought internally, watching how it was still able to somewhat keep up with my speed despite me using <Sprint>.

It wasn't absurdly fast, though, and it wasn't gaining on me either.

Besides, the System never called it a <Dangerous Demon>, so I had a feeling I would be fine.

It probably had more of durability than anything else, so I didn't think I would be in serious trouble with this thing.

'... I just had to hold out for a little longer!'

*****

[A Little Longer Later...]

"What in the world? It's still chasing me? How?!" My thoughts echoed loudly as I panted, already running out of breath.

It seemed to be taking damage, but so far it still relentlessly pursued me.

'Why won't it just die?!'

Just what kind of crazy vitality did this Demon possess?

Maybe it had some sort of Skill that allowed it to heal from damage?

'Maybe it's healing faster than I can damage it? No, that would make it very dangerous...'

My guess was that while I was indeed damaging it, a portion of its health was still being restored.

It was tricky, but if that was the case, there was only one thing I could do.

'I just have to damage it faster!'

"Let's go!"

Pushing my body using <Sprint>, while also using <Visualize>, I changed my trajectory and roared in resolve as I ran toward the monster instead.

'While rapidly firing Energy Rock...' I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist in absolute resolve.

"... I'll hit you with all I've got!"

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[A/N]

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

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