novelraw Chapter 124: The Cost of Curiosity
Chapter 124: The Cost of Curiosity
Back on the island, Astraga finally found a patch of shade to claim as his own.
Everything had been a blur of chaos since he first respawned. He knew it was his own fault—he had dared to challenge a power far beyond his own—but he couldn't help but wonder why his punishment had to be this severe.
This new spot, at least, felt safe. He had put a significant distance between himself and the shoreline. Whatever monstrosity was currently crawling out of the water, he was certain he was out of its reach. The island was vast, a fact Astraga was only just beginning to realize given his own massive frame. As he rested, only one thought dominated his mind: the glowing, inescapable notification hovering in his vision.
> **Goal: Reach the Mountain Top.**
He stared at the gargantuan mountain. Reaching the peak would be a monumental task for anyone, but doing it with his hands bound like this? It felt like a sick joke.
As the cool breeze began to soothe his skin and the adrenaline finally ebbed, his vision cleared, allowing him to focus on his status window.
---
### **Status Window: Candidate 566**
* **Stamina:** 150/200
* **Intelligence:** 7/200
* **Speed:** 30/200
* **Strength:** 30/200
* **Lives:** (5)
---
He rubbed his chin, admiring his most standout attribute. "Why is my stamina so high?" he muttered. He didn't even feel tired. In his previous life, he would have never considered himself an endurance athlete; he was just... normal. He wondered what had changed to give him such an advantage in this new form.
He glanced at the other stats, trying to make sense of the math. His intelligence was abysmally low, yet he didn't *feel* any dumber. "Does it mean something else?" he pondered. "Or am I just too dim now to realize I've lost it?"
Survival was the only thing that mattered now. If he was going to endure this punishment, he needed to know his limits. Specifically, he needed to know about his lives.
"System," he called out. "Are there any ways to increase my life count?"
A screen flickered to life, glowing with an ominous hue.
> **Warning: Calling the System may be detrimental to the Candidate's progress. Do you wish to proceed?**
"What? What are you talking about?" Astraga grumbled. Since he had arrived, the System had been nothing but a harbinger of bad news or useless riddles. "I just want to know how to get more lives. And what does 'Simulation 105' mean? How many of these punishments are there?"
The System responded with cold, mechanical efficiency.
> **Information Restricted.**
> * **Total Punishment Simulations:** 1 – 125
> * **Current Simulation:** 105
> * **Reason for Secrecy:** Access Denied.
> * **Life Increase:** There is no established method to increase lives on the island.
>
>
"Shit. I'm screwed," Astraga hissed.
But the System wasn't finished.
> **Note: Candidate may acquire lives if they are available within his Gift Box.**
"Great! Access my Gift Box immediately!"
> **Gift Box Categories:**
> * **Silver:** 13 Available
> * **Gold:** 1 Available
> * **Legendary:** 2 Available
> * **Restriction:** Full access is granted only upon completion of the punishment and authorization by **Genesis**.
>
>
"Two legendary boxes?" Astraga's eyes widened. "How do I unlock them all now?"
> **Requirement:** Punishment must be completed. Access must be granted by **Genesis**.
That name again. *Genesis.* Whoever they were, Astraga felt a burning desire to find them and strangle them the moment his hands were free.
> **Would the Candidate like to open the available Silver Gift Boxes?**
Before he could answer, the screen began to glitch and flicker violently.
"Wait, what's happening? Why are you glitching?"
> **WARNING! WARNING!**
> **Incoming: Suicide Birds!**
"Suicide what?"
Before Astraga could process the warning, a flock of birds appeared on the horizon. They were a brilliant, piercing blue, but their most striking feature was their beaks—long, spiraled, and sharp, resembling the horn of a unicorn. They were diving through the air, heading straight for him with terrifying precision.
It was as if they were homing in on his location. *Did the System lead them here? Is this what it meant by 'detrimental'?*
The birds began their assault, plunging headfirst like feathered javelins. Astraga leapt to his feet, narrowly dodging the first two strikes. His reaction speed was just high enough to keep him from being pinned to the ground instantly. He turned and began to sprint toward the distant mountain, but the sheer volume of the flock was overwhelming.
*Thwack!*
A sharp, agonizing pain flared in his thigh. He had been hit. The birds were no longer firing at random; they were tracking his movements like heat-seeking missiles.
As he reached down to try and dislodge the bird from his leg, another struck his shoulder. Then another. The binding on his hands was a death sentence—he couldn't move fast enough to protect himself or pull the "horns" out.
Stabbed repeatedly, Astraga finally collapsed. He fell to the forest floor, his bound hands raised uselessly in the air. As he looked up, the sky was obscured by a cloud of blue feathers and ivory points. The pain was white-hot and searing—this was no mere simulation of the mind; his nerves felt every bit of the trauma.
> **You Died.**
> **Candidate 566.**
The world plunged into darkness.
A moment later, Astraga gasped for air as he respawned back at his starting point. His body was whole again, but the memory of the pain lingered like a ghost. Before him, the System's golden text glowed once more.
**Goal: Reach the Mountain Top.**
***
Astraga let out a long, ragged sigh. "Back here again," he muttered, his voice echoing against the silence of the shoreline.
He took a moment to settle his racing heart, then called out mentally, *'System.'*
The interface shimmered into existence. This time, Astraga was more cautious. "Before, you said calling the System was 'detrimental.' Does that apply here, in this specific spot?"
The System's response was surprisingly calm, easing the tension that had knotted in Astraga's neck. He kept his eyes moving, scanning the sky for blue feathers and the water for fins.
> **Current Location: Site of Grace.** > **Status: Sanctuary.**
> **Description: Established by Genesis, these sites allow Candidates to adjust equipment and manage resources. Candidates are completely invulnerable while within the radius of a Site of Grace.**
Astraga blinked. "You mean those sharks—and whatever else is out there—couldn't have touched me if I'd just stayed put?"
> **Precisely,** the System replied with a hint of digital sarcasm. **However, each Site of Grace is temporary. Candidates must eventually progress, or the Grace will expire.**
"How many of these 'Graces' are on this island?" Astraga asked, looking out over the vast, intimidating landscape.
> **Total Sites of Grace on this Island: 3.**
> **Remaining to be discovered: 2.**
"Only two more on an island this massive?" Astraga's heart sank. "Crap. Give me the coordinates for the next one."
Coordinates flickered into his peripheral vision, mapping a path through the treacherous terrain. It looked simple enough on paper, but the System quickly cut to the chase.
> **Notice: Since this is a Punishment Simulation, core stats cannot be altered. Stat reallocation is only available during Trials.**
> **Would the Candidate like to open the Silver Gift Boxes?**
Astraga hesitated. He didn't even know how he had earned these boxes in the first place, and his mind kept wandering to the **Legendary** ones locked behind the Genesis seal. But with a trial—or worse—awaiting him, he couldn't afford to be stingy.
"Fine. Open seven of the silver boxes," he commanded. "Fingers crossed."
> **Opening 7 Silver Gift Boxes...**
> * **Success:** Received [Healing Herbs of the Jaggerabbit] x3.
> * **Success:** Received [Standard Healing Potion] x30.
> * **Success:** Received [Butcher's Mad Dagger] (Level 1/3).
> * **Rare Success:** Received [Extra Life] x1. **Candidate is extremely lucky.**
>
>
"A life!" Astraga gasped. "What are the odds of that?"
Before he could calculate his luck, a heavy, jagged blade materialized in front of him. It was a wicked thing, lined with teeth like a saw. Simultaneously, his status window updated.
---
### **Status Window: Candidate 566**
* **Stamina:** 150/200
* **Intelligence:** 7/200
* **Speed:** 30/200
* **Strength:** 30/200
* **Lives:** (6)
* **Inventory:** * Healing Potions (30)
* Healing Herbs (3) — *Locked*
* Butcher's Mad Dagger (Equipped)
---
Astraga stared at the thirty potions. He had no idea how effective they were. If he was on the brink of death, would a single bottle even matter? There was only one way to be sure.
"System, how do I use the potions?"
> **Voice Command: Simply speak the word 'Potion' and the item will be consumed immediately.**
Astraga looked at the jagged dagger, then at his own leg. He took a deep breath, gripped the hilt with his bound hands, and drove the blade into his thigh.
"Shit! Ah—!" The pain was instantaneous and sharp. Blood blossomed through his trousers. "Potion!"
A cool, numbing sensation flooded his body. In the blink of an eye, the jagged tear in his flesh closed, leaving nothing but a faint pink line that quickly faded.
"It can heal a wound that deep? Amazing..."
He checked his inventory. **[29 Potions Remaining].** It was a costly test, but the confidence it gave him was worth it. Anything that could knit tissue back together that fast was a literal lifesaver.
> **WARNING: Site of Grace is nearing expiration. Candidate is advised to begin.**
Astraga looked at the shimmering light of the bindings on his wrists. He took the *Butcher's Mad Dagger* and sawed at the magical cord. The blade was surprisingly sharp; with a sharp *snap*, the light-binding shattered.
His hands were finally free. He stretched his fingers, feeling the strength return to his grip.
"Alright. I'm ready." He looked toward the peak. "The goal is the mountain top. What happens when I get there?"
> **Information will be revealed upon completion of the objective.**
Astraga didn't wait for another warning. He took off, running with the intensity of a man who had already tasted death once today. Dying wasn't fun, and he was done with this simulation.
Whatever it took, he was going to reach the top. He was going to find out who "Genesis" was, and he was going to settle the score by any means necessary.
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