Rize’s POV

YOU HAVE DIED.

EXP+10000, WILL+5

Gasp!

I shot up after ripping my eyes open.

“How…” I passed my gaze between my palms. How am I still alive? I was pretty sure that SCP-106 got me by the neck just now.

Against my better judgement, I underestimated SCP-106 a lot. It’s my fault that I forgot; the fact that SCP-106 literally made everything it touched rots away. Because of that, the moment it grabbed me by the neck, the place where it touched gradually felt prickly, then slowly lose sense. By the time I realized that my skin had turned crusty and peeling, my vision had already darkened. I believe I was supposed to die back then, so…

Why am I here again?

I caressed my face. It was smooth, no crust, no peeled off skin, not even a putrid odour of something rotting. I feel completely normal, my body even looks normal.

“…Hm.” I cupped my chin. Is being able to resurrect is one of the skills in my title? Though, I don’t think I notice any skills in my status.

While I was pondering, I finally realized the window that was in front of me all this time. Talk about being immersed that you lose focus of the surrounding.

I shook my head and heaved a concerned sigh towards myself as I eyed the window. Then I pursed my lips.

EXP 10000?

Just from getting killed I get 10k experience points?

“Whoa…” I remarked. That is some amazing EXP there. I don’t know how much other monster’s EXP amount is, but what I do know, 10k is a lot for a single monster. I don’t even have to kill it to get this amount of EXP!

“…So, I just have to let myself be killed, huh?” I mumbled.

That sounded easy, yet awfully challenging at the same time. The easy part is to die, but the hard part is the process of dying itself. If I can just avoid rotting or getting myself gutted like a dead fish, I might be able to have an easier death.

Besides, I am curious about the levelling up system. For a level 1 to need 1 million EXP just to get to level 2, I originally thought that this system is harsh. But if killing a monster grants me 10k EXP each time, then I might be able to compromise with the system.

“Now then…” I stood up. Looking at the ground and my surrounding, I don’t even know which is which. I took a few seconds to stay silent and let my thoughts sort themselves out before I was suddenly struck with a surprise.

“…How am I supposed to get out of here?” I darted my eyes around.

Conveniently, a window appeared before me, with a notice saying ‘WILL YOU RESSURECT?’.

I heaved a relieved sigh. Can’t believe that one day I would be happy to resurrect back to life. If it wasn’t because of the apocalypse, I would have hoped to die from workplace fatigue.

“Yes.” I answered.

Once again, my surroundings lit up and I got transported back to the pocket dimension created by SCP-106. Soon after I opened my eyes, my feet started to walk. I don’t want to sound crazy by saying this but, is it weird that I am actually looking for SCP-106 so I could die faster?

After getting my thoughts sorted, I planned on doing things one by one. My first plan is of course, levelling up. I want to know what will happen after I reach level 2  by accumulating all that ridiculous amount of EXPs. From that point on, whether I have to continue my suicidal charade or kill SCP-106 is up to the things I will receive when I level up. Levelling up usually rewards you with something, at least that was what I experienced by playing all those video games. So, I hoped to get something useful for myself.

Round 3, somehow, I can feel my sense sharpened. By the time the ground rumbled, I was bracing myself to be killed the moment that monster appeared. And just as I thought, SCP-106 appeared again out of nowhere like it usually did.

YOU HAVE DIED.

“Huh?” I creased my eyebrows.

Apart from that three-word sentence, there was no notifications stating that I have received any EXP. Even when I checked the EXP bar, it was still at 10k/1mil.

“What in the world…” Don’t tell me that EXP was a one-time thing? If that’s the case then it would be pointless to do that again.

I can feel my head throbbing. Ugh, the headache, I would get a headache sometimes from stress while working. Never expect that I would have another headache when the world is in the verge of collapsing.

What should I do now?

If I can’t get any more EXP, I can’t level up. If I can’t level up, does that mean I will be stuck here forever?

I shuddered a bit. Anxiety started to loom over me. That is not something I had in mind when I said I wanted to resurrect. It’s pointless if I can resurrect anytime but is trapped inside this dimension. I huffed a breath and went still, staring emptily at the darkness that stretches wide in front of me.

…Well, I guess whether I like it or not, I’ll return to the plan of either killing it and escape or escape while avoiding it.

WILL YOU RESURRECT?

“Yes please.”

The fourth round started. This time I was caught much later than usual. Might be because of my status that I am able to avoid encountering SCP-106, I also felt strangely brave by being able to trudge into an unknown path without hesitation. Additionally, like the second round, I decided to try and fight against the SCP.

I was able to dodge its hand for a first few rounds, stepping back and ducking it’s reaching hands. Now that I see it, apart from its teleporting ability and the ability to slip through any matter, SCP-106 movements in general are rather slow. Even though this round’s battle lasted for only a few seconds with me dead, I at least managed to get something out of it.

YOU HAVE DIED.

EXP +10000, WILL +5

“…Huh?” I fluttered my eyes in confusion. To make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, I rubbed my eyes for a few times.

“This…” I was baffled. I thought I won’t get any EXP from that monster anymore, so what gives?

I pondered for a bit, pointing out the similarities between this round and the second round. The only similarities with that round and this is that I fought the monsters back.

“Don’t tell me, that I have to fight back to gain EXP?” Does that mean I was given EXP for my effort?

“Now I see.” I let out a chuckle.

WILL YOU RESURRECT?

“Yes.”

For the next ten rounds, it felt more like a training period rather than a duration for survival. It’s scary how used I have gotten to experiencing pain when dying. My EXP and WILL kept on increasing.

“Come on now, don’t make me wait!” For the first time after tens of rounds, I became impatient, crass even. I have the gal to taunt the SCP so it would come and fight me so I can die faster.

I don’t remember at which round I was at, when suddenly a different kind of window popped out in front of me after I woke up from my death, inside the dark space.

YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!

NAME: RIZE MARIA

LEVEL: 2

HP: 10100(+10000)

MP: 15100(+15000)

TITLE: MARIONETTE OF CORPSES

EXP: 0/10 000 000

STATUS: 1. STR: 220(+200)

    2. AGI: 220(+200)

    3. INT: 350(+300)

    4. DEX: 230(+200)

    5. WILL: 2060(+1500)

NEW SKILL: PURGE(UNIQUE)

            “…What the hell?” I stared at my status window with my eyes wide. I guess now I know why it’s so hard to level up, my status number just skyrocketed like crazy. I even gained a new skill that is classified as unique. Curiously, I tapped at the skill name that has appeared in my list of skill, which is the only skill I have at the moment.

PURGE

Able to grab hold of any surface imbued with Mana.

“…Hm.” I arched an eyebrow. I don’t know whether this is a good skill or a bad skill by its name and description. By any surface imbued with Mana, what does that mean?

I stared silently at the skill name.

“…Well, I guess I’ll just have to see it for myself when I use it later.” I flicked off the window and it disappeared.

WILL YOU RESURRECT?

“Yes.”

I returned back to the pocket dimension.

Suddenly, I felt something pinging at the back of my mind. It was as if I have become a radar or something, when I can sense an object moving at a distance from where I am standing. The object moves swiftly like the wind, and sometimes stopped a bit when it gets near me.

At that time, SCP-106 appeared.

“Aha… now I see…” So that object is actually SCP-106 moving. Pretty convenient I must say when I can sense things now. I smirked at myself.

Now how should I fight with this thing?

Like usual, SCP-106 charged at me with both of its hands spread apart, ready to attack me. Though somehow, it’s movements were extremely slow. I took a few seconds to blink my eyes, confused, before I dodged its attacks. The SCP’s ghoulish expression twisted into a shocked look.

For unknown reason, I felt the corner of my lips curled up again. I can see it; I can really see it in front of my eyes now.

ON how I can kill this monster.

I started off by taking out my pen. It was only a mere pen but with a 200 STR, I wonder how far I can go. Before the SCP situated itself for another melee attack, I took a few steps back to distance myself from it before swiftly, I threw the pen at it like a dart.

The pen didn’t miss SCP-106, but went through it. Aw heck, I forgot that it could change its state of matters however it liked. The SCP growled a bit.

That’s the first time I heard its voice after a while. I don’t know if that was unintentional, but I am ticked off now. Sounds like he’s mocking me, huh?

I opened my legs a bit and swiftly, darted to where SCP-106 is, thinking of wanting to catch it. For some reason, I managed to grab SCP-106 barehanded and slammed its murky body onto the wall, without having my skin scraped off from the high acidity of its skin.

PURGE(PASSIVE) ACTIVATED!

“Passive…” So, it’s a passive skill! That’s pretty convenient. Now if I could just…

A shrill shriek filled the hall when I stomped one foot on its hardened abdomen and started to pull its head.

“…Ugh!” I groaned. Goodness gracious, just what this creature is made of? It’s so hard to pull its head off.

I took a few seconds rest to stabilize my stance and grabbing its flailing hand—that seemed to try scratching my hand that is around its neck. Inhaling a huge breath, I squeezed tightly around its neck with one hand and with a single grunt, thick, black, murky, and rotting scented liquid sprayed out as I ripped its head off from its body. I seemed to put too much strength into it I even pull out its spine connected to its head.

The shriek died down.

As soon as that happened, my surroundings began to deform. I darted my eyes to my entire surroundings, there’s a lot going on around me after that, but what I can summarize from this is that, the pocket dimension disappeared like the ashes. Which means, I returned to reality.

Contrary to my expectation, the laboratory doesn’t look like what it seemed to be. Despite the surrounding being pretty dark, I could smell grass in the perimeter near me.

I fluttered my eyes, bewildered.

No, there is indeed grass growing inside this facility. I squeezed my eyes a bit to adjust it to the darkness. After a few moments, I lowered my gaze to the supposedly white concrete floor of the facility. There were cracks everywhere, and from them, sprouts weeds and grasses.

I covered my mouth in disbelief.

Just how long have I been trapped inside the pocket dimension?