*CASTLE INTERIOR - LIBRARY - AFTERNOON*
Mark's eyes scan the page eagerly, hoping to find more weaknesses or clues:
He turns to the next page, and then the next, but his heart sinks:
**Blank Pages**
The rest of the section on ancient abominations is completely blank.
No more notes, no weaknesses listed, no hints of countermeasures...
Only a chilling sentence handwritten at the very bottom of the last page:
"Those who knew more did not survive to write it."
Mark feels a chill run down his spine...
Mark decides to shift his search from ancient monsters to medicinal plants:
He browses through shelves and finds several books on herbalism and botany:
Titles like "Healing Plants of the Realm", "Magical Herbs and Their Properties"
He gathers these books and approaches the librarian's desk:
"Excuse me, may I borrow these books to study in my room?" he asks politely.
The librarian, a kind old man with spectacles, nods:
"Of course, young one. Return them within a fortnight, please."
Mark smiles, relieved, and carries the stack of books out of the library:
He walks through the castle corridors, books balanced in his arms:
Back in his room, he drops the books onto the desk and begins to unpack them:
The titles now spread out before him:
1. "Healing Plants of the Realm"
2. "Magical Herbs and Their Properties"
3. "Toxic Plants to Avoid"
4. "Herbal Remedies for Common Ailments"
5. "Rare Plants of the Cursed Scarlands"
Mark reads intensely, absorbing knowledge on medicinal plants:
Hours pass, candles burning low, night shadows dancing on walls:
Suddenly, he hears footsteps outside his door – heavy, menacing steps:
The door bursts open, and Kai and Ryan stride in, sneering:
"Time for your nightly lesson, commoner," Kai says, cracking his knuckles.
Ryan adds, "You should've been expelled from this castle already."
Mark's heart sinks, eyes widening as the two approach him:
He glances around frantically – candles, books, and chairs his only defenses...
Kai takes a step closer, fists clenched:
"You're a real threat to our kingdom, commoner."
Ryan moves to block the door, trapping Mark:
Then, their eyes land on the books scattered across Mark's desk:
Titles like "Healing Plants of the Realm" and "Magical Herbs and Their Properties" catch their attention:
Kai bursts out laughing:
"Haha, look at this! Our brave 'warrior' wants to be a farmer!"
Ryan joins in, mocking Mark:
"Healing plants? Magical herbs? You planning to grow veggies for the castle kitchen?"
Mark's face burns with embarrassment and anger:
"I'm researching medicine for my assignment in Brindlemark Village," he explains tightly.
Kai doubles over laughing:
"Medicine? With those books? You'll be putting bandages on turnips!
Ryan chimes in:
"Maybe you should trade in your sword for a hoe, commoner – you'd be more suited to farming!"
Mark's fists clench, tempted to strike back physically:
But then he sees Kai's eyes gleam with excitement – he's wanting Mark to react violently...
*CASTLE INTERIOR - MARK'S ROOM - NIGHT*
Mark takes a deep breath and remains calm, refusing to give Kai satisfaction:
His eyes lock onto Kai's, defiant but restrained:
Kai's excitement turns to annoyance at Mark's calm demeanor:
Enraged, Kai charges at Mark with Ryan's help:
Fists rain down on Mark – punches to his face, stomach, and ribs:
Mark tries to defend himself but is outnumbered and outmatched:
He collapses to the floor, beaten to a pulp:
Kai stands over him, sneering:
"You should learn how to become a proper punching bag... instead of reading those."
He gestures to the herbalism books scattered around Mark's broken form:
Ryan laughs, and both of them walk out of the room, leaving Mark in agony:
The door closes with a loud creak, followed by fading laughter...
Mark lies there, barely conscious, wondering how he'll survive Brindlemark Village...
*CASTLE INTERIOR - MARK'S ROOM - NIGHT*
Mark lies there, barely conscious, his body wracked with pain:
He thinks to himself with a mix of relief and despair:
"My HP will probably restore to full tomorrow...
And my max HP will likely increase drastically again...
Thanks to this game-like world's ridiculous rules for rewarding suffering...
But what's the point of healing and becoming stronger if I just get beaten again?"
His thoughts grow fuzzy as pain overwhelms him:
Mark's vision blurs, and he feels his consciousness slipping away...
He whispers his frustration into the darkness:
"Need... strength..."
Everything goes black.
Mark loses consciousness, slipping into a painful sleep...
*CASTLE INTERIOR - MARK'S ROOM - NIGHT*
Mark's unconscious mind plunges into a terrifying dream:
He finds himself in a dark, damp chamber with cold stone walls:
His arms and legs are restrained by heavy, rusty chains, locking him in place:
As he looks up, his heart freezes in horror:
A single, horrifying creature towers before him, its twisted body looming large:
Its face is distorted in a grotesque grin, a scary smile spreading across its twisted features:
Eyes glow with an otherworldly malevolence, fixed intensely on Mark:
Mark tries to scream, but his voice is mute in the dream:
His mind races with terror as the creature takes a step closer:
Its twisted mouth seems to stretch wider, the grin growing even more menacing:
Mark feels icy breath on his skin, making his blood run cold:
The creature's eyes burn with an evil intensity, as if savoring his fear:
Suddenly, Mark's dream self tries to thrash about wildly, desperate to escape:
But the chains hold tight, leaving him helpless against the creature's looming presence...
The creature reaches out a twisted hand, its bony fingers extending towards Mark's face:
Mark's dream self tries to recoil in horror, but his head is chained in place:
The creature's finger touches his eye socket, pressing gently at first...
Then, its nail begins to dig in, as if preparing to gouge out his eyeball:
Mark's mind screams in agony, his dream self thrashing wildly against the chains:
But just as the creature's nail is about to tear into his eye...
Mark's eyes SNAP OPEN – he wakes up from the nightmare, gasping for air:
His chest heaves violently, sweat dripping down his face as he sits up abruptly:
The room is dimly lit, only a faint moon glow peeking through the window:
Mark rubs his eyes, trying to erase the terrifying image of the creature's twisted face:
His heart still racing, he swings his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet firmly on the ground:
Reality slowly sinks in – he's safe in his castle room...
But then he notices something – his body no longer hurts from Kai's beating...
His HP must have restored overnight...