MTLNOVEL Chapter 2: Catacombs
Crimson Shore. Eastern Luminant. Deep inside Londor's Graveyard.
The catacomb stretches deep underground, its stone corridors lit by faint, sickly light. Massive pillars support a vaulted ceiling that dug into the shadow.
The walls are carved with thousands of burial niches, most now empty, their stone coffins cracked and overgrown with pale moss.
Meanwhile, water drips steadily in the distance. The air smells of damp earth and decay.
Damien's eyes snapped open. startled by the sight before him. Due to his experience living the undercity, he grew accustomed to the darkness quickly.
At this moment, another voices caused him to turn his head.
"W-Where am I?"
"Is this a prank? Hey! Where is the camera?"
"Oh hell nah, I must be dreaming, somebody wake me up!"
"What the hell is this idiot saying?"
He realized that this wasn't a singular voice, but a collective group.
Through the dim light, he saw about ten people slowly waking up from the damp floor, all wearing the same expression—baffled, confused, fearful.
But what truly occupied their minds wasn't the carved walls or skeleton remains.
It was the message from [Nebula Online], blinking repeatedly like the brightest light in this dim catacomb.
Damien was no different, except, he quickly examined his surrounding to better adapt to the environment.
As he observed his surrounding and characterized its traits, a terrifying revelation crossed his mind.
'This place... Isn't this the catacomb deep under Londor's Graveyard?!'
His heart pounded. 'Could it be?'
'Status Window,' he whispered.
Since everyone was talking over each other at this point, no one noticed Damien's abnormal behavior. His figure action went unnoticed amidst the crowd.
Name: Damien Clementine
Class: (C) Divine Saint ★★★★★
Species: Human
Race: N/A
Level: 1
Faction: N/A
Experience: 0/100
Health: 30
Mana: 200
Stamina: 12
Strength: 6
Intelligence: 20
Agility: 7
Luck: 7
General Skills: N/A
Class-Specific Skills: (Corrupted) Resurrection, (Corrupted) Divine Blessing
His eyes lit up like discovering [Nebula Online] for the first time.
But quickly, he calmed his nerves and began scooting away from the crowd of people, afraid of attracting any unwanted attention.
At the same time, he accepted and recognized the truth.
'Somehow, and in some way, we entered the world of [Nebula Online]. The status window proves this, the catacombs further proves this!'
Damien knew where he was in a split second.
The Catacombs beneath Londor's Graveyard— One of the more difficult starting area within [Nebula Online].
Since that is the case, Damien felt a sense of urgency he hasn't felt before back in the undercity.
'The world of [Nebula Online] is not kind and friendly to new players… Food and exhaustion, these are all real concerns. Right now, I can only take care of myself!'
He knew that it wouldn't take long for these people to realize that they were pulled into a game world.
What concerns him the most is their reaction and behavior afterward. People are always difficult to predict.
Damien has always been calm and rational, but he didn't dare to gamble his life on other people being the same.
In [Nebula Online], danger lurks in every corner. Especially in the beginning, time is the most precious resource one can have!
'I can't waste my time with these people, the first thing I need to do is level up, get stronger! Only then can I survive and escape this catacomb!"
After Damien quietly left the dimly lit passage filled with about ten people, he quickly studied his surrounding as well as stats.
'Mythical Ranked Class? What class is this? And what is up with my stats… It's all intellect without any strength…'
Seeing this stat, he can't help but wore a wry smile. But looking at the [Mythical Ranked] class, his face slowly lifted a joyful smile.
'The best rarity class I ever obtained was [Legendary Ranked], Necromancer. This class is what allowed me to beat the [Nightmare Tower].'
Back then, It took him months to complete a series of hidden quests just to obtain this class.
'I heard Saint is also a legendary class, but what is this [Corrupted Divine Saint]?' He murmured.
Before he could take a look at his ability, a sound of footstep made him froze. Immediately, he moved to hide behind a caved-in wall.
The footstep began inching closer toward his direction. At this moment, he gripped his hand to get a feel for his body.
'It is just like in [Nebula Online]... The only difference is that the control is much more responsive!'
This made sense, after all, this is real life, not the game.
Feeling the sense of freedom, as well as smelling the long dry bone of the deceased from his environment, Damien lips curled into a smile.
At this moment, he leaned his ear into the wall.
'It's the sound of a skeleton walking. Only one.' He noted, then turned his head to peek over the side of the wall.
Just like he guessed, it is really one single skeleton. One of the most common monster in the catacomb.
'I can kill it for experience!' He immediately thought, examining the lone skeleton which was holding a cracked bone as its weapon.
Then, Damien crouched low and looked around on the floor, spotting a small pebble that is just the right size.
[Small pebble: Useless piece of rock. What more do you need to know?]
Rating: Common★
Strength Required: 1
Attack Power: 3
'Not bad,' He said to himself, then turn his head toward the skeleton, waiting for it to continue walking closer to him.