The World Which Is

Chapter 11

"It's about time."

I look up at the cloudy sky through the hole in the ceiling. They've grown darker with each one I've come across, so it might rain before I reach Court. I wonder how my ability deals with wet surfaces.

No pop-up, so no information about that in the system. Doesn't mean I won't get penalties, just that it's not something that I can get from a standard query.

This is the fourth crack in the ceiling I've come across since waking up. But the other didn't have a wall that went up to the lip. Now, it's going to be about working out a path around the obstacles poking out of the wall.

It's angled in a little; from the rest of the damage, I think the ceiling collapsed. This has got to be close to twenty meters, and there's no straight path up. But I shouldn't have to weave too much and I have plenty of space for my running start.

Here I go.

Foot on the wall, and again my hand's on it too. Work on that later. Other feet, don't slow, get the foot over the ankle, again. Okay, here's the first obstacle. I'm going over, so step higher. Use it to push myself up, feet on the wall, hand grabs the one above me and I continue.

Okay, not something to worry about, but this is taking a tad longer that I thought. My stamina's down to almost half and I can't tell if I've made it halfway. Definitely not pausing to check. Falling from here is going to hurt.

So change the angle, it's not like that's going to cause me a problem, just step higher each time, look ahead, plan for the stuff in the way, can I go over them and cut a few seconds off? Will it be enough?

Oh, I hope so.

Over that one. Step higher so I can make it over the next one. There, past that, and the lip of the hole is not far. Half plus steps and I'll be there. It'd better be because my stamina's getting low. If the next few steps don't drain it, the ones after that will, and I doubt I have enough willpower to make the check that will let me keep going.

Not taking chances then. The lips, in reach, so I reach for it, with the next step I'll—

I'm falling.

How am I falling?

What did I do—

* * * * *

I come awake to a line of debuffs and my health bar flashing angrily, as all it has left is a barely visible sliver.

My gaze is then drawn to the debuff that's so dark the red might as well be black

Debuff: Bleeding, internal

You are bleeding internally. You lose 1 hit point every 13 seconds. Seek healing immediately.

Time remaining: 3 hours, 26 minutes, 1 second

I stare at it, and it takes me long enough to understand that means I'm dying, that one of the other debuffs has to be a concussion.

At least I have healing bars left. No idea if one's going to be enough— how many do I have?—but I sort of remember these start working the moment I swallow one bite.

I will one bar to my hand and close my fingers on it. It's got a wrapper. Fuck.

Okay, I can bite through it. It was paper...wasn't it?

I lift my arm, and instead I scream in pain, then I'm panting from the effort and notice my stamina is basically gone.

I am so screwed. The only way I'm doing with is with a will check, and I've never trained it. Doesn't mean I can't manage one, but the odds are not in my favor.