If you’ve ever felt that intense rush of adrenaline — when everything seems sharper, more vivid, your senses heighten, and time almost slows down — then you might have a faint idea of what it feels like when I activate my new ability: [Enhanced Senses basic].
It’s like I suddenly become part of the environment. Every sound, every movement, every shift in smell or light hits me all at once. I feel everything. But at the same time, it’s like trying to listen to dozens of voices talking over each other.
My perception had expanded in a terrifying way, but I still couldn’t process all the input clearly. It was a sensory storm — powerful, fascinating, and in its own way, chaotic.
Instinctively, my eyes locked onto a specific point: a pipe, where small drops of water were falling rhythmically to the ground. The strange — or rather, unsettling — thing was that both the pipe and the spot where the drops hit the floor were completely sealed inside the wall, hidden behind a thick layer of concrete.
In theory, it should’ve been invisible and silent. And yet, I could see the corroded pipe in full detail, and track each individual drop all the way down to its soft impact on the hidden floor. The sound was crystal clear, like physical barriers didn’t exist to me anymore.
I’d been feeling unusually sensitive for a while — maybe ever since I activated this ability. I’m not entirely sure. But it was around then that I started to notice... something. At first, I had no clue what it was. The sensation was vague, like a muffled presence hiding behind the wall.
My first guess was that it had to be one of the pipes — it made sense, since it was coming from inside the structure. But something was off. It wasn’t just there... it was moving. And I was absolutely sure pipes weren’t supposed to move on their own.
Unfortunately, by the time that realization hit me, it was already too late. Through Noa’s eyes, all I could see was a colossal figure — a massive body, easily five or six meters tall — bursting through the wall with a deafening crash.
The creature emerged from the shadows, towering behind Justin like a nightmare made real. My male body froze at the sight, completely unable to react as this overwhelming presence closed in.
The thing had countless legs, all moving in chaotic, uncoordinated ways, like each one had a mind of its own. Its body twisted grotesquely as it pushed through the cracked wall, revealing two massive pincer-like mandibles that gleamed under the flickering light like blades ready to tear me apart.
That alone was terrifying — but the worst part was its eyes. Two glowing red orbs stared at me with a focus so intense it felt like they could slice through my flesh. It was the look a predator gives when it’s already chosen its prey.
And I was that prey. No question, no escape. As insane as it sounds, that thing was a centipede — a massive, monstrous centipede straight out of a nightmare.
My body — Justin’s body — was completely frozen. Maybe if I hadn’t seen it, things would’ve been different. But I had. I knew exactly what was behind me, even without turning around.
Thanks to Noa’s vision, I could see everything in perfect detail. She gave me eyes that weren’t mine — eyes that exposed every horrifying detail. The giant centipede loomed over me, its countless legs scraping the floor with a sound that made me shudder.
I could clearly see its pincer-jaw opening, slow and cruel, as if savoring the moment. It was about to split me in half... and I could do nothing but watch.
(Damn it, my legs... they won’t move) I cursed silently: (This has to be some kind of sick joke. Am I seriously going to die ?... So pathetically?)
Even though it looked like I was scared, that wasn’t it. I didn’t feel panic — my heartbeat stayed steady, and my legs didn’t tremble like I’d seen in people gripped by fear. What I felt was something else entirely.
It was as if invisible ropes were holding me down, binding my body and stopping any attempt to flee from the centipede behind me. The explanation came just moments later, when a translucent screen appeared in the air right in front of my eyes.
[You have been poisoned by (Paralysis Venom)]
Honestly, when I read the message, I couldn’t hide the shock on my face. It felt like something invisible had struck me in that exact moment. Somehow, that thing — which came out of nowhere — had managed to poison me before I could even react.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out how it had happened. Even though my body wasn’t responding the way I wanted, I wasn’t completely paralyzed. I could still move a little — but trying anything sudden was completely out of the question.
And as I turned to face the monstrous body of the centipede, the first thing that caught my eye was the tip of its tail: a grotesque, curved stinger, sharp as a blade, dripping a thick greenish liquid that pooled slowly on the damp floor.
To my horror, I realized that same liquid was near me — splashed across nearby stones, still fresh, like it had just fallen seconds ago. A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t know how or when, but somehow, that thing had already stung me.
More messages started to appear. I read them quickly, almost on autopilot. But the more I read, the more hopeless everything felt. It was like every new piece of information only confirmed how trapped I really was. Honestly, my luck couldn’t have been worse — it was as if the universe had decided to back me into a corner.
[Your body attempts to resist the abnormal status effect... Failed] Newest update provided by novel✶fire.net
Effect: (A simple, non-lethal venom with extremely fast-acting effects, capable of paralyzing the target instantly)
Duration of abnormal status effect: [45] seconds
In the end, those messages only confirmed the obvious: I was completely screwed. Even though I could still move my hands and legs, my movements were so sluggish and uncoordinated that if I tried to run, I’d probably trip and crash to the ground like a sack of bones.
When it came down to it, I was just easy prey for the centipede. Even though forty-five seconds doesn’t sound like a long time, right now, it felt like a luxury I didn’t have.
In the next instant, it felt like my mind disconnected from reality — and then, like thunder ripping through silence, Oliver’s powerful voice boomed in my ears, full of urgency and desperation: “Justin!!”
A moment later, the centipede lunged at me, its fangs bared and ready to pierce. Time seemed to slow to a crawl — every split second stretched out, as if the entire universe was holding its breath.
The closer those monstrous fangs came, the harder reality hit me with brutal force: if they struck, I’d die. No chance of fighting back. No way out.
It didn’t matter how much I’d evolved or how high my level had gotten — at the end of the day, my body was still more or less like any regular human’s. A bit stronger, a bit faster, sure... but nowhere near enough to withstand an attack that devastating. One hesitation, one mistake, and it would be all over.
(Shit! You’ve gotta be kidding me... There’s no way I’m going out !) The thought shot through my mind like lightning, desperate and disbelieving, as I fought in vain against the inevitable. Every fiber of my being screamed to survive, but reality pressed down with crushing weight.
But before the fangs could reach me, I felt my body get yanked violently to the side. In the moment, I couldn’t process what had just happened — everything was a blur from Justin’s point of view.
But through Noa’s eyes, everything made sense: Ethan had appeared out of nowhere, moving at insane speed, and had pulled me out of the centipede’s attack path at the last possible second.
I let out a relieved breath as I saw the scene from Noa’s perspective. Then I turned my focus back to the centipede. Its last strike had buried its fangs deep into the ground, like spears driven down by pure fury.
Now it thrashed violently, using its massive strength to break free — but it looked like it would stay stuck for at least a few more seconds. Unfortunately, I knew that wouldn’t be long enough for my paralyzed body to start moving again.
Still, I couldn’t afford to waste that opportunity. I took a deep breath and shot a quick glance at my mana bar before turning my eyes back to the monster in front of us. Mana: 135/230. Perfect—or at least, as close to “perfect” as I could hope for in a situation . It was the perfect moment to use [Identify] on that creature and figure out exactly what we were dealing with.
Honestly, I would’ve felt a lot more comfortable if I had a bigger mana pool. But complaining wouldn’t change anything. If Oliver were in my shoes, I’m almost sure he’d be way worse off—probably with less than half the mana I still had left.
After quickly assessing what I had, I did some mental math. Yeah, maybe I could still squeeze in a few more uses of [Precise Strike] before running completely dry. If the two of us managed to sync up perfectly, we might actually have a real shot at taking it down. Maybe. Because if we failed... well, worst case scenario, we’d just end up dead.
No second chances. No way out. This time, there was no room for error. That grim thought loomed like a cold shadow over my mind as I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and activated [Identify], my eyes locked on the massive centipede in front of us — a grotesque creature with dozens of blade-like legs and jaws that looked hungry for flesh.
[Venomous Centipede – Level 13]
As usual, all I could see was the monster’s name and level. And while it was already obvious, the centipede that had attacked me was indeed venomous — just as its name suggested. Luckily, or maybe out of some twisted sense of fate, the venom wasn’t lethal.
I guess I should be thankful for that, in a way. The worst it did was cause temporary paralysis — which, given the situation, actually felt like a bit of mercy. As I let out a tired sigh, relieved I was still conscious, I heard Oliver’s voice nearby, close to where my — now male — body lay on the ground.
“Ethan! Justin! Are you guys okay?!” Oliver called out, breathless, as he ran toward us.
His wide eyes scanned our faces before locking onto mine, still lying motionless. There was a mix of relief and panic in his voice as he dropped to his knees beside me, trying to gauge how bad things were.
Watching the scene sideways through Noa’s eyes, absorbing every detail with a mix of tension and relief, I heard another voice nearby break the silence: “Thank God we made it in time” someone said, their voice filled with both relief and exhaustion.
When I turned to look, I saw Alice leaning against the side of the train, clearly drained. Her face was pale and drenched in sweat, her breathing ragged, like she’d just run a marathon.
Her voice came out muffled, almost like a whisper lost in the wind, and she could barely stand without the cold metal at her back for support. For a brief moment, I felt a wave of relief seeing her alive — but it faded as quickly as it came.
The centipede finally ripped its fangs from the ground with a sickening crack, its blazing red eyes now scanning the area, locking onto each of us one by one.
Its jaws twitched spasmodically, like it was overcome by a primal anticipation. I had no idea what that behavior meant, but something deep inside me — some ancient instinct, maybe — whispered that the creature was pleased. Pleased to see it had more prey within reach.