Elio stumbled several times, his legs numb from the cold, but each time he got up and kept running.
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The icy air burned his skin, his muscles screamed in protest, every movement a battle against his own body.
Resistance: 100/500... 80/500... 60/500...
The numbers flashed in his book, a grim countdown to potential failure. Fear began to settle in his stomach, a cold, heavy weight that threatened to drag him down.
What if he didn't make it? What if he had waited too long to make this decision? The idea of failing, of dying here, alone in this frozen tunnel, terrified him to his core.
But it wasn't just about him. He thought of his family, his friends, the entire city that depended on him... Even the ungrateful ones, he couldn't fail them. Not now, not like this. The weight of their expectations pressed down on him.
With a cry of determination that echoed through the tunnel, Elio found reserves of energy he didn't know he had. He ran faster, ignoring the searing pain in his muscles, the burning in his lungs. Each step sent shockwaves of agony through his body, but he pushed on, driven by desperation and an unyielding will to survive.
Resistance: 40/500... 31/500... 22/500...
The cold seemed to chase him, an invisible beast threatening to devour him. But Elio didn't give up. He kept running, each step an act of pure will. His legs moved mechanically, driven more by desperation than strength.
The frozen tunnel stretched endlessly before him, a constant reminder of the distance he still had to cover. Hours had passed since he started his race against time, hours that felt like an eternity of torment.
With each step, he felt his resistance diminishing. Although the rate of loss had slowed as he moved away from the ice barrier, it was still a constant threat. His armor, once reliable protection, now offered barely any comfort. The cold seeped through, biting into his skin, seeping into his very bones.
Elio: 49.99 Resistance / 10.96 Armor Resistance
Elio: 34.56 Resistance / 0 Armor Resistance
Stamina: 0.2
The world around him began to blur.
The edges of his vision darkened, and sounds became distant, as if he were listening through water. Elio fought to stay conscious, knowing that passing out now would mean dead. The tunnel seemed to stretch and warp before his eyes, playing tricks on his exhausted mind.
"Just... a little... more," he said between broken gasps, each word a monumental effort.
But his body was reaching its limits. He was no longer running; his movements had been reduced to a staggering advance. Each step was a colossal struggle, his legs shaking under his own weight. Each movement requiring more effort than the last.
Elio: 23.45 Resistance / 0 Armor Resistance
Stamina: 0.01
The intense cold still bit his skin, a constant reminder that he still wasn't safe. Elio could feel consciousness slipping away from him, like water between his fingers. He fought furiously against the fatigue, refusing to yield. His vision swam, the world tilting and spinning around him.
"Not... not now," he growled, forcing his body to take another step. "I've come... too far..."
But the System was relentless. Without stamina, there was no consciousness. It was an absolute, unbreakable rule.
Elio felt his legs finally give way. He fell to his knees, the impact barely registered by his numb body. He tried to get up, his arms shaking with the effort, but it was useless. His muscles had nothing left to give, every fiber of his being crying out for rest.
"No... please..." he pleaded, though he wasn't sure who he was talking to. The System? The Creator? Himself?
His vision darkened completely, the cold of the ground against his cheek the last point of contact with reality. And then, darkness enveloped him completely.