Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend-Chapter 90: Near Death

I stepped backward to evade the tendrils, but they kept appearing from the black liquid below.

They chased me, weaving through the ground as I kept running to avoid them.

Then, more tendrils appeared in front of me, as if they had already predicted where I’d go.

I immediately jumped and twisted my body mid-air to avoid them all.

With a rough breath, I landed on a large rock, one of the few places not yet covered in the black liquid.

Meanwhile, Bob was also struggling against the tendrils.

He kept dodging and running, but a few tendrils still managed to graze him, leaving shallow cuts across his arms and sides.

It looked like he was close to his limit.

The thing about Hero Grace is...

Even though it’s a cheat-like skill, it still has a weakness. Every time it is used, the active duration becomes shorter, and the recoil on the body becomes heavier.

Bob already used it once earlier against the Cave Beast, so this time, his active duration should be even shorter than mine.

That’s why I’ve told him over and over...

Only use Hero Grace when it’s absolutely necessary.

But of course...

It’s like my words enter his left ear and exit from the right, never stopping in his brain.

Then I noticed, Bob was getting farther and farther away as he kept dodging the creature’s attacks.

This was not looking good.

This chamber is pretty large, roughly 300 meters long and 200 meters wide.

And now, Bob was near the entrance we had entered from... while I was near the exit on the opposite side.

If our distance passed 100 meters, it would spell doom for all of us.

We couldn’t afford to lose our power in this situation.

I had to close the gap. Fast.

I prepared to step forward... but just before my foot landed, I saw the black liquid below ripple, as if it had been waiting for me.

Damn it.

Looked like I’d have to make a break for it.

I stepped back to gain some momentum, then leapt forward. As I landed, sharp tendrils erupted from the ground,right where my feet touched down.

Without wasting a breath, I sprinted.

Running to reach Bob, to outrun the black spikes chasing me and to stop this nightmare from getting worse.

As I neared Bob, I immediately jumped and summoned four Firebolts at once.

Flaming spheres appeared in my hands, two on each side, before I hurled them toward him.

Bob saw the incoming spell and instantly used Dash Slash, slicing through the tendrils near him.

The severed tendrils squirmed briefly before slowly retreating back into the black liquid on the ground.

Boom!

My Firebolts hit their mark, igniting the area and setting the surface ablaze.

But just as Bob was nearing his limit...

From behind him--

the nightmare creature emerged again, this time only its upper half, rising from the liquid like a demon surfacing from a swamp.

Its massive clawed arms loomed over him.

"Bob, behind you!" I shouted.

Bob tried to dash, but at that exact moment, his Hero Grace deactivated, entering its cooldown phase.

His eyes widened as he turned to look at me.

The creature didn’t waste a second.

It slashed both claws forward in an X, striking Bob squarely across the back.

Slash!

"Aaargghh!"

Blood sprayed from his wounds as his body arched in pain.

He collapsed onto one knee, propped up weakly by his left hand.

His weapons vanished, dissolving into particles.

The recoil had caught up to him.

"Bob!"

Me and Beltimore shouted at the same time.

He was now in real danger.

---

Beltimore clenched his fists, anxiety surging through him.

His mind flashed back to that event...

Ten years ago.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He stepped toward the lower ground, toward the black liquid that covered the surface.

But Alice immediately grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing, Bel-bel? You have a death wish?" she snapped.

"I have to help them, Alice! I can’t let it happen again!"

His voice trembled, eyes sharp with urgency.

His glasses were fogged up from his heavy, uneven breaths.

"I don’t want a repeat of what happened ten years ago."

Alice stared at him for a moment, then said calmly, "One more minute, Bel-bel. Just one.

After that, we save them."

Beltimore yanked his arm free from her grip, hands shaking as he reached up to adjust his glasses.

This feeling...

This cursed, bitter feeling he thought he’d buried long ago-

Helplessness.

He hadn’t felt it in ten years.

Until now.

---

I dashed forward without thinking.

My friend was in danger.

From the corner of my eye, for the first time since arriving in this world...

I saw a notification flash before me, with Bob’s face on it.

It blinked red, pulsing with a danger symbol.

I knew this sign. In video games, it only appeared when a character’s HP was critically low.

In other words...

Near death.

I ran as fast as I could.

But before I reached him, my Hero Grace was on cooldown.

A wave of exhaustion crashed over me.

My breath quickened, my legs felt heavy like lead.

The creature had already raised both claws high in the air.

It was going to behead Bob.

Bob looked at me with that same blank, dopey face of his...

...even now.

Damn it, man. Even at a time like this, you can’t look serious?

The claws began to fall.

In that moment, a part of me gave in.

I looked down, unable to bear the sight of my friend dying in front of me.

Is this it?

Is this the end for my best friend?

...

But then...

from somewhere deep inside, a voice echoed:

"Never give up... not until your last drop."

My eyes snapped open.

I looked up at the creature.

I threw open my status screen, fingers moving before thought could catch up. I hit one of the hotkeys, no hesitation.

I choose the strongest class that I had currently.

One I had not use yet... until now.

[You have changed to Timeweaver Class!]

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om