7.

7. Just like Katie
Murphy lay on the cold street; his body was refusing to move as the pain was going through him. His vision was blurred and all he could see was the faint image of the mysterious figure's boots walking away and vanishing into the shadows. He tried to get his body up but the stab wound wouldn't let him, paralyzing him with its sharpness.

Suddenly his system activated with a cold and mechanical voice in his mind.

"HOST HAS BEEN STRUCK'

A notification flashed before his eyes and his tats appeared on a transparent display screen above him. He could barely focus on it but the numbers were clear.

STRENGTH: 5 PERCENTAGE 

AGILITY: 3 PERCENTAGE 

ENDURANCE: 2 PERCENTAGE 

MANA: 0 PERCENTAGE 

His stats were dangerously low and almost finished. The system showed him that he had used up too much during the chase while leaving himself vulnerable. The mana recovery ability he claimed earlier was supposed to help him in situations like this, but it was too late now; he had no time to activate it.

As Murphy lay there gasping for breath, the words of the mysterious figure had whispered echoed in his mind.

"You're lucky, you're not on my list ..but surely your time will come".

The tone had been chilling, dark, and final. The figure hadn't killed him yet, but why? Was this some kind of twisted warning, a message from THE SHADOW  to back off? or was there something more at play?

Murphy was breathing fast as he struggled to hold onto consciousness. His vision began to fade but before everything went dark, he made silent vows to himself. He wouldn't let this be the end. This was far from over. His father's killer was still out there, and no matter how low his stats were now, he would find a way to get stronger and fight back.

Murphy whispered to himself, "I'll get you... I'll find you" and then, the darkness swallowed.

Murphy uses his last energy as he struggles to push himself off the cold ground. Every movement sent shocks of pain through his body, particularly from the stab wound in his back. His breathing was shallow and his vision blurred from the exhaustion. He had to get back to his home; he knew his system could help restore his stats, but only if he made it there in one piece.

Using all the strength he had left, Murphy managed to roll onto his hands and knees, his muscles burning out. His hands were trembling as he gripped the wet pavement while trying to steady himself.

He yelled out as the sharp pain from the stab wound struck, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through.

This was the first big threat he had faced since getting the system. The Shadow's words haunted him and fear of not surviving weighed heavily on his mind.

"I'm slowly dying; if I can't get home on time and rest, I will be long gone...the system wants me alive, and I need the system to carry out my revenge plan," Murphy whispered to himself.

Slowly, he rose to his feet and leaned against the wall for support. His legs were weak and barely able to hold him up but he forced himself to keep moving. His surroundings seemed distant; the street was silent as if the city itself had gone to sleep, leaving him all alone.

Every step felt like a battle. Murphy's system shines with new notifications and reminds him of his dangerously low stats.

HOST ENDURANCE CRITICAL 

STRENGTH AT 5 PERCENTAGE 

IMMEDIATE REST RECOMMENDED 

"Shit, shit!!" Murphy cursed as he stumbled forward. He knew he had to make it back to his apartment. It was the only place he could rest and recover. He had learned early on that his system required rest to restore his stats after intense use. And now, with the strength, endurance, and mana almost completely drained, there was no option.

His breathing became heavier and his vision was going black and coming back as he limped through the empty streets. Each step was more difficult than the last but the thought of lying down in the middle of the street and giving up never crossed his mind. He had survived too much already and he wasn't going to let THE SHADOW" win so easily.

After what felt like an eternity, Murphy finally reached the front door of his small apartment. He brought out his key, and his hands were shaking, after some seconds, he managed to unlock the door. He staggered inside before collapsing on the floor inside the passage.

His system came alive again but this time with a softer tone.

"REST MODE INITIATED: STATS WILL GRADUALLY RECOVER DURING REST".

Murphy groaned in relief before dragging himself across the floor towards the sofa. His movements were slow and clumsy but eventually, he managed to pull himself to the couch. 

As he lay there, his system began its automatic recovery process. A giant worm's energy flowed through his body gently and was restoring his energy. He could feel his strength slowly returning even though it would take hours and maybe a full day before he was back to his capacity he was.

But for now, there was nothing he could do. His focus has to be on getting stronger. He needed to heal, recover his strength, and figure out how to use his abilities more efficiently. The next time he encountered "THE SHADOW", he couldn't afford to be caught off guard. He needed to train and plan a strategy that would put him on equal footing with the monster who had taken his father's life.

As sleep finally consumed him, Murphy's last thoughts were revenge. He would not rest until "THE SHADOW" is brought to justice. His time might not have come yet but when it does, he will be ready.