The wolves' glowing eyes pierced the darkness like small burning embers. Their growls echoed through the cave, reverberating off the damp walls. The scent of fresh blood filled the air, making the atmosphere even more oppressive. Seth felt a chill run down his spine. He was tired, wounded, and clearly outnumbered.
But running wasn't an option.
The wolves began to move, circling him. Their claws scratched against the stone, producing a grating sound. Seth clenched his fists, feeling the heat of the new strength he had gained by distributing his stat points. It wasn't much, but he had to make every drop of energy count.
'Think, dammit, think!' Looking around, he realized the cave wasn't as spacious as he'd hoped.
If he could limit their attack range, he might be able to fight them one by one. His eyes scanned the area until they found a narrow passage between two rock formations. A tight entrance… If he could position himself there, he'd reduce the chances of being attacked from all sides.
But there was no time to overthink.
One of the wolves lunged forward, its muscles tense, ready to strike. Seth dove to the side, narrowly dodging the ferocious bite. Using the momentum, he ran toward the narrow passage. He felt the air shift around him as another wolf tried to grab him, but he escaped by mere inches.
Reaching his destination, he turned quickly, raising his fists. The first wolf didn't hesitate and charged. Seth acted on instinct — he waited until the last second and then threw his body to the side, using the wall as leverage to launch a kick directly at the creature's snout.
The impact was brutal. The wolf staggered back, letting out a pained whine. Seth wasted no time and grabbed a large rock from the ground, hurling it with all his strength at the monster's head.
SMASH!
The wolf collapsed to the side, motionless. One less threat. But three still remained.
The remaining wolves hesitated for a moment, assessing the new situation. Now that Seth had positioned himself in the passageway, their ability to attack was limited. They could only come at him one by one. Still, they didn't take long to act.
The second wolf leapt. Seth couldn't dodge entirely and felt its claws tear into his side. Pain shot through his body, but he grabbed the wolf's neck before it could pull away. With a swift motion, he used the creature's own weight against it, spinning and slamming its head against the rocky wall.
CRACK!
Another clean hit. The second wolf fell, twitching before it stopped moving.
His chest heaved, sweat mixing with the blood running from his wounds. Every second felt like an eternity, but he couldn't stop now.
The two remaining wolves were more cautious, now aware of the danger. They moved in tandem, trying to find an opening. Seth held his stance, eyes locked on every small movement. His muscles ached, but he couldn't hesitate.
'If I'm slow, I'm dead.'
One of the wolves feigned an attack to distract him while the other lunged from the side. Seth noticed the trick at the last moment and managed to move, but not fast enough. He felt the wolf's fangs sink into his left arm, a searing pain ripping through his flesh.
"AHHHH!!" The pain was excruciating, but he couldn't give in.
Using his injured arm as bait, Seth raised his leg and delivered a brutal kick to the wolf's chest, pushing it back. The other wolf seized the opening and charged, but Seth was ready. He grabbed another stone and, with a quick, precise motion, smashed it into the beast's jaw.
Another yelp. Another fall.
Only one remained now.
The last wolf growled, hesitant. Unlike the others, this one seemed smarter — more cautious. The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.
Then, the wolf backed away. It returned to the shadows of the cave, disappearing.
Seth didn't know if that was a relief or a sign of something worse to come.
Breathing heavily, he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. His clothes were torn, his body covered in cuts and bruises. But he had survived.
[Ding!]
A blue screen flashed before him:
[Congratulations! You have defeated the Magic Wolves!][+150 EXP][Your level has increased to 3!][+2 Attribute Points Available.]
He smiled. A tired smile, but a satisfied one.
'This is it… I can get stronger… I will survive this dungeon… I don't have time to question what the hell is going on — this is keeping me alive.' But before he could celebrate, another alert appeared.
[Mission Updated: Survive! Level Up!][New Objective: Defeat the Dungeon Boss!][Time Remaining: 10 minutes.]
Seth stared at the message, his heart still pounding.
'Ten minutes… Shit.' There was no time to rest. He had to find the dungeon boss and end this.
Forcing his exhausted body to move, he followed a narrower tunnel, carefully watching the uneven terrain. The floor was slick with small puddles of water and slippery moss, and every step took effort to avoid stumbling.
The bluish light filtering through cracks in the walls began to dim, signaling he was going deeper. The smell of dampness and dried blood filled the air, making the environment even more suffocating.
Adrenaline still pulsed through his veins, but the pain from his wounds reminded him he couldn't keep going like this for long. He needed something — anything — to help him fight the dungeon boss.
After a few minutes of exploring, he turned a corner and abruptly stopped. Before him, in the middle of a small underground clearing, was an object that didn't match the rest of the cave.
A chest.
It wasn't made of ordinary wood, nor rusty metal, as one might expect in an abandoned place. The chest was black, adorned with golden details and strange inscriptions that faintly glowed in a purplish hue. Something about it radiated a strange, almost pulsing energy — as if it were alive.
Seth swallowed hard. Was this good or bad?
Before he could decide whether to touch it, a new notification appeared in his vision.
[You have discovered a 'Treasure Chest!']
His eyes widened.
'A treasure chest?' If game logic really applied in this world, that could only mean one thing: rewards. And he desperately needed any advantage he could get.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out to open the chest.
Seth gripped the lid and slowly lifted it. A metallic creak echoed through the cave as he fully opened it. Inside, he saw a faint glow — but it wasn't quite what he expected.
A blue screen appeared before his eyes:
[Congratulations! You have opened a 'Treasure Chest!'][Rewards Received:][Broken Dagger (Rank-E), +1 Minor Healing Potion, +10 Bronze Coins]
Seth frowned at the list of items. He reached in and picked up the dagger. As soon as he held it, another window appeared.
[Broken Dagger (Rank-E)][A damaged dagger. The blade's edge is worn, and the tip is broken. Still usable for attacking, but not very reliable.]
'Seriously? A damn broken dagger?' He sighed.
He ran his finger along the blade's edge. Though worn, it was still better than fighting with rocks. Better than nothing.
Tucking the dagger into his belt, he grabbed the healing potion and quickly uncorked it. The red liquid had a sweet, metallic scent. He hesitated for a second before downing it all.
A warm sensation spread through his body, and his wounds began to tingle. It wasn't a miraculous recovery, but it helped ease the pain and close the more superficial cuts.
With that done, he looked ahead once more. Time was running out. The dungeon boss was still waiting — and he had no idea what was coming next.