Seth walked cautiously over the uneven ground of the cave. Now that he wasn't under immediate attack, he could finally analyze his surroundings more thoroughly.
The darkness was only broken by the faint glow from cracks in the walls and the bluish crystals scattered across some rock formations. The air was damp and carried the scent of mold and iron, an unpleasant mix that added to the oppressive feeling of the place.
He rubbed his injured arm, still feeling a slight discomfort, but the potion had done its job. Better than nothing.
As he walked, his mind began to piece things together. "This really feels like a typical Rank-E Dungeon..." he murmured to himself.
He had never been inside one before. As a Rank-E Awakener without combat skills, he never would have dared to venture into one of these places. Still, he knew enough about them.
Since the Portals began appearing in the world, documentaries, articles, and entire programs had been dedicated to explaining their existence. He had always been interested in the topic, watching everything he could about the so-called "Abyssal Gates."
The Portals were rifts in reality, connecting the human world to these bizarre places, filled with dangerous creatures. Hunters entered these locations to eliminate threats and collect rewards, but the risks were enormous.
The Portals were ranked from E to S, each increasing exponentially in danger and difficulty.
Rank-E was the weakest. It usually contained low-level monsters, such as goblins, wolves, and even zombies. The problem was that even a Rank-E monster could easily kill an ordinary human. He himself had almost died to those wolves.
But what unsettled him was the fact that he was here.
"I didn't come here by choice. I was thrown into this place."
He clenched his fists. Something was wrong. Rank-E Dungeons were typically used by novice hunters to train, but how the hell had he, a nobody, ended up in one?
And worse... What was this 'Player' thing?
Before he could dive deeper into these thoughts, his instincts screamed.
He stopped abruptly.
There was something ahead.
At the end of the stone tunnel, the passage widened into a larger area. He approached cautiously, peeking around the corner.
It was a large underground chamber, with natural stone pillars supporting the high ceiling. Crystals glowed softly on the walls, casting strange shadows throughout the place. The floor was covered in old bones, scattered as if something had feasted there.
And in the center...
There was a massive stone door, embedded into the opposite wall.
It was different from the rest of the cave, with mysterious engravings covering its surface.
Seth felt a chill.
He didn't know why, but he was absolutely certain that this was the entrance to the dungeon boss.
And he only had a few minutes before time ran out.
Gripping his broken dagger tighter, he took a deep breath and stepped forward, cautiously approaching the door, his eyes scanning every strange engraving that covered its surface. It seemed ancient, as if it had been there for centuries, yet it showed no signs of wear.
He hesitantly raised his hand and touched the cold stone.
The instant his fingers brushed the surface, an intense blue glow ran through the engravings, as if a hidden circuit had been activated.
Seth instinctively pulled back, expecting something to attack — but, to his surprise, the door simply began to open.
No noise, no effort. It just slid sideways, as if it had been waiting for him.
On the other side, a colossal hall revealed itself before him.
The chamber was vast, far larger than any space he would expect to find inside a cave. The ceiling was so high it disappeared into the darkness, and massive pillars rose around it, decorated with the same glowing inscriptions as the door.
The floor was smooth, polished stone, reflecting the blue lights emanating from giant crystals embedded in the walls.
In the center of the hall, there was a stone pedestal, and on it...
Seth held his breath.
There was a black throne.
It was massive, made of a dark, gleaming material, like obsidian, and it was empty. But that wasn't what concerned him.
What concerned him was the oppressive feeling that filled the air the moment he took his first step inside.
It was as if something was watching. As if something was waiting.
Then, the blue flames illuminating the hall flickered violently.
Something was there. Something he couldn't yet see.
But it certainly knew he was there.
The instant Seth crossed the door, a deafening roar echoed through the chamber.
He spun instinctively, his heart racing. The door had closed by itself, sealing him inside the immense hall.
A chill ran up his spine.
The silence that followed was dense, suffocating. Seth swallowed hard, feeling his breath quicken. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Then came the first movement.
From the deep shadows of the hall, eyes began to emerge.
Red like burning embers.
One. Two. Five. Ten.
They multiplied, spreading around the chamber like a legion of hungry predators.
And then—
[You have encountered Blood Wolves (Rank-E+)]
The warning flashed before his eyes, and Seth felt his stomach drop.
These things weren't like the wolves he had faced before.
Their bodies emerged from the darkness, and he saw their forms clearly for the first time. They were larger, more muscular, their claws longer, and their black fur seemed to merge with the shadows themselves. The exposed fangs dripped dark, almost viscous saliva.
They were faster. Stronger.
And there were more of them.
The air grew heavy, filled with the metallic scent of blood.
Seth felt his skin crawl.
He was surrounded. And the wolves were closing in.
The first wolf shot out of the shadows like an arrow, too fast for Seth to fully react. He tried to dodge, but the creature's claws scraped against his ribcage, tearing his jacket like paper and leaving a searing cut on his skin.
"AGHHH!!"
He stumbled backward, but before he could regain his balance, another wolf leapt from behind. Seth rolled at the last second, narrowly avoiding its fangs sinking into his throat. The impact of the roll made his calf throb, reminding him of the previous injuries. He could barely breathe.
They were playing with him.
The pack surrounded him in a perfect circle, their eyes glowing in the dark, tracking every movement with deadly precision. The sound of their paws scraping against the stone echoed through the hall like a war drum.
He raised the broken dagger with a trembling hand. A ridiculous weapon against monsters like these.
"Come on, you sons of bitches!" he growled, tasting blood in his mouth.
The wolves responded with a unified howl, a macabre symphony of death. Then, they lunged at once.
Seth threw himself to the side, dodging the charge of one, but a second wolf grazed him, pushing him against the wall. His shoulder burned in pain when he slammed into the cold stone, and the breath escaped his lungs in a dry gasp.
He couldn't afford to lose his breath.
Another wolf jumped. Seth raised the dagger instinctively—
SLASH!
The broken edge of the blade cut across the creature's snout, causing it to recoil for a moment. But it wasn't enough to bring it down. Not even close.
Time seemed to slow. His chest rose and fell, his vision blurring from the blood running down his forehead.
A wolf ran along the side, aiming for his leg. Seth barely managed to jump to the side, but he felt the impact of the claws tearing through his thigh.
"AGH—!"
He dropped to his knees, his leg giving way under the weight of the pain.
The circle was closing tighter and tighter.
He was going to die.
No.
NO.
A primal instinct overtook him.
With a roar of desperation, Seth gripped the dagger with both hands and lunged forward.
The nearest wolf didn't have time to react.
The blade, even broken, pierced its neck.
Hot blood sprayed across his face as the creature thrashed wildly, its eyes wide with surprise. But Seth didn't let go of the blade. He pushed with all his strength until he felt the creature's pulse slow—until its weight collapsed lifelessly against him.
The world spun.
He gasped, his body exhausted, his arms trembling.
But the other wolves didn't stop.
They wouldn't just stand there watching their companion fall.
They wanted blood.
And they attacked all at once.
The wolves charged like crimson shadows, their eyes glowing with bloodlust. Seth barely had time to pull the broken dagger from the corpse before another wolf was already on top of him.
He rolled backward, escaping by mere inches from being torn apart. The impact of his body against the ground sent a wave of pain through his injured leg, but he ignored it. He couldn't afford to falter.
The next wolf lunged, and this time Seth didn't flee.
He charged forward as well.
His leg burned, his vision was blurry, but his survival instinct screamed louder.
At the last second, he crouched and slid under the monster, driving the blade into its exposed belly.
The wolf let out a piercing yelp, tumbling to the ground as blood poured from the deep wound.
Two down.
But there was no time to think.
Another wolf leapt from the side, aiming to sink its fangs into his neck. Seth spun his body, deliberately falling, and kicked upward. His foot struck the creature's jaw with force. A crack echoed through the cave, and the wolf fell, dazed.
Seth didn't hesitate.
With a wild yell, he drove the broken dagger into the creature's throat, feeling the blade slice through flesh and cartilage. Warm blood poured down his fingers, but he didn't let go until the body stopped thrashing.
Three down.
The remaining wolves hesitated for a moment.
They began to realize.
Seth wasn't an easy prey.
He rose, eyes wild, his body covered in blood—his own and the monsters'. His breathing was erratic, but his fists were still clenched.
"Who's next?" he growled, spitting on the ground.
The wolves exchanged glances, their bodies tense.
Then, one of them took a step back.
Seth smiled.
They were scared.
But they hadn't given up yet.
The largest of them, probably the alpha, charged without hesitation. Its body was more robust, its muscles rippling with strength. This one wouldn't fall with a cheap shot.
Seth braced himself.
The wolf leaped.
Seth pretended to dodge to the left, but spun right at the last second, deceiving the beast. The creature tried to correct its trajectory in mid-air, but it was too late.
Seth drove the dagger straight into its eye.
The alpha's scream filled the cave, deafening. It thrashed, scratching and biting at the air in desperation.
Seth took advantage.
With all the strength he had, he ripped the blade out and drove it back in, this time into the base of its skull.
The alpha trembled. Its body convulsed one last time before crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
Four down.
The remaining wolves didn't hesitate any longer.
They fled.
Seth stood there, in the center of the massacre, his chest heaving. His body felt as though it were on fire. His blood dripped onto the ground, mixing with that of the wolves.
He was alive.
He had won... and once again, the blue screen flickered in front of Seth's eyes, and a familiar sound echoed in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You leveled up!]
[Current Level: 5]
[You received +3 attribute points!]
[You unlocked a new skill: Mortal Strike (Rank-D)!]
Seth gasped, wiping the sweat mixed with blood from his forehead. He hadn't expected to level up so quickly, but he wouldn't complain. If this system wanted to help him survive, he was going to take full advantage.
He opened the status screen and began distributing his points.
[STATUS]
[Name: Seth]
[Level: 5]
[Strength: 9 → 12 (+3)]
[Agility: 10]
[Vigor: 8]
[Mana: 5]
[Skills: [Mortal Strike (Rank-D)]]
He chose to invest all the points in Strength. The battle against the Blood Wolves proved that he still wasn't doing enough damage. If he wanted to survive this Dungeon, he needed to be deadlier.
Finally, he opened the new skill tab.
[Mortal Strike (Rank-D): A concentrated strike aimed at a critical point on the enemy. If it hits, it deals +50% damage and may apply the "Bleeding" effect for 5 seconds. Cost: 10 Mana. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
Seth smiled. "This will be useful."
He closed the screens and looked around. The smell of blood still lingered in the air, but now the hall was empty. He had won… but this dungeon was not over yet.
With one last sigh, he began to walk, keeping alert for any new danger that could arise from the shadows. 'Now... I need to find the boss...'
For that brief second he distracted himself, he forgot something...
Footsteps echoed through the silent hall, reverberating against the cold stone walls. Seth immediately dropped into a combat stance, his muscles tensing, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't see where the sound was coming from, but he felt the presence. Something was there. Something big.
Then, the blue screen suddenly flashed before his eyes.
[Ding!]
[You have encountered the Dungeon Boss.]
The air grew heavier. The metallic scent of blood intensified, and a deep, guttural growl tore through the darkness.
From the shadows at the back of the hall, a colossal silhouette emerged. First, it was the eyes—two ruby-red orbs, glowing like burning embers. Then, a jaw filled with sharp fangs opened, revealing rows of bloodied teeth.
The weak torchlight on the walls revealed the full figure.
A monstrous wolf, its fur as black as night, its body covered in scars, and its claws like blades of iron. Its breath came out like steam, and its paws, larger than Seth's head, crushed the rocky ground with each step.
[Dungeon Boss: Elder Blood Wolf (Rank-D+)]