The cold cut through the air like blades, and Melina was on her knees, panting. Her body could barely hold itself upright. Open wounds, a broken arm, cracked ribs—breathing alone felt like a battle. And as if the Dungeon wanted to test her even further, snow began to fall gently upon her.
Footsteps echoed behind her. A tall man approached, his eyes glowing blood-red, radiating an overwhelming aura that almost crushed her to the ground again.
"Human, don't go to that village," he said firmly. "That is no human village. It belongs to high-ranking monsters. It may look small, but stepping inside would be a death sentence."
He stepped closer, sniffing the air. His predator-like gaze scanned her broken body.
"What is that awful smell?" He sniffed her directly. "You urgently need a bath."
Without saying another word, he turned his back to her and walked toward the corpse of the red-tailed lizard. He crouched down and began inspecting the monster's body.
Melina sniffed herself and grimaced. She hadn't bathed since entering the Dungeon. The realization made her feel even worse.
"Who are you?" she asked weakly.
"Darius," he replied. "Master warrior, from the Third World."
"So he's a human… from another Earth?" Melina thought. A small, involuntary smile formed on her face. For the first time, she felt safe. And with that, exhaustion took over. Her eyes grew heavy, and the world faded to black.
"What a reckless human…" Darius muttered. "Falling asleep like that? Well, I'll take her with me."
He glanced at the lizard's corpse.
"She seems to like eating everything she kills… so the lizard's coming too."
...
Memories.
Melina was running through a sunlit park, laughing as her mother chased her. The woman caught her in her arms and smiled.
"There's a magical place, filled with incredible people. With them, you live unimaginable adventures. And when you reach the top… you can make a wish to God. Any wish."
"Mom, what would you wish for?"
Her mother smiled and whispered in her ear. The words were as soft as the wind.
...
Melina woke up. A fireplace crackled nearby, its warmth filling the cozy little cabin. Her wounds had been carefully bandaged. Next to the fire, Darius stirred a pot.
"Thanks for helping me… Daerius," she mumbled.
"It's Darius," he corrected, not looking up. "And you're welcome."
"I'm Melina. From Earth Four."
"I see. I've seen some of your kind in the higher floors—like Antares, in the Fourth World."
"You've been to Antares? That's amazing!" she beamed.
Darius poured some tea into a cup and handed it to her.
"Made with medicinal herbs. It'll ease the pain."
She drank it. A notification appeared.
System: You've digested herbs with water. Mana Eater effect activated.
Melina thought, Even with the herbs in water, the ability still triggered…
"So, Darius… those red eyes, are they from your Earth?"
"No. They're a trait of my clan."
"Oh… I see…" She sipped the tea, awkwardly.
"You've already reached your body's limit in this ecosystem," Darius said bluntly. "Unfortunately, you're still too weak. The mana in this world is poisoning you. You need to return to Apex, recover your stamina and strength. Then come back. I can take you to a descent portal to Atreus."
Melina spat the tea.
"Atreus!? So I'm in Ares!?"
"Yes. Ares, the Third World. Don't you remember how you got here?"
"I… I just woke up and was already here."
"I saw a portal open," he explained. "It was an ascending portal—not fixed. A high-tier bat was returning to Ares and brought human corpses with it. I saw you eating bugs… and your fights against the centipede and the lizard."
"And why didn't you help me?!"
"Because you handled them just fine."
"Then why show up at the end?"
"Because you were heading toward the village."
"Oh yeah. The village… What's in there?"
"That's a village of high-ranking orcs. Very dangerous."
Melina shivered just at the mention of the name.
"If you ever get strong enough to return to Ares, I promise I'll hunt some orcs with you."
Melina looked to the side, thinking, Why does he think I'd ever want that? Ugh, no thanks.
Darius handed her a sack filled with lizard meat.
"Take this. It's yours."
...
Not long after, they reached the descent portal. Darius handed her a map.
"This is the map of Ares. I can't give you one for Atreus—our worlds are different."
Melina took a deep breath.
She was ready to return.
To survive…
And one day, come back even stronger.