---
The centipede moved like liquid horror, a blur of chitin and venomous breath.
The survivors froze.
Then it lunged.
SLASH.
Rin barely dodged—but not fast enough. Its clawed leg ripped across his ribs.
Blood sprayed. He stumbled, gasping.
> [Peak Body Condition: 10 Minutes Remaining]
"Now or never!" Rin shouted through gritted teeth.
He launched himself forward, Forkspear glowing in hand. Every step was power. Every breath, focused rage.
He struck.
CLANG.
The weapon bounced off the centipede's shell like a twig hitting steel.
"What?!"
The creature hissed, twisted, and slammed its body into him, sending him crashing into the wall. A wet crunch echoed through the chamber.
Pain. Blinding.
Rin collapsed. His vision swam.
---
Desperation
The others screamed. Three rookies charged together, weapons raised.
The centipede turned. One swipe.
They were gone.
Only two remained—and then one.
Then none.
Rin lay in a pool of blood. His breath was shallow. His Peak Body Condition timer ticked down. The centipede crawled toward him, fangs dripping, death crawling on a hundred legs.
Rin's shaking hand reached into his pocket.
The "Best Thing You've Ever Tasted" reward.
He stuffed it into his mouth.
He chewed.
"…Whoa," he whispered.
Even bleeding out, even paralyzed, even dying—
"That was... actually amazing."
He chuckled weakly. "Worth it."
But nothing happened. No power-up. No transformation.
"Just… food," he whispered. "Figures…"
The centipede loomed above.
---
A Flash of Memory
> [You have unclaimed EXP from earlier kills.]
His eyes snapped open.
"EXP!"
He focused. Pulled it all in—every point from the goblins, the minions, the effort.
> [Level Up — LVL 12 → 20]
[Milestone Reached: LVL 20]
[Reward Unlocked: Full Body Recovery]
[Reward Unlocked: New Skill – DEVOURER]
Rin's wounds stitched themselves closed. The blood vanished. His ribs cracked back into place. His breathing cleared.
His body glowed with subtle power.
But his eyes? Locked on the system screen.
> [Devourer – Description Loading...]
His jaw dropped.
"No way…" he whispered. "That's what it does?!"
---
BOOM.
A loud, echoing crack tore through the dungeon.
The survivors had thought they were safe.
The stone wall Garun built—
shattered.
The War Orcs returned.
Their eyes glowed.
And they were heading straight for Rin.
> [To Be Continued]
---