In the dim corridor of the dungeon, Takashina Kai gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. The black blade extended before him, facing off against a goblin just a short distance away.
"Guwahhh—!"
The goblin stared right back at him, clutching a crude club that resembled a spiked bat, its mouth emitting an ugly, low-pitched snarl.
Compared to the image in the monster encyclopedia, this goblin's skin looked even darker. Its wrinkled green hide was mottled with gray patches. A small head, pointed ears, and strands of sticky drool hanging from its mouth—it perfectly embodied the word "disgusting."
But what caught Kai off guard was that this ugly, short goblin wasn't lunging at him immediately. Instead, it maintained a safe distance, its tiny bead-like eyes scanning up and down his body as if searching for something.
What is it looking for...?
After exchanging stares for a while, Kai's brow furrowed as he suddenly had a realization.
It was observing him. Gauging the difference in their strength. Looking for an opening—an opportunity to kill. Like a skilled hunter.
You've got to be kidding me...
A mere goblin, the weakest monster in the dungeon, was displaying that level of intelligence?
Kai didn't want to believe it, but the scene before him left no room for denial.
Even the weakest monsters in the dungeon… had intelligence on par with humans!
"This is seriously messed up!"
On his very first encounter in the dungeon, he'd already run into something completely beyond his expectations. The pressure mounted rapidly. His right palm began to sweat.
The corridor was deathly still—only the goblin's breathing broke the silence.
This oppressive atmosphere made his anxiety build.
Sure, goblins were supposedly weak, but now that he was facing one, it was proving much more difficult than he had imagined.
And he was still a complete novice. No combat awareness, no experience fighting monsters—zero across the board. Maybe he should have joined a more experienced party first?
So… do I really have to fight?
Overwhelmed with tension, chaotic thoughts filled Kai's head, and the idea of retreat crept in.
And at that very moment of hesitation—the goblin moved.
It had caught his hesitation.
There was the opening.
"GURRRAHHHHHH!!!"
With a piercing scream, the goblin launched itself at Kai, sprinting on all fours. It dragged the club behind it with its right hand, face twisted into a grotesque expression of ferocity.
Kai had already been teetering. When the goblin suddenly attacked, his thoughts scattered into panic.
It's coming! The goblin's charging?!
Wait… what do I do? Should I run?
Block! That's right, block the attack!
But how? With the sword?
Then what? Counter? Dodge?
While he was still lost in confusion, the goblin had already closed the distance. That horrifying face drew closer fast. Kai instinctively backed up—and tripped over a rock.
"Ugh—!"
Just as he fell, he heard the goblin's club slicing through the air above him.
Looking up, he saw the goblin swinging the club down at full force.
The goblin might not have been strong, but if that blow landed on a human skull, it would be fatal.
This goblin was serious. It was really trying to kill him.
Frozen in place, Kai's pupils shrank. His body trembled.
If I don't do something now... I'm going to die!
"GURRAAAHHHH!!"
The goblin roared in rage as its first swing missed. It spun the club and brought it down again, harder.
The club loomed in Kai's vision, magnifying rapidly. The whoosh of displaced air sent his scattered thoughts flying away, leaving nothing but a blank void.
Am I... going to die?
Killed by the weakest monster in the dungeon?
What a pathetic way to go...
In that infinitesimally short instant, as the goblin's club was about to strike him—
Kai moved.
As if by reflex, his right arm snapped upward.
CLANG!
A streak of black light flashed in the corridor. The next moment, warm, foul-smelling liquid splattered onto Kai's face.
Blood…?
Looking up at his raised right hand, he saw it gripping his sword tightly. A trail of blood ran down the blade, soaking his palm.
Did I… do this?
Thud—
The goblin collapsed backward in front of him. A long sword wound ran from the lower right of its belly to the upper left of its chest. Dark red blood poured out, along with its intestines. The nauseating stench filled the corridor.
Lowering his shaking right hand, Kai stared at the goblin's corpse.
Moments ago, this goblin had been a threat looming over him. And now, it was just a lifeless body.
If he hadn't struck when he did—if he hadn't instinctively lashed out with his sword—would he be the one lying here now, guts spilling out?
Still sitting on the ground, Kai suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.
Even with his strength stat at 10, the sword in his hand suddenly felt heavy. So heavy he could barely lift it.
"Listen closely, Kai... the dungeon is no game. From the moment you enter, the monsters are after you. They'll keep coming—without fear, without hesitation—to take your life..."
Hestia's warning echoed in his mind once more. This time, he truly understood the weight behind it.
Battle. Death. These were the dungeon's eternal themes.
Romantic encounters? Anyone entering the dungeon hoping for that… most of them had already become wandering souls.
Only those prepared—those with resolve—deserved to survive here.
Gurgle—
As Kai sat dazed, the ground beneath him began to shift.
The once-solid rock softened like a swamp. In seconds, it swallowed the goblin's corpse—and even the bloodstains vanished without a trace.
If it weren't for the goblin's blood still staining Takashina Kai's body, no one would've guessed that a battle had just taken place here.
The loser in a dungeon fight doesn't even have the right to leave behind a corpse.
That's the true, brutal nature of the dungeon.
Shuddering, Kai exhaled a breath of foul air and pushed himself up from the ground using his sword.
He had successfully killed that goblin, but he was still inside the dungeon, so there was no time to rest.
Moreover, whether it was intuition or something else, he felt like something was watching him.
"Grrrgh—!"
Just as Kai steadied himself, the wall of the cave in front of him suddenly writhed. Several black shadows tumbled out, taking the form of humanoid monsters.
Earth Imps...
Creatures that, like goblins, ranked among the weakest monsters on the first few dungeon floors.
This time, Kai didn't hesitate. Raising his sword, he took the initiative and charged at the monsters.
"Chi chi chi chi!"
Even though these Earth Imps had just been born, killing was already instinctive to them. They screeched and raised their sharp claws, lunging at Kai without hesitation.
"Die, you monsters...!"
Reflected in his pupils were the grotesque, ugly faces of the Earth Imps. Kai didn't pause—he swung his sword down without mercy.
Though he knew nothing about proper combat techniques, the 10 points in all his attributes gave him an overwhelming edge. Whether in speed, strength, or even reaction time determined by mental stats, he had the upper hand.
So even as he swung wildly without technique, each slash of his blade still took down an Earth Imp with ease.
Dark swordlight flashed repeatedly in the caves of the second dungeon floor. With each swing, Kai's movements became more refined and precise.
[Passive Skill: One-Handed Sword Lv.1 – Slightly increases sword mastery. Allows proficient use of one-handed swords; slightly increases all attributes while wielding a sword; slightly enhances combat instinct.]
[Innate Passive Skill: Swordbone – Condenses sword intent into bone; greatly improves sword sense while wielding a sword.]
Even without conscious awareness, Kai's two passive skills had already started taking effect. They were subtly refining his basic sword technique, turning his clumsy swings into sharper, more deliberate strikes.
This improvement in fundamental sword skills brought the most obvious result: he was killing faster.
At first, he relied on brute force to cut down each monster in one hit. But now, he could combine slashes, thrusts, and feints into a rudimentary combo that killed multiple enemies with a single attack.
As the killing continued, blood flowed from the monsters faster than the dungeon could absorb it. The walls, unable to soak it all in, were plastered like they had been painted. The once dim blue cave now glowed dark crimson.
Buzz!
Having once again slain the monsters in front of him, a chilling sensation suddenly rose from behind. Without thinking, Kai spun around and stabbed backward.
"Gugh..."
His black blade pierced straight through a goblin's thick neck. Pinkish foam mixed with air bubbled from the wound.
Coldly watching the goblin struggle in its death throes, Kai yanked the sword sideways.
Splurt—!
The resulting blood pressure blasted the goblin's ugly head clean into the air.
Retracting his sword, Kai let the hot, stinking blood spray over his body. Then he turned and looked at the dungeon floor he had personally turned into a blood-soaked hell.
Deep in his mind, he heard a clear, crisp sound—like something had snapped.
The next moment, without another glance, he turned and walked toward the stairs leading to the third floor...