The footsteps echoed louder, each thud reverberating through the damp stone tunnel, carrying the faint crunch of grit under boot soles.
Kira's consciousness sharpened, his core pulsing with a cold, focused intensity as he narrowed his perception toward the entrance.
Through Core Sense, he felt the approaching presence—a human, young, with a measured stride that betrayed neither haste nor fear.
Calm, almost unnaturally so, the air around them thick with quiet confidence.
A solo delver?
Kira's thoughts coiled like smoke.
Not smart… or too confident.
The figure stepped into view, emerging from the tunnel's gloom into the flickering torchlight.
A young man in his mid-twenties, tall and wiry, clad in patched leather armor scarred by old battles.
A sword was strapped across his back, its hilt worn from use, a dagger glinting at his hip.
Dust caked his boots, and he whistled softly, a low, tuneless melody that cut through the stale, mold-heavy air like a mocking echo.
Who whistles into a dungeon?
Kira's core dimmed with irritation, the sound grating against his senses, a casual disregard that ignited a spark of rage.
He enhanced his Core Sense, the mana ripple probing deeper, revealing the man's easy posture, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows.
The adventurer stopped at the threshold, his gaze lingering on the entrance, nostrils flaring as he inhaled the rot-tinged dampness.
"…Yup. This is the place," he muttered, his voice rough, laced with a hint of amusement.
He cracked his neck, the pop echoing sharply in the confined space.
"Tutorial Dungeon. Supposed to spawn some shitty minions."
His grin flashed, teeth white against the grime on his face. "Easy xp."
Kira's core flared, a surge of bitter fury.
Cocky.
Experienced, maybe.
But too sure of himself.
Perfect.
The man's arrogance mirrored the betrayers'—underestimating him, seeing him as a tool to be discarded or exploited.
Kira moved fast, his commands pulsing through the mana threads binding his minions.
The slime rolled into a dark corner, its gelatinous body squelching softly as it nestled against the moss-slicked wall, blending with the shadows.
The goblin crouched near the broken pit trap, his scrawny fingers gripping the rusty dagger, his yellow eyes wide with feral anticipation.
Kira channeled mana into Illusion Weave, the energy draining as faint distortions masked the slime's subtle glow and smoothed the cracked floor, making the trap seem untouched.
The air shimmered briefly, a deceptive calm settling over the chamber.
Mana: 42 → 32
The adventurer stepped inside, his boots scraping the stone threshold.
"Well, it's cleaner than I thought," he said, his voice echoing faintly, laced with casual disdain.
He walked slowly, testing the floor with each step, his boot prodding the ground like a cautious predator.
That caution saved him—barely.
As he crossed the chamber's center, the goblin lunged from the shadows, a desperate screech tearing from its throat, its wild stab aimed at the man's side.
Clang!
Steel met steel—the adventurer's dagger flashed out, parrying the blow.
He stumbled back, eyes widening in surprise, the impact sending a jolt through his arm.
"A goblin? Thought this place only had slimes."
He drew his sword, the blade rasping free with a metallic snarl, its edge glinting in the torchlight.
The slime shifted from the wall, its glow still masked by the active illusion.
It launched itself silently, striking as planned.
"Wha—!" The adventurer's shout cut short as the slime slammed into his back, its acidic form searing through leather with a sizzling hiss, the stench of burning flesh filling the air.
He roared in pain, twisting wildly, bashing the slime with his sword hilt, the impact sending gelatinous chunks splattering across the stone.
Go for the legs, Kira commanded, his thoughts sharp, urgent.
Take him down fast.
The goblin obeyed, ducking low, its dagger slashing across the adventurer's calf.
Blood welled, dark and thick, the man snarling as he staggered.
"Bastards!" His sword slammed down, the goblin dodging—barely—the blade cracking against the floor with a resounding thud.
Then the adventurer made his mistake.
He turned to slice the slime again, exposing his flank, his breaths ragged, sweat beading on his brow.
Kira triggered the pit trap, mana surging to reform the slab just enough to give way. Mana: 32 → 22
Snap.
Crack.
The adventurer's foot plunged into the pit, his leg twisting unnaturally as he fell, crashing against the shallow edge.
A bone snapped with a wet, sickening crunch.
His scream tore through the chamber, raw and agonized.
"AAARGH—! You—!"
The goblin pounced, its dagger sinking into the man's throat with a wet thud.
A single gurgle escaped, blood bubbling from the wound, then stillness.
The adventurer's body slumped, eyes glazing over, the chamber falling silent save for the drip of blood on stone.
Kira didn't breathe, but a heavy tension released within his core, the victory sinking in like cold iron.
It worked.
He checked his mana pool, the numbers glowing faintly in his mind.
Mana Remaining: 22/100
Both minions were still alive—battered, bleeding, barely functioning.
The slime bubbled weakly, its form sagging and charred.
The goblin slumped beside the corpse, panting like a wounded dog, its chest heaving, green blood staining its arm.
They survived? Kira's core pulsed with surprise, a grudging respect cutting through his exhaustion.
Maybe they're not completely useless after all.
Then the notification appeared, its words stark in his consciousness.
System Notification:
Adventurer Slain: Swordsman Class (lv 1)
Essence Absorbed – XP Gained: +10
Current XP: 15/15
[LEVEL UP AVAILABLE]
Note: Please access Dungeon Status to allocate upgrade rewards.
Ten XP.
That's it? For that fight?
Kira's core dimmed, frustration mingling with the ache of his low mana, the betrayal's echo whispering of harder battles ahead.
Still… he couldn't complain.
His first real kill.
His first dungeon defense.
His first blood, not from rats, but a trained killer.
The coppery tang of it hung in the air, a grim testament to his survival.
I won.
With barely enough mana to light a candle, but he'd won. His core flickered, a rare satisfaction blooming amidst the grit and pain.
He wasn't the Hero anymore.
He was something else now.
Something worse.