Sato continued walking deeper into the tunnel. The passage gradually widened, and he could feel the air becoming fresher, less stale. The glowing stones in the walls grew larger and brighter, making the path easier to see.
But that also made him uneasy. A wider space meant enemies could surround him more easily.
He pressed on.
After some time, the tunnel suddenly opened into a massive cavern.
The ceiling was high, dotted with clusters of glowing stones that illuminated the entire area like natural chandeliers. The ground was covered in soft grass and small bushes. A few trees stood here and there, their branches dotted with yellow flowers that gave off a faint, gentle glow.
It looked almost like an underground forest—peaceful, almost beautiful.
Sato paused, suspicious.
This place… it's too nice for a dungeon, he thought.
He moved forward carefully, sword ready.
Then he spotted it—a small bush with bright red berries.
His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten in… he didn't even know how long.
Without thinking, he approached the bush and began picking the berries, eating them one after another—half-chewing, half-swallowing.
The taste was sweet, almost like raspberries.
"Not bad… and they're not poisoned, right?" he said to himself. "If they were, the system would've warned me by now."
He finished a handful, then noticed a small pool of clear water nearby.
He didn't hesitate. He knelt, scooped water into his hands, and drank deeply.
The cool water soothed his throat. Strength slowly returned to his body.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt… almost human again.
Then—
Vzzz!
An arrow flew past his face, embedding itself in the ground beside him.
Sato reacted instantly, jumping back, sword raised.
Another arrow shot from the bushes.
He deflected it with the flat of his blade.
From the side, a creature leaped out—wolf-like, but larger, standing on two legs like a man, holding a crude sword in one clawed hand.
It was fast.
Sato parried its strike, sparks flying.
Then another one appeared—identical, attacking from the opposite side.
And another arrow from the shadows.
Sato dodged, spun, blocked.
They're hunting me in a group again, he thought, anger rising. But I'm not the same weak prey anymore.
He moved.
One slash—Mana Blade activated.
The first wolf-man fell, cut clean in half.
The second swung.
Sato dodged, countered, and stabbed through its chest.
The archer fired again.
Sato deflected the arrow and charged the shooter, ending it with a single thrust.
Notifications flashed.
[Congratulations! You have defeated 2x Kabolt Fighter (Level 30).]
[EXP gained: +1400]
[Congratulations! You have defeated Kabolt Archer (Level 30).]
[EXP gained: +650]
Sato wiped blood from his sword.
"So these are Kabolt… It seems they like ambushes. I need to be careful," he said quietly.
He continued forward.
More ambushes came—Kabolt fighters and archers jumping from bushes, coordinating attacks.
But Sato was faster now. Stronger.
He cut them down efficiently, one after another.
After several fights, the cavern narrowed again.
Then he saw it.
A small village.
Tents made of hides and bones. Fires burning. Meat roasting on spits.
And everywhere—Kabolt. Dozens of them.
On the far side of the village was another tunnel—leading deeper.
Sato stopped, hidden in the shadows.
"A whole village…?" he whispered, eyes narrowing.
Sato stared at the tunnel on the far side of the village, hidden in the shadows of a rocky outcrop.
That's the way out, he thought. I have to get past them.
But the sight made his stomach tighten. Dozens of Kabolt moved among the tents—fighters sharpening swords, archers practicing, others roasting meat over fires. They were organized, alert, always in groups. Getting through would be nearly impossible without being seen.
They're too many. Can I even make it? he wondered, doubt creeping in. But I have to. That tunnel is the exit. I can feel it.
He took a deep breath.
Fine. I'll find a way.
Sato crouched low and began moving along the cavern wall, staying in the darkest shadows, using rocks and bushes for cover. He moved slowly, carefully—foot by foot—making sure no dry leaves crunched under his boots, no loose stones rolled.
The fires flickered, casting long shadows that helped hide him.
He was close now—close enough to hear their guttural voices, the clink of weapons, the sizzle of meat.
One Kabolt archer turned his head slightly.
Sato froze, pressing himself against the wall.
The archer scanned the darkness, then turned back to his companions.
Sato exhaled silently.
Sato crouched low behind the last intact tent, his back pressed against the rough hide. His breathing was shallow, controlled. Fifty Kabolt filled the village—fighters with jagged swords, archers nocking arrows, some dragging logs for the fire. Their guttural voices mixed with the crackle of flames and the sizzle of meat. They were alert, always in small groups of four or five. Getting through them to the far tunnel felt impossible.
He needed to move.
He picked up a small pebble and tossed it lightly toward the opposite side of a nearby tent. The stone clattered against a bone post.
A Kabolt fighter snapped his head toward the sound, grunted something to his companion, and walked over to check.
Sato waited three heartbeats.
Then he moved—silent, fast. He slipped behind the fighter, one hand clamping over the mouth, the Cursed Eye Dagger sinking into the throat. No sound. The body slumped. Sato dragged it behind the tent, heart hammering.
He stayed low, listening.
Inside the tent, movement. Voices.
He tore a tiny slit in the hide and peeked.
One Kabolt was sleeping on furs.
Sato was about to leave when—
Vzzz!
An arrow whistled past his ear, embedding in the tent pole inches from his head.
He spun.
A Kabolt archer stood twenty meters away, already drawing another arrow. The creature let out a sharp, guttural cry.
The village exploded.
Kabolt poured from tents—fighters roaring, archers nocking, all converging on him.
Sato didn't wait.
He sprinted toward the tunnel, weaving between tents like a shadow. Arrows hissed past him. One grazed his shoulder—pain flared, blood flowed. He deflected another with the flat of his sword.
A fighter stepped into his path, sword raised.
Sato activated Mana Blade—blue light surged along the edge. He slashed. The fighter fell, cut from shoulder to hip.
The drain was immediate, heavy. Every use pulled deep.
He kept running.
Another fighter lunged from the side.
Sato parried, countered with Single Slash—the blade flashed once, severing the creature's head.
Arrows rained again.
He rolled behind a tent, breathing hard.
Too many… I can't keep using skills like this. There too many for my single target skills.
A fighter charged around the tent.
Sato dodged, slashed low—cut the legs. The Kabolt fell screaming.
But more came.
He was slowing. Wounds accumulated—shoulder, thigh, forearm. Poison from some claws burned in his veins.
He needed something new. Something for crowds.
He dodged another arrow, rolled, came up swinging.
The blue threads appeared in the air—paths of movement, attacks, trajectories. But they were chaotic, overlapping, impossible to follow one at a time.
If I can't follow one thread… maybe I can force them all together.
He retreated behind another tent, buying seconds.
He focused on the threads. Instead of chasing one, he began moving the sword in slow circles—drawing them in, tangling them around the blade.
The threads resisted at first—wild, scattered.
But he kept spinning, kept pulling.
Mana flowed outward, heavier.
The sword began to glow brighter. The threads converged, wrapping tighter.
He felt the energy build—sharp, wide, ready to burst.
He stepped out.
Ten Kabolt charged him at once.
Sato swung in a wide arc—not a single slash, but something bigger.
Blue mana exploded outward in a crescent shape—wide, curved, like a quarter moon blade.
The wave swept through the air.
It cut through armor, flesh, bone.
Ten Kabolt fell in a single motion—bodies bisected, heads rolling, blood spraying.
The wave continued, tearing through two tents behind them before fading.
Sato gasped, knees buckling slightly.
The remaining Kabolt hesitated, eyes wide.
[Congratulations! You have unlocked Crescent Wave (Active Skill – Level 1)]
A wide, crescent-shaped mana wave that cuts through multiple enemies in a broad arc. Damage scales with skill level and mana invested.
Sato stared at the notification, then at the fallen bodies.
He had done it.
But the fight wasn't over.
The Kabolt roared and rushed again.
Arrows flew.
Sato rolled, deflected, and kept moving.
He was bleeding from multiple places now—shoulder, thigh, arm, side. Poison burned. His movements slowed.
He couldn't use Crescent Wave again so soon.
He needed something else.
Something to deal with the rest.
The ground was slick with blood—his, theirs.
He looked at the crimson pools.
An idea flickered.
He focused on the blood.
Mana flowed outward—not into the sword, but into the blood itself.
The blood rose, coiling like living tendrils.
He swung.
The crimson whips lashed out—sharp, fast, wrapping around three fighters, tightening, slicing through armor and flesh.
They fell.
[Congratulations! You have unlocked Blood Serpent Lash (Active Skill – Level 1)]
Manipulate surrounding blood with mana to create serpentine lashes that bind and cut enemies.
Sato collapsed to one knee, exhausted.
The last Kabolt rushed.
He forced himself up.
Only the sword.
He met the final attacker with raw strength—dodging, parrying, stabbing.
The last one fell.
Silence.
The village was destroyed—tents torn, fires scattered, ground soaked in blood.
Dozens of Kabolt corpses lay everywhere.
Sato stood alone in the center, breathing hard, sword dripping.
He was bleeding from a dozen wounds.
But he was alive.
And the tunnel on the far side was now clear.