The Hollowkin began to approach the creature. As he drew closer, the reptile produced a sound—soft at first, then louder with every step he took.
At the beginning, the Hollowkin couldn't clearly describe it. But as it echoed again and again, growing sharper and more distinct, realization dawned on him.
"To-kai! To-kai!"
"To-kai?" he thought. Such a strange sound.
"To-kai! To-kai!"
The sound escaped the creature's mouth repeatedly. Sensing the enemy was getting too close, the reptile snapped at the air, its eyes locked onto the Hollowkin—a clear warning to back away.
But the Hollowkin didn't listen.
The creature was frightening, yes, but he had no choice. He needed its flesh as bait. That was his best chance to eliminate another group of ants. He believed this wholeheartedly, enough to risk fighting an unknown creature like this.
His right arm moved to his waist. There was only one object to grasp.
The dagger.
He felt the cold surface of the handle against his palm. In the next instant, he raised it and slashed——only to hit air.
The Hollowkin's expression darkened, turning colder, more serious. Any hesitation vanished. He intended to obliterate his enemy.
From the failed strike and the creature's face, the reptile realized the truth: this intruder did not merely trespass—it meant harm. Already enraged by the violation of its territory, a vein bulged near its temple. Its heart began pumping faster.
*Pump*
*Pump*
Its eyes turned blood-red.
It would show this creature the power of its bite.
The lizard charged forward at full speed, jaws wide open. At the last moment, the Hollowkin dodged.
One step back. One step forward.
He slashed again.
This time, the attack connected—but only partially. The blade carved a shallow cut into the lizard's back, not enough to be fatal.
A light-green screen appeared.
[You inflicted poison on your enemy.]
The sudden notification shattered his focus.
The reptile seized the opportunity.
*Crunch*
Its teeth sank into the Hollowkin's left leg.
"Aargh, fuck!"
Pain exploded through him. He clenched the dagger with all his strength and slammed its pommel down onto the lizard's head.
One hit.
Two hits.
Three.
Finally, the creature released him, shaking its head violently in pain.
While it was distracted, the Hollowkin gathered his strength and kicked with his right leg.
*Bang*
The reptile was sent flying several feet away, landing on its back with its belly exposed.
"An opportunity" the Hollowkin thought.
In seconds, he went from walking to running, charging toward his helpless prey with the intent to pierce its stomach.
"Almost there—"
In a sudden motion, the lizard twisted its body and shot toward the wall like an arrow, claws gripping stone as it began to climb.
The Hollowkin froze.
"How can it do that?"
"Why isn't it falling?"
"I can't do that"
"How am I supposed to reach it now?"
The creature interrupted its train of thought.
"To-kai! To-kai!"
The cry echoed through every inch of the chamber.
The lizard wasn't fleeing.
It intended to win.
Using all its remaining strength, it ran along the wall beside the Hollowkin and leapt spectacularly through the air, jaws clamping onto his stomach.
*Chump*
"Fuuuck!"
Instant regret flooded him. Choosing this creature had been a mistake. Wall-running. Jumping. This was fantasy-level nonsense—something he had never seen before.
And yet—A memory surfaced.
The green creature.
The worm.
Before he fully realized it, his body moved on instinct, copying the same brutal motion.
Roaring in pain and fury, the Hollowkin drove the dagger deep into the lizard's neck.
Red liquid spilled out like a viscous cascade. With it, life drained from the creature.
Another screen appeared.
[You inflicted an enormous amount of poison on your enemy.]
"To-kai! To-kai!"
The creature's cries twisted into agony. It had to run—if it didn't, it knew it would die. Territory, pride, audacity—none of that mattered anymore.
It ran.
Farther than should have been possible in its state.
But blood loss and poison took their toll. The lizard collapsed.
With its final breath, the sound escaped one last time.
"To—kai."
The Hollowkin stood still.
For a moment… he almost felt sorry.
Then he stepped forward.
One step.
Two.
He reached the lifeless body and swiftly severed its head and limbs.
"Finally," he muttered.
A familiar notification appeared.
[You killed a Cursed Tokai Gecko]
So that was its name.
It made sense to him—the sound had escaped the creature's mouth again and again.
"To-kai. To-kai"
It had been a fierce enemy. He knew that without the dagger, he would never have won.
He felt a brief surge of gratitude toward the green creature. It had taught him the importance of weapons. He hoped he would encounter others like it—creatures from which he could learn, objects he could study, things that might make him stronger.
With his arms full of the body parts of his fallen enemy, he began to walk toward the nest.
Unhurried. Almost relaxed.
He knew there were no enemies along this path, so his gaze wandered freely, drifting left and right. The scenery remained unchanged—stalactites hanging from the ceiling, droplets of water falling steadily from their tips. The sound echoed softly through the tunnel.
It was calming.
Yet, deep inside, he felt there had to be more than this. He wondered, in the quiet of his thoughts, whether there was something beyond stone and cold—beyond survival and death.
Pulling himself out of his train of thought, he continued to plant his feet against the cold ground.
When he finally emerged from the fork, he took the same turn as before and reached its destination.