The massive green hand dropped to the glowing blue floor with a sickening thud, still clutching the club.
For a moment, the Hobgoblin Lord simply stared at the stump where its hand had been. Its yellow eyes widened in disbelief. Then it threw back its head and screamed—a guttural, ear-splitting howl that shook the dungeon walls.
The smaller goblins shrieked and pressed harder into the glowing stone, terrified beyond reason.
Raito landed lightly on the floor, dagger dripping, eyes sharp. The blue light danced across his crimson gaze as he smirked.
"Looks like the real fight’s just getting started."
Raito narrowed his eyes. Shadow Phase... let’s see how useful you really are.
The Hobgoblin’s remaining massive hand swung toward him, smashing the stone floor with a shockwave that rattled his bones. He dodged back, too slow, too slow, as the weight of the attack threatened to crush him.
Gripping his dagger, he focused, letting the new skill pulse through him. In a blink, his body vanished from sight, leaving nothing but a faint shimmer in the blue tinged dungeon air.
The Hobgoblin screamed in confusion. Raito reappeared directly at its palm, dagger flashing. A precise strike above the finger and four of the Hobgoblin’s fingers dropped to the ground with a sickening crack.
The monster howled in rage, spinning toward its minions. Its command struck the smaller goblins like a bell of fear but then, strangely, they straightened, regaining a fraction of courage and charging forward. Nine goblins, teeth bared and crude weapons ready, surged toward him.
Raito smirked. Let’s go.
He activated Muda, his body a streak of red, moving faster than the eye could follow. One by one, he passed each goblin before they even registered his presence. Heads hit the cold stone floor before their bodies could react, their surprised screams fading into silence.
The Hobgoblin turned, eyes wide, watching as Raito danced through its ranks like a phantom.
Not so fast... Raito thought, sprinting directly toward the massive foe. The creature attempted to flee, its legs pumping like tree trunks, but Raito was already in front of it.
With a leap that blurred his figure, he plunged his dagger straight into its chest. The Hobgoblin screamed once, a guttural, earth shaking cry, before vanishing entirely. In its place, a glowing core pulsed softly, abandoned in the dungeon’s blue light.
Raito quickly picked up the core and placed it carefully into his inventory box. He did the same for the other nine goblins.
[Speed 15] [Accuracy 5]
The notification box chimed, rising before him in the air. The system voice followed immediately.
[Notification: Inventory updated]
"Now this is good," Raito muttered as he walked deeper into the dimly lit dungeon. "Only six monsters left for me to defeat. Once I’m done, Greed’s hunger will finally be quenched. That skill is actually intense."
He sheathed his daggers and stored them in his inventory box before continuing down the rocky path. The faint glow from the dungeon walls reflected off his eyes as he walked. His footsteps echoed—steady, careful, alert.
He had already gone about three kilometers, yet nothing appeared. The silence made the dungeon feel endless.
"Strange... I haven’t seen a single monster," Raito said, stopping for a moment. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his status box, the light-blue panel appearing before him.
"Let’s see how much LP I’ve earned so far." His eyes widened when the number appeared. "Eight hundred and fifty LP... that’s actually impressive."
He nodded, satisfied. "I can use these for healing when needed. The best part is, every time I land a strike, the LP increases. That’s efficient."
As he continued forward, the air grew heavier, darker. Then, ahead of him, he saw it—a massive stone door towering over him, covered in strange glowing symbols that pulsed faintly with mana.
Raito stepped closer, his hand reaching out toward it. "A door inside a dungeon?" he murmured. "What’s behind this?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his dagger. "Only one way to find out."
Then, he slowly pushed the latch. The massive door groaned, its hinges creaking as it opened. The sound echoed across the chamber like a whisper from something ancient.
Raito stepped inside carefully. "Nothing...?" he muttered, scanning the area. The room was vast but empty—no monsters, no traps, nothing but the faint glow of blue symbols etched into the walls.
Just as he began to take another step, a glowing notification window appeared before him.
[Giant Scorpion Detected — Defeat Request: ACCEPT or REJECT]
Raito blinked. "Giant Scorpion...? What does that even mean?" he murmured.
Then—he felt it. A sharp vibration in the air. Something massive moved behind him, so fast that his instincts barely kept up. A faint whoosh cut through the silence.
He twisted around just in time to see a massive tail descending toward him, the stinger gleaming with purple venom.
"Damn!" Raito leaped forward, rolling across the stone floor as the tail slammed into the spot where he’d stood, cracking the ground.
He spun around—and froze.
A colossal scorpion towered before him, its body glistening like black steel. Its claws were huge, clicking together with a heavy clack-clack, and its many eyes shimmered a dull crimson. The thing was at least eleven feet tall, its tail curling menacingly above its armored back.
Raito’s breathing steadied. "Should I... run?" he whispered. But then, a smirk formed on his face.
"No... this is my chance. The system once said that when a challenge notification appears, it means a level-up opportunity."
His crimson eyes flared with determination. "I won’t lose."
He raised his hand toward the floating window and said firmly,
[Challenge Accepted — GIANT SCORPION: Commencing Battle]
Instantly, the door behind him slammed shut, sealing him inside. The scorpion let out a thunderous shriek, and Raito tightened his grip on his dagger.
"Let’s see what you’ve got."
Then the creature lunged forward, its massive legs thundering against the stone floor. The Giant Scorpion’s movement was unnaturally fast—its armored body gliding across the ground like a shadow.