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Chapter 7 - Level 1 of the Second Layer of the Dungeon

The wind blew warm, carrying the scent of salt, life, and damp vegetation.

Josuke Hachimizu blinked several times as the sunlight reflected on the surface of the sea. He stood on what looked like a tropical island, with a long beach of white sand, swaying palms, fruit trees, and a sky so purely blue it seemed painted by the gods.

The young man wore a scarf made of dark rags, wrapped around his neck as if hiding something he didn't want to let go of. The cloth fluttered with the warm breeze, reminding him that he was alive, and that he still wasn't free.

Josuke frowned.

—This is the first level of the second layer of the dungeon...?

In front of him, like a floating projection, his Blood System responded coldly:

[Location: Level 1 of the Second Layer]

—So it is... But this doesn't look like a dungeon. This... is some kind of island, with a sky?

He bent down toward the ground. His feet were half-buried in the warm, wet sand. Beyond, the sea shimmered with a false calm. However, what caught his attention was what rose on the horizon: a gigantic mountain, a dark volcano covered in thick jungle, its peak wrapped in storm clouds rumbling with electric thunder.

Josuke narrowed his eyes, focusing.

—At least I'm in the second layer. So... let's do this! Time to level up!

Without wasting more time, he ran toward the jungle, where the vegetation swallowed him like a green mouth.

The jungle was alive. It breathed. It moved. Hanging branches, moss-covered vines, glowing fruits, leaves the size of shields—everything seemed to watch him. The sounds were many: bird cries, insect buzzing, distant growls. It was a paradise, but also a deadly trap.

Josuke leapt over a massive root, and upon landing, a creature rammed into him out of nowhere.

A colossal boar, nearly two meters tall, with brown fur as tough as bark and curved tusks capable of shredding trees with ease.

[Information: Monster detected: Brown Boar]

[Level: 98 | Rank: BB+]

Josuke didn't hesitate. He unsheathed his crimson katana, forged in the fires of the Seventh Underworld, made from infernal rubies and tempered with his own blood. The blade gleamed with a reddish glow, as if thirsting to kill.

With a single slash, the boar fell.

Josuke approached the dying beast. He opened its jaw, and as the Crimson Mask covered his face with a hungry gleam, he drank the animal's hot blood.

[Blood System: Skill "Fur Growth" acquired.]

[Blood System: Skill "Land Navigation" acquired.]

[+2,000 blood points obtained.]

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and exhaled.

—I still haven't leveled up... still level 9.

He called the system again.

[Blood System – Host Statistics]

[Strength]: +10,500 experience

[Speed]: +10,500 experience

[Endurance]: +10,500 experience

[Defense]: +10,500 experience

[Attack]: +11,500 experience

Josuke's eyes slowly widened. His expression shifted from shock to rage.

—That's impossible... Not even in a million years would I reach that amount of experience. Nine trillion just to reach level 10...?

He punched the trunk of a nearby tree, leaving a mark.

—This system is broken! I hate it more every day. That messenger... that damn one. The god of souls... why did they give me this?

He breathed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment. Then opened them.

—Forget it. I'm already here. I have no choice, right? Then I'll keep gaining experience, even if it's the last damn drop of blood I have to consume.

Josuke delved deeper into the jungle.

A merciless hunt began.

He jumped from branch to branch, took down beasts. He used his katana, his blood, his fists. He slit creatures' throats, drank their blood, and every drop gave him power, absorbing their abilities through their DNA.

[Notification: Skill "Hydrocutter Shot" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Filopez, the pressurized-water treefish)

[Notification: Skill "Vine Stride" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Hanging Ape Ekaru)

[Notification: Skill "Natural Camouflage" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Spectral Leaf Chameleon)

[Notification: Skill "Jungle Howl" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Jagargo, the Green-Blooded Feline)

[Notification: Skill "Numbing Spores" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Setrak, the Walking Fungus)

[Notification: Skill "Root Grip" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Fangplant)

[Notification: Skill "Hunter's Scent" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Murmur, the Leaf Wolf)

[Notification: Skill "Tropical Scale" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Living-Bark Lizard)

[Notification: Skill "Silent Ambush" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Waspanther, arboreal predator insect)

[Notification: Skill "Infected Claw" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Mud-Strider Beast)

[Notification: Skill "Misty Step" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Fog Frog)

[Notification: Skill "Green Curse" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Mossy Shaman of Clan Sprout)

[Notification: Skill "Tropical Regeneration" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Deep-Root Turtle)

[Notification: Skill "Spiked Tail" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Jungle Erizaur)

[Notification: Skill "Voice of the Jungle" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Totemic Bird Krukra)

[Notification: Skill "Rapid Molt" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Lunar-Shift Serpent)

[Notification: Skill "Paralyzing Gaze" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Lesser Root Basilisk)

[Notification: Skill "Pollen Explosion" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Carnivorous Flower Explobud)

[Notification: Skill "Vine Control" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Living Tree Kinari)

[Notification: Skill "Chlorophyll Assimilation" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Photosynthetic Being Granu-Rak)

[Notification: Skill "Triple Claw" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Redgreen Canopy Tiger)

[Notification: Skill "Anchor Tongue" acquired.]

(Obtained from: Sticky Amphibian Krotok)

[Notification: +500,000 blood points acquired.]

[Notification: +800,000 experience obtained.]

It was like a never-ending shower of notifications. His skill tree expanded like roots spreading in all directions.

Strange monsters fell before him: arboreal felines, smoke serpents, armored beetles, frogs with burning skin, mobile toothy trees…

Josuke stopped after eliminating three creatures at once. He looked at the system.

—At least coming here was worth it… I got lots of useful skills.

And just then…

[Notification: +500,000,000 blood points acquired.]

[Congratulations! You've earned the titles:]

["Grand Master Hunter"]

["Jungle Conqueror"]

["Monster Predator"]

Josuke smiled with relief, though with a hint of emptiness underneath. After all, he had worked hard to level up, but it wasn't what he expected.

Suddenly, Josuke Hachimizu smiled at the titles he had earned.

—Those titles are fabulous.

Then his smile vanished.

—But they were too easy... I want something stronger. Something worth consuming. A worthy enemy. Where are those monsters they talked about? Is this area just full of trash?

Josuke Hachimizu was both frustrated and tense. They had talked so much about how dangerous the second layer's monsters were, but to Josuke, they were nothing more than weaklings. He had gained tons of experience from them.

In an instant, Josuke Hachimizu heard a loud, fast sound. It was too sudden, like the sound of a battle happening, all thanks to his super hearing.

It wasn't a rumble of earth. Nor a feline. It was a sharp, wild sound, accompanied by blasts of wind.

Josuke sharpened his senses. His hearing was superhuman. He heard screams. Tiny voices. The beating of wings… and electricity.

—What do we have here?

He ran.

Leapt between branches, dodged roots. The vegetation couldn't stop him. He was like a demon tearing through the forest.

And then, the vegetation opened. Josuke saw the scene.

A giant eagle made of shadows floated in the air. Its feathers looked like darkness pressed into abstract smoke, its eyes glowed like black moons, and its cry shook the sky.

[Monster detected: Shadow Eagle]

[Level: 150 | Rank: BBB+]

Below, small masked beings threw primitive spears. They wore leafy loincloths, coconut masks painted red and white with drawn eyes, mouths, and scribbles. Their movements were wild, tribal. They fought with courage… but were inferior, with primitive behavior.

Josuke raised his katana. It was clear both sides were monsters. Either way, he couldn't regret letting either escape. After all, that's what they were—monsters.

His blood boiled.

—Finally… a high-level monster—he whispered with a wide, relieved smile.

The air grew dense.

Josuke Hachimizu stood firm, his crimson katana unsheathed, facing the creature that surpassed him in size, rank… and brutality.

The Shadow Eagle soared above the jungle clearing, spreading its wings as if they could cover the entire forest. Its dark feathers were not normal: they were moving fragments of shadow, like solid smoke. Its eyes were two soulless black moons. A sharp cry burst from its beak, shaking the air as if announcing death itself.

In front of him, the small masked beings, covered in leaves and painted coconut masks, tried to hold their ground with rudimentary spears. They spoke to each other in a guttural, fast, fluid language. Josuke glanced at them, confused.

—Is that their language? Do monsters... speak? —he thought— I always believed they were just beasts without intelligence.

The small goblin-sized figures moved aside as Josuke advanced, placing himself between them and the giant bird.

—I'll deal with them later. First... I'll handle the big one.

The eagle descended with lethal speed.

Josuke didn't hesitate.

—Blood System, activate skills —he roared as his crimson aura exploded like liquid fire.

The crimson mask instantly covered Josuke's mouth, concealing his entire jaw.

—I'll test my new abilities and see how good they really are —he said with rage and pride, staring at the bird.

The eagle dove like a living blade. Josuke activated Vine Stride, leaping between trees with the agility of an ape, sliding on vines that grew beneath his feet.

[Skill activated: Vine Stride]

He spun in the air, landing right on the monster's back.

—Let's go —he shouted, and used Hydrocutter Shot, firing a stream of compressed water from his hand directly at the bird's left wing.

[Skill activated: Hydrocutter Shot]

The pressure sliced several shadow feathers, making the bird screech and spin. Josuke dropped, rolling across the damp grass.

The creature searched for him from above.

—Natural Camouflage —he whispered, activating the organic invisibility of his body.

[Skill activated: Natural Camouflage]

He became one with the environment. His presence vanished. Only the trees knew where he was.

The bird, confused, roared into the air and launched a wave of shadows. Josuke activated Misty Step and moved like a blur across the ground, dodging the attack.

[Skill activated: Misty Step]

He emerged behind the eagle and unleashed a Jungle Howl.

[Skill activated: Jungle Howl]

A primal roar erupted from his throat, amplified by magic. The scream threw the bird off balance and struck fear into nearby creatures.

—I'm not done yet

From his palm, he launched a cloud of green spores.

[Skill activated: Numbing Spores]

The poison clung to the eagle's wings, slowing its movements.

Josuke spread his arms and activated:

[Skill activated: Root Grip]

Roots burst from the ground, wrapping around the eagle's legs and pulling it down. The monster partially collapsed, and Josuke met it with an upward slash from his katana.

But the eagle struck with its shadow claws, sending Josuke flying into a tree. His back cracked. He coughed blood.

—Tsk… —he got up— Hunter's Scent… activate!

[Skill activated: Hunter's Scent]

His senses sharpened. The enemy's aura was now visible to him. Every heartbeat, every feather's twitch, every breath of darkness.

He dashed like an arrow. Activated Tropical Scale, hardening his skin like bark.

[Skill activated: Tropical Scale]

The bird's claws bounced slightly off him, giving him an opening. Silent Ambush, activated.

[Skill activated: Silent Ambush]

Josuke vanished from sight, only to reappear behind the bird and slice both its hind legs with his katana.

The monster screeched in fury.

Josuke didn't let it breathe.

—Infected Claw! —he shouted, his hand coated in a layer of venomous rot. He drove his fingers into the bird's chest, injecting toxin into its body.

[Skill activated: Infected Claw]

The eagle staggered, bleeding shadows from its wounds. It tried to lift off once more.

Josuke roared.

—Green Curse!

[Skill activated: Green Curse]

Druidic symbols glowed along his katana. Every wound now began to rot.

The monster fired a burst of dark energy, but Josuke activated Tropical Regeneration, healing the fractures in his body within seconds.

[Skill activated: Tropical Regeneration]

—Take this!

With a high jump, he activated:

[Skill activated: Spiked Tail]

A thorned whip grew from his back and struck the damaged wing.

—Voice of the Jungle!

[Skill activated: Voice of the Jungle]

An ancestral chant vibrated from his chest. The entire jungle responded. Vines, branches, and roots moved on their own, attacking the monster from all sides.

The weakened bird crashed to the ground.

—Triple Claw!

[Skill activated: Triple Claw]

Three horizontal slashes tore through the eagle's neck.

The monster shrieked one last time… and fell.

Silence.

The bird's body dissolved into thick, dark smoke… but its blood remained. Black blood with purple shimmer. Josuke approached.

He knelt, removed his crimson mask… and drank.

The blood burned. It was bitter. Alive. Filled with memories, screams, air, and death. And yet… powerful.

[Blood System: Skill "Shadow Flight" acquired.]

[Blood System: Skill "Dark Wing Slash" acquired.]

[Blood System: +18,500,000 experience acquired.]

[Blood System: +7,800,000 blood points obtained.]

[System: You've earned the title: "Void-Wing Devourer"]

[System: Passive skill "Aerial Aura of Dominion" unlocked.]

Josuke closed his eyes.

His body vibrated. Every fiber grew stronger.

—So this is… what real power feels like

He looked toward the group of small masked beings, who watched him in silence.

The silence that followed the death of the Shadow Eagle was dense. As dense as the dark blood still dripping from the edge of the crimson katana, staining the jungle floor with black, smoking splatters.

Josuke Hachimizu took a step forward. His body was still covered in that corrupted blood, from his chest to the corners of his lips. His breathing was irregular, as if something inside him was still roaring—something not human.

All around him, the small masked beings—goblin-sized, with thin bodies and glowing eyes behind coconut masks—were slowly retreating.

Their wooden spears trembled in their hands. Their bare feet stepped back over the damp grass. The fear in their eyes was clear. But it wasn't for the monster he had slain.

It was for him.

Josuke paused, observing their faces.

For a moment, he understood: they didn't know who the real monster was.

The Shadow Eagle had been fearsome, yes… but what they had just witnessed was worse.

A human drenched in black blood.

A face half-covered by a Crimson Oni Mask, with twisted blade-like teeth protruding.

A killer with eyes glowing red.

His pupils, tinted by the system, now reflected a cold fury. A hunting thirst not yet quenched. An uncontrollable urge to keep killing.

The creatures stepped back again.

Josuke took another step.

—Now it's your turn

Several spears dropped to the ground. One of the small warriors stepped back, tripped, and fell on his back, trembling.

And then, like a whip crack, a red screen appeared—brighter than any other notification.

[Warning: Genocidal intentions detected in the mind and consciousness of the Host.]

[Warning: If this path continues, the Crimson Oni Mask will take full control of the Host's body.]

[Warning: Host will lose all humanity.]

Josuke froze.

—What...?

He blinked.

—Genocidal intentions...? But what...?

A cold sensation ran down his spine. His body trembled. Literally, his right hand shook—and in it, he still held his sword.

[Crimson Vital Core: Control stabilized.]

[Humanity: 74%]

[The Host has rejected the massacre impulse.]

[The Crimson Oni Mask remains dormant.]

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