**Chapter 3 – The Beast in the Shadows**
The scent of old stone and damp air bit at Lucky's nose as he stepped deeper into the cave. Torchlight crackled on the wall , casting long shadows that danced along the ancient walls. The silence was unnerving, thick and heavy—as if the cave itself was holding its breath.
He inched forward and peeked from behind the crumbled rock wall that marked the end of the tunnel.
His heart almost stopped.
Lying on the ground were five corpses—twisted, lifeless, and torn apart. Their faces were frozen in terror, eyes wide open, staring into nothing.
And looming above them... was something darker than darkness itself.
A shadowy figure towered in the center of the cavern, cloaked in eerie stillness. As torch flared suddenly—burning brighter without reason—the shadow revealed its true form.
A **wolf**—massive and monstrous. Pitch black flesh, bristling with matted fur, stood no less than fifteen feet tall. Crimson eyes gleamed like embers in the dark, and slick blood dripped from its jagged maw.
*What… is that?!* Lucky's knees locked.
The beast's nose twitched.
It sniffed the air—slowly, deliberately. Then its head turned, its gaze piercing directly through the veil of shadows—straight at Lucky.
*He knows I'm here…*
The creature growled low, the sound stepping through the floor and vibrating in his chest. It began to pace, large paws tapping against the stone as its heavy chains rattled, each sound sharp and deliberate.
Chains.
Lucky looked closer, heart hammering. The wolf was *bound*—thick, rune-coated shackles dug into its limbs, anchoring it deep into magically inscribed stone.
Even as fear clawed at his spine, Lucky made a decision.
*He can't reach me. Not if I keep my distance.*
He stepped into the dim light of the cavern, keeping well away from the creature's reach.
The wolf turned its head, baring its teeth… then hesitated.
And, to Lucky's shock, it backed away.
Lowered its head.
And bowed.
A hush swept over the chamber, thick with tension.
The beast slowly raised its head again. Its voice was a deep rumble, ancient and coarse, yet eerily steady.
>"You were supposed to be dead," it said. "How are you still alive?"
Lucky, still frozen, could barely process what he was hearing. But the wolf kept speaking, as if the answer didn't matter.
>"...But you're here. So this must be fate."
The shadows danced again as something began materializing in the center of the room. The air twisted, and from the ether, something dropped—a shimmering blob, semi-translucent, and gently wobbling as it settled.
>"This is what you ordered me to find," the wolf said.
**Magic Slime**
- *Class: Unique*
- *Magic Attributes: None*
- *Material: Slime*
Lucky cautiously approached. He reached out and touched it.
*It's like jelly… but dry?*
The strange texture clung to his fingers as he scooped it up and placed it in his pouch. His thoughts churned, but there was little time to think.
The wolf raised its head again.
>"Free me."
Lucky blinked. "What?"
>"The key. It's among the dead."
Hesitation ran through Lucky's veins, but curiosity—and something deeper—fueled his steps. He searched the corpses, covering his mouth to keep from gagging. Third body from the left—there it was. A bloodstained iron key.
He turned it in the lock binding one of the chains.
A heavy click echoed.
Then another. And another.
With the last shackle undone, the giant wolf rose to its full height. For a moment, it simply stood there—staring down at Lucky.
>"You haven't forgotten, right?" the beast said. "You know how to call me."
With that, it vanished—fading into the shadows as effortlessly as mist melts into morning light.
Gone.
Silence returned.
Lucky stood motionless in the center of the cave, the torchlight flickering .
*What… just happened?*
The bodies—gone.
Blood—gone.
Even the scent of death—vanished.
The cave was empty. As if none of it had ever occurred.
Unnerved and confused, Lucky made his way to the surface.
By the time he emerged from the cave, the night sky had already fallen.
Stars blinked lazily above, and the wind carried a strange stillness.
*How long… was I down there?*
The world had moved on, but Lucky couldn't shake what he had seen—or the strange weight of the dry slime still tucked in his pocket.
The wolf's words echoed in his mind.
>"You were supposed to be dead…"
And deep within, something told him—
This… was just the beginning.