After the Steamgnasher's death, the echoes of its fall faded into a tense quiet. Souta stood still, blade dripping chest heaving. The dungeon floor was littered with corpses and acidic smoke, a battlefield forged by acid and resolve.
Then… a loud growl
Not just one many.
From the deeper tunnels came shadows, fast and close to the ground. Souta's eyes narrowed as the figures emerged into view sleek muscled beasts with jagged fur that bristled like steel wire.
Their glowing red eyes burned with hunger.
Name: Dreadfang
Level: 24–27
Rank: C
Skill: [Shadow Pounce]
Ten of them.
Souta exhaled slowly, flipping the dagger in his palm. "A pack! W...why? can't i rest a little
The first Dreadfang lunged straight for his throat Souta ducked, pivoted left and slashed upward. The dagger caught its side, but its thick hide absorbed most of the damage. Still, blood trickled out.
Another came in low. Souta jumped back, narrowly missing its snapping jaws.
Then the rest joined.
They surrounded him, moving like a single organism. They didn't attack blindly they waited, circled and pressed in with good coordination. each movement was silent and calculated.
Souta gritted his teeth has he gave a heavy sigh from exhaustion
The alpha a larger one with black fur one and faint scars across its snout let out a short bark.
and the pack descended.
Two from the left.
Souta dropped low, spun on one knee, and swept his blade across the first's legs. It howled, tumbling sideways as blood sprayed.
A third jumped from behind.
[Instinct Dodge – Lv.1] triggered.
He bent backward unnaturally, the fangs passing inches from his face. As the beast passed overhead, he slashed upward this time cleaving deep into its belly.
The wolf crashed to the ground, screeching.
But there were more. Always more.
They came in waves, four at once.
Souta parried with the flat of his dagger, took a slash across the shoulder, and kicked another wolf's jaw sideways The impact cracked teeth and sent it sprawling.
His heart pounded blood ran down his arm.
Still, he stood.
Souta focused.
Don't panic. Stay sharp. Watch their rhythm.
One tried to flank.
He sidestepped, kicked its knee, heard a satisfying crack, and elbowed its skull as it dropped. Another lunged but Souta grabbed a broken stone from the floor and slammed it into the beast's snout.
Only eight left.
The alpha howled this time high and sharp.
The wolves began circling faster, their forms flickering in and out of shadow.
"Oh hell no."
Souta's instincts screamed. He felt the pulse before the strike a faint rush of wind behind him.
He dove forward.
A wolf blinked into where he had just stood jaws wide, fangs glistening
He twisted in the air, landing on one knee, then slashed sideways cutting deep into the attacker's ribs.
It howled and vanished into shadow again.
The blinking. It's not teleportation it's a dash cloaked by light-bending. Fast but readable if timed.
Souta closed his eyes briefly. Listened.
Skrrch!
A soft scrape behind him.
He turned, slashing without hesitation—his blade met flesh.
Another down.
Then they came four more in a synchronized blink. Souta rolled beneath two, took a bite on his thigh from the third, but stabbed it through the eye before it could escape.
Pain throbbed warm and deep in him
[Health: 42/100]
He ignored it. Grit and madness took over.
A smiling and grin split his lips.
He pressed his fingers to the bleeding wound and murmured, "Gonna need stitches after this… or a resurrection."
Two wolves charged at once one high and one low.
He leapt, pushing off the low one's head mid air, flipped, and stabbed the top one through the spine.
The body hit the ground.
Another lunged.
He grabbed it mid air, spun with all his weight, and slammed it into the stone wall.
Its neck cracked. Another kill.
Only three remained.
They hesitated now. The alpha growled, backing away slightly.
Souta pointed his dagger at them. "Now you're thinking. But it's too late."
With sudden speed, he dashed forward. The system enhanced body felt weightless as he moved swiftly
He feinted left, then pivoted and drove his dagger into the heart of the smaller one. The next tried to retaliate, but he dodged under and slit its throat in one clean stroke.
The final wolf the alpha locked eyes with him.
No fear.
Just primal fury.
It pounced.
Souta didn't move.
Not until the last second.
He stepped into the leap and jammed his dagger upward, into the beast's open mouth.
[Dreadfang Defeated]
EXP Gained: +100
Attribute Points Gained: +4
Loot Obtained:
– Dreadfang Hide x3
– Beast Fang x2
– Minor Skill Orb
The silence returned.
Ten bodies littered the ground. Steam, blood, and dust filled the air.
Souta stood in the center, drenched in sweat and gore, shoulders rising and falling.
[Level Up – Lv. 5 → Lv. 7]
EXP: 27/70
Attribute Points: +4
He collapsed to one knee, panting.
"…Just one more fight," he whispered. Then I'm out of here.
But deep down, he knew.
The dungeon wasn't finished yet.
The real threat still waited in the dark.
To be continued...
———~Ω~———
Name: Souta Kael
Age: 18
Race: Human
Class: Hunter of Boundless path
Title: Reborn one
Level: 7 [27/70]
Rank: SSS
Attribute points: 10
Health: 40/100
Mana: 250
Stamina: 150
Strength: 32
Agility: 41
Endurance: 36
Intelligence: 27
Luck: 10
Skills: 3
Traits: 3
—————————