[Two days later]
— I am headING out… Hestia-sama.
— Huh? Ah, yes, of course… come back soon. — Hestia replied, her voice gently dispersed, as if her mind was elsewhere.
Luki looked at her for a moment, his gaze curious, trying to understand the unease in her eyes. She seemed to be in some kind of trance, absorbed in her own thoughts. But he didn't want to force an explanation. He had his own tasks to fulfill.
He shrugged and, with a silent wave, turned and began walking out of the house, toward the Dungeon. His goal was clear, yet something inside him still felt unsettled.
Hestia's behavior… she was acting strange, distracted in a way he didn't understand. Perhaps it was just the pressure of everyday life, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was different.
He continued on his way, and when the sound of his footsteps echoed down the street until fading into the horizon, Hestia finally closed the door behind her. Her mind still far away.
— I hope Hephaestus knows what's going on with me… — She murmured to herself, not realizing she had spoken aloud. With a sigh, she turned and began walking toward her friend's home.
...
Luki walked silently through the corridors of the Dungeon's second floor. His steps were firmer, more decisive than usual. He no longer seemed as hesitant as before.
His eyes were focused, as though he was following a plan with a clarity he had never felt before. There was a certain tension in the air, a sense that he was about to do something big, something risky. And he was well aware of it.
When he reached the end of a narrow corridor, he stopped before a dark entrance leading down a slanted tunnel. The descent to the Dungeon's third floor. The air was damp, and the sound of his own breathing was the only echo filling the space.
— The entrance to the third floor… — he muttered to himself, his voice low, as if unwilling to draw attention from anyone who might be listening.
Luki hadn't shared his plans with anyone, especially not Hestia. He knew she wouldn't understand, and she would probably stop him from going through with this idea.
But he had his reasons. He knew the Dungeon was full of dangers, and that venturing deeper wasn't something any adventurer should do without thinking twice.
But he also knew that in the future, various disasters would arise alongside the main plot. This difference in perspective prevented him from seeing this peaceful time as nothing more than a time to prepare.
But he wasn't being reckless, nor was he being a fool. He had planned every step carefully, and he was ready.
The Dungeon was a massive beast, and he knew that to push further, it required more than just strength. It required strategy, focus. But he also knew where to draw the line. The fifth floor was his limit—for now. To go deeper would be suicide.
From the first down to the fifth floor, the monsters were familiar: mostly goblins, kobolds, dungeon lizards and possibly a Jack Bird.
Weak creatures that posed little threat individually, though they could become dangerous in larger numbers.
Still, he felt confident. He knew he could handle them. The real challenge would begin when he ventured deeper, but for now, all he needed was to take it one step at a time.
Luki closed his eyes for a moment, offering a brief prayer to Hestia.
— Goddess Hestia, bless me… — he whispered, with a tone of sincerity and faith he couldn't fully explain.
He took a deep breath, the weight of his decision pressing against his chest. But, as always, his determination rang louder. He stepped into the tunnel's entrance, ready to move forward, to explore, and to face the challenges awaiting him.
...
— I'm gonna get scolded so bad when I get back… — Luki grumbled, but his words didn't stop his feet from moving faster. He was running with all his strength.
Behind him, a large group of kobolds and goblins chased, their claws and crude blades clashing as they advanced. Luki glanced back quickly, his breath ragged. For an instant, he questioned his choices.
'I just had to come all the way to the fifth floor, didn't I? Whose brilliant idea was this? Oh right, mine.'
The thought made him let out a nervous laugh, but he didn't lose focus. He no longer had time to doubt his decisions, only to move forward.
Unlike before, upon entering the third floor, Luki hadn't been caught unprepared. He fought, yes, but only enough to get used to the environment and observe how the monsters behaved. He made a quick incursion into the fourth floor, and then descended without hesitation to the fifth.
With each floor he went down, the size and number of monster groups increased alarmingly. On the first floor, he hardly encountered any monsters, and when he did, they were solitary or in groups of two or three. On the second floor, the groups were larger, but still manageable. But on the fifth floor, things were different. Now, he faced groups of seven at once, and danger lurked around every corner.
Luki was sweating, feeling the weight of the situation on his back. Encountering multiple groups at once was no longer just a possibility—it was inevitable. And if that wasn't enough, soon he found himself surrounded by a swarm of goblins and kobolds, none of them willing to let their prey escape.
— Damn it! — Luki shouted, his breath heavy as his eyes darted around. There was no time left to fight. He had no choice but to run.
As he pressed forward through the corridors, the noise of the monsters grew louder, more and more of them joining the chase. The sounds of claws scraping the stone and guttural roars drew closer with each passing second.
'Is this where I die?' The thought struck him, a heavy weight settling in his chest. His pulse hammered in his ears, the raw instinct of survival screaming louder than his reason.
Yet, mixed with the fear, something else stirred. His breath came faster, his senses sharpened, every sound and shadow more vivid than ever. The corner of his lips tugged upward before he realized it, the thrill of running for his life sending an intoxicating rush through his veins.
'No, I'm not dying this early. Not to a bunch of weaklings like this. If I'm going to die, then it better be in bed, with a beauty by my side.'
The mischievous thought cut through the tension like a blade, and with it, his grin spread wider. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed down the fear, letting the surge of adrenaline steady his hands.
Luki began forming a plan as he ran. His eyes scanned the Dungeon's corridors, desperately searching for something to turn the tide.
'I can't let them surround me. I need somewhere narrower… but with at least one or two escape routes. There was a tight passage around here, I'm sure of it.'
He forced his legs to keep moving, despite exhaustion gnawing at him. Taking a sharp right, Luki kept running, the sound of the horde behind him growing louder. The monsters weren't just chasing, they seemed to be gaining confidence and speed as they gathered.
Moments later, he spotted what he was looking for: a narrow tunnel ahead. Compared to the size of the goblins and kobolds, only two or three could fit side by side. A determined smile spread across his face. This was where he'd make his stand.
Without hesitation, he dashed into the passage, the snarls of the horde echoing behind him. The walls pressed close, forcing the monsters into a bottleneck, just as he had planned.
He turned bakc, his sword cut through the first wave, each strike fueled by desperation and grim resolve while walking backwards. Things are looking good for him.
But then, the tunnel ended.
The walls opened wide, and Luki stumbled forward into a vast chamber. His breath caught in his throat as he realized too late what he had run into.
The ceiling stretched high above, lost in shadow, and jagged pillars jutted up from the ground like the broken fangs of a beast. From the far side of the chamber, more monsters stirred form another exit, their glowing eyes flickering to life in the dark. The sound of claws scraped against stone. Not just behind him, but ahead, and even from cracks in the walls around.
A low growl reverberated through the chamber, followed by a chorus of snarls and screeches. Goblins poured in from the tunnel he had just left. Kobolds emerged from the opposite side, their fangs bared. From the cracks high on the walls, Dungeon Lizards slithered out, their yellow eyes glowing with predatory intent. And as if the Dungeon itself had decided to mock him, new creatures crawled out of hidden crevices, cutting off any chance of escape.
But none of them lunged. Not yet. As if some silent command had been given, the monsters fanned out, spreading to the sides until a perfect circle closed around him. Dozens of eyes fixed on his every move.
It wasn't hunger that drove them. Nor vengeance for the ones he had cut down. What radiated from their stares was far simpler, far more primal. Pure violence. A savage desire to tear, crush, and kill.
Why? There was no reason. Because this was the Dungeon.
— Fucking dungeon... — He cursed, his grip on his sword tightening, the insane smile on his lips stretching wider instead of fading. He didn't even notice it himself, but the rush of danger was digging deeper into him, feeding something he couldn't yet name.
The instant the words left his lips, the chamber erupted. Goblins lunged from the tunnels, claws and crude blades slashing. Kobolds leapt from the opposite side, their teeth snapping. Dungeon Lizards tumbled from the high cracks in the walls, hissing and spitting as they launched toward him. Hidden creatures scuttled from the shadows, adding their weight to the onslaught.
Luki barely had time to react. Steel met steel, claws scraped against stone, and a cacophony of snarls and screeches filled the air. His legs moved on instinct, weaving, ducking, and pivoting as attacks came from every direction.
And yet, despite the chaos, the insane smile of pure happiness on his face grew even wider. He wasn't sure why, but his heart thrummed with a wild, intoxicating thrill. The fear of death and the rush of being surrounded collided, and somewhere deep inside, a part of him loved it.
He slashed through a charging kobold, rolled under a lunging goblin, and parried a lizard's snapping jaws. Every hit, every dodge, every narrow escape fueled that inexplicable elation. He was alive, in the center of pure violence, dancing with death, and for the first time, he felt alive in a way his old life had never allowed.