Ashien leaned against the rocky wall near the gate that welcomed him to begin the trial of the second floor.
While resting from the exhaustion that had drained every cell in his body, he remembered he hadn't regained his strength from the Earth Mushroom creature.
"Damn, how could I forget something this important?" he thought in the depths of his mind.
Ashien sighed, pushing out a warm breath from the deepest part of his lungs. He stared around him, misery overtaking him from the pain of hunger.
He decided—
Ding~
[Notification]
[All creatures and monsters slain by the Survivor are stored in the inventory.]
His spirit returned at the system's message. He quickly rose from his place, rummaging in his bag for the forgotten items.
[Inventory]
[Mushroom,
Flame Stone,
Slime]
He pulled out the mushroom from his bag. The white fungus appeared before him, tempting him with its deliberate curves.
The first bite sent warmth into Ashien's chest. The simple slide of the morsel through his throat made his stomach full in an instant.
After finishing his meal, Ashien stretched out, using his scarf as a cover. His swollen muscles relaxed, and he surrendered to drowsiness.
---
Ashien practiced morning exercises to maintain his fitness and fight the spectral monsters. He kept staring at the gate as he jumped in equal rhythms.
After finishing, he advanced, pushing the heavy gate. It swung to the right in a spiral motion. He continued walking, seeing the entrance that would determine his fate.
There were three corridors. Ashien rubbed his chin, thinking in confusion. He believed the middle path was best, so he decided to follow that saying.
It was a phrase he once heard from an old man who shared a strange connection with him.
He walked with slow steps, his back bent slightly to avoid making a sound that would invite monsters to devour him.
In the middle of the extended path, he faced a dead end and two forks, to the right and left.
"Ahh, this is tricky."
Ashien walked along the right path only to meet another dead end. He returned to the fork and took the other path.
There he encountered a Ghoul.
[Creature Stats]
[Ghoul: Level 1, Rank F]
[35/35 HP]
The Ghoul swung its wooden club, lunging at Ashien who stood waiting. Before the Ghoul could strike, Ashien rushed back, pulled out his new sword, and aimed it directly at the Ghoul's heart.
Green blood, matching its pale skin, spilled everywhere. The creature fell to the ground and began shattering like holographic shards.
[The Survivor has slain a low-level Ghoul.]
[Player has gained 13 XP.]
While collecting resources from the Ghoul, Ashien was shoved by an unknown creature. He searched for what had attacked him but found nothing.
Ashien sharpened his eyes, scanning the entire area slowly. He stepped back a few paces, careful not to make a sound.
Then he saw it—a creature lunging at him, jaws wide open, intent on devouring him. Ashien gripped both swords in the instant it attacked.
The beast clamped down with its fangs on one blade. With his other sword, Ashien swung and cut the creature. With a weak but precise strike, he finished the transparent entity.
Black smoke rose from the Phantom Wolf's skin. It truly resembled a ghost.
[Notification]
[The Survivor has slain a Phantom Wolf.]
[1/3 remain.]
Ding~
[The Survivor has acquired the skill "Thief Steps."]
[Duration: Unlimited. The Survivor may activate it at will.]
Ashien smiled as he carried the wolf whose spirit he had claimed. He built a fire and prepared the wolf to cook over gentle flames.
He drove his sword into its flesh from both sides and left it to cook.
While the meat roasted, he moved to a nearby pond and drank the murky water.
[Notification]
[Warning to the Survivor! Poisons have entered your body.]
[1…2…3]
Ding~
[The poison has been neutralized by the Phantom Wolf's secondary ability.]
[You have acquired the skill "Antidote."]
Ashien shook his hands with joy, splashing water in delight.
Afterward, he checked the skills he had obtained through his system window.
[Skills: Thief Steps, Level 1]
[The Survivor can acquire more skills by slaying monsters with rare traits.]
"I'd like to predict what skills I'll get in the future, but for some reason I can't."
[The Survivor has activated Thief Steps.]
Ashien dashed forward three meters instantly and returned to his cooking fire. Sword in hand, he ate the cooked meat. Afterward, he continued his search in the unknown labyrinth for more wolves and their abilities.
He followed their muddy footprints, mixed with a scent like ash.
Ashien rubbed his nose, irritated by the stench invading his senses. While doing so, he felt a foreign aura drawing close.
He stepped back, pulling his sword as the wolf approached silently, ready to bite. Ashien swung at it, but its speed was too great to pierce.
Another wolf circled him. For the first time, Ashien felt real danger.
He sprinted the moment he found an opening between the wolves. While running, his eyes searched for anything he could use.
"If only the labyrinth's floor wasn't pressed against its walls, I would've leapt over its cliffs," he thought.
Prayers didn't leave his lips, hoping he wouldn't face a dead end. Yet fate betrayed him.
After a long stretch, a blocked corridor appeared. Ashien stopped for a moment, turning toward the wolves that were barely perceptible.
They crept closer, step by step, as Ashien's mind strained for a plan.
Then an idea sparked. He smiled, summoning fire and slime.
He threw slime across their path and ignited it with a burst of flame. The crackling noise startled the wolves, giving him a chance to escape.
Ashien relied on his specialty—trickery—and kept running. In the wide labyrinth, he stumbled across a hidden door.
He slipped inside and shut it behind him. Only the wolves' growls and claw scratches echoed faintly outside.
He purchased a torch from the shop, since the darkness left him uneasy.
As the place lit up, Ashien found himself in an abandoned, ancient library. He inspected it, but it contained no entertaining books, only those on the history, culture, and relations of this world.
He took a pair of books, storing them in his system, and continued searching.
Cobwebs and empty crates filled the area. The last box, however, contained an old skill manuscript of forgotten times—rank A.
Ashien's eerie grin returned as he gazed at the aged scroll.
[Eagle Eye, Level 1, Rank A]
[Detect traps, enemy strikes, obstacles, and hidden monsters nearby.]
[Usage limited to six hours.]
"Now how am I supposed to use this?"
[Burn it.]
"You're kidding, right?" Ashien jumped back, scolding the system.
[I summoned you. I know the method.]
"Fine then, you bastard."
Ashien burned the scroll with the torch lighting the room.
After a minute, as the ashes scattered, a strange sensation filled his eyes.
He rubbed them, trying to sense what was new. The system window appeared before him, delivering what he awaited.
[Notification]
[You have acquired the skill: Eagle Eye.]
A wave of desire rose in him to use his new skill, but he held back. It was too precious, and its cooldown was troublesome.
Ashien walked forward in a straight path, looking for a place to rest. He found a chair and sat, but the old wood cracked beneath him, dropping him to the floor.
Crash!
He stood, rubbing his head where it had struck. While doing so, he heard a sound emerging from the darkness.
Ashien sharpened his gaze toward it until he panicked—a Phantom Wolf lunged at him.
"Damn you!"
He raised his sword, blocking its claws and shoving it back with his foot. After throwing the wolf away, he darted toward the shelves full of books.
Using Thief Steps, Ashien vanished from the wolf's senses. While the beast searched for him, its eyes widened as a mountain of books toppled from the wooden shelf above.
The wolf swallowed nervously as its soul departed.
[Notification]
[The Survivor has slain a Phantom Wolf. 2/3 remain.]
Ashien walked toward the crushed body, wiping the sweat off his brow as he panted.
"This is the power of knowledge, you ignorant beast!"
[Notification]
[The Survivor has gained +10% in stamina and speed. This can be doubled by defeating the remaining wolf to gain the same bonus in full.]
[Note: Unlimited usage, activatable at the Survivor's will.]
Ashien approached the entry gate, trying to push it open.
He left the hidden library and continued through the labyrinth toward the exit, despite not knowing where it lay.