The path narrowed as Aiden ventured deeper.
The torches dwindled until only faint patches of phosphorescent moss glimmered on the damp stone walls. The silence was different here. Not the stillness of an empty cavern, but a tense quiet… as if the dungeon itself was holding its breath.
Aiden's fingers tightened around the goblin cleaver. His vision flickered faintly, threads of causality drifting across his sight like strands of spider silk. They pulsed softly, warning him.
Something waited ahead.
He smirked."So, the dungeon isn't finished with me yet."
The chamber opened without warning. A vast hollow, stalactites dripping moisture, the air heavy with the metallic stench of blood. Corpses of goblins lay scattered, but not by his hand. Their bodies were mangled, torn apart as though something had hunted them for sport.
And in the center of the carnage—
A figure crouched, hunched over a carcass, gnawing with sickening sounds. Its back was broad, its limbs too long, its claws dripping gore. When it lifted its head, eyes glowing red in the darkness, Aiden's breath hitched.
"…That's not in the script."
It wasn't a hobgoblin, nor any creature he remembered from the early arcs of Solo Leveling.
This was something else. An irregular.
The creature's gaze snapped to him, and the chamber vibrated with a guttural roar. Its form blurred as it launched forward, unnaturally fast.
Aiden's eyes flared. Threads burst into view, tangled, chaotic, but there. Cause and effect, written even for this monster.
He plucked.
The ground cracked as a loose stone rose at the exact moment the beast's foot landed. It stumbled—but only for a heartbeat. Its claws sliced through the air, a hair's breadth from Aiden's throat.
Aiden twisted back, heart hammering."…Fast. Too fast."
He tugged again, severing a thread linking the creature's next strike. Its arm spasmed, claw missing him by inches. But the resistance almost dropped him to his knees, the cost gouging at his mind. His vision blurred.
The irregular roared, enraged by the manipulation.
Aiden clicked his tongue.This one's harder. Its threads… heavier. Stronger. As if the dungeon itself wants to keep this thing alive.
He raised the cleaver, forcing himself steady. "Fine then. Let's gamble."
The monster lunged again. Aiden plucked, weaving threads with ruthless precision. One claw missed by a fraction. A stalactite cracked loose above, crashing down. The irregular twisted, but Aiden shifted its footing mid-motion.
The stone crushed its shoulder, bones snapping audibly. The beast shrieked, staggering.
Blood ran down Aiden's nose, his head screaming with pain. He pressed forward regardless, cleaver gleaming. With a final tug, he forced the creature's guard wide open.
The blade sank into its throat.
A violent gurgle filled the cavern as the monster writhed, threads unraveling in a final blaze of light. Then, with one last twitch, it collapsed.
Aiden collapsed to his knees beside it, panting hard. His vision swam, his limbs numb from overuse. He dug a trembling hand into the creature's chest, pulling free a magic core unlike any he had seen before.
It pulsed black and red, its glow unstable, almost alive.
"…Not a normal dungeon spawn," he whispered. "An irregular…? Or maybe the dungeon was adjusting because I interfered."
The core pulsed again, and Aiden felt something stir. The threads around him shimmered sharper, clearer, more vibrant than ever before. The dungeon itself seemed to whisper, threads vibrating in resonance with the crystal.
A grin split his bloodied lips."So that's the reward."
He pocketed the core, leaning against the cavern wall.
If this world truly adapts to my interference… then my advantage isn't just knowledge. It's opportunity. Unwritten encounters, irregular bosses, anomalies born because I shouldn't exist here.
He exhaled slowly, wiping blood from his chin. His thoughts were cold, sharp, measured.
"In other words… the more I pull, the more unpredictable this story becomes."
His eyes gleamed with quiet hunger.
"And I'll make sure every change favors me."