“This is the third chamber…” Lucas grunted, his jaw clenched tightly.

  He had already entered and exited two chambers, retreating the moment he realized the enemies inside were far too strong for him.

  Without Evelyn, he had run into a problem he hadn’t properly considered when he chose to stay - he couldn’t read the script. Without knowing what was inside a chamber, any entrance with an opaque barrier was too risky. He couldn’t afford to step into a chamber that theoretically might not have an exit at all. But even the ones with a transparent barrier had proven to be out of his league.

  Only now did Lucas realize that all the chambers he had cleared so far in this dungeon had been the easiest ones.

  “I’ve wasted too much time. And I can’t stay too long or Evelyn will get suspicious,” he muttered as he scanned the thin forest and the softly flowing river ahead.

  In truth, he felt guilty. He had no idea how Qalda, Gio, or Felix were doing. He and Evelyn had only confirmed that they weren’t in this dungeon - or at least not in the corridor. What if they were in danger? What if they needed his help?

  Realizing how absurd his thoughts were, Lucas pushed them aside. Just because he had managed to slay goblins and bears didn’t mean he had forgotten the gap between his strength and that of the other Unbowed. If Gio and Qalda were unable to defeat the foe, what would Lucas’s presence change…

  He needed to grow stronger if he wanted to help in ways more meaningful than serving as a distraction.

  He moved slowly toward the river, keeping an eye on the exit to ensure he wasn’t venturing too far.

  Earlier, emboldened by his recent success, he had done exactly that and nearly died to a swarm of ostrich-like beasts that Coward’s Eye had identified as Silver Rank monsters.

  But this chamber looked peaceful.

  Far too peaceful.

  As Lucas focused on the trees and the riverbank, his vision sharpened. Time slowed, and even the sound of the flowing water shifted, as though thickened and stretched.

  As his gaze swept along the shore, he suddenly noticed them.

  Two golden eyes fixed on him.

  The creature remained hidden in the shadows of a tall bush. Only those eyes, and the faint yellow glow at the tips of its ears, were visible.

  Lucas gulped.

  If he hadn’t activated Eagle Eye, he would never have noticed it. And even if he had noticed it later, it would have been too late.

  Coward’s Eye.

  [

  Name: Tharuun

  Description: A swift and nimble predator that prefers ambushing its prey.

  Rank: Silver

  Resistances: Darkness

  Weaknesses: Fire, Light

  ]

  After reading the information, Lucas didn’t even bother forming a plan to hunt it.

  The Tharuun’s eyes and ears resembled a cat’s. Judging by the height of the bush it had chosen for cover and the level at which its eyes reached, Lucas had no doubt it was taller than he was. A catlike predator, fast on its feet and larger than him…

  He knew immediately he stood no chance.

  He could have tried firing arrows from a distance, but to have any real opportunity, he would have needed to move closer. And if the first arrow failed to kill it, or at least wound it badly, he wouldn’t have made it to the exit.

  Lucas began stepping backward, his eyes fixed on the creature, which also stared back without blinking. That continued until he retreated a few more steps and the Tharuun seemed to decide he would not get any closer.

  The beast suddenly leapt.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  In that instant, it proved Lucas’s suspicion about its size. Its body was massive and muscular, covered in short, dark fur, with golden runes pulsing faintly beneath it.

  Recognizing the absurdity of trying to wound it with a spear or a bow, Lucas turned and ran.

  He sprinted toward the exit, glancing over his shoulder to gauge the distance between them.

  The gap, which had been more than a hundred meters, shrank to barely two dozen in less than ten seconds.

  Fortunately, Lucas had not strayed far from the entrance. He threw himself through the magical barrier just as the beast’s claws scraped against it.

  He had barely survived yet another chamber.

  Lucas slumped to the ground and leaned his back against the cold stone of the corridor. His body trembled from the rush of adrenaline, his heart pounding hard.

  Three chambers. He had tried three without Evelyn, and all of them had contained monsters far beyond his level. Maybe it was time to accept reality and leave the dungeon.

  He took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth, forcing his breathing to steady. It was one of the few exercises his father had taught him. When Lucas had been a little boy, his father would train with him in the living room. He would grab two pillows, hold one in each hand, and tell Lucas to strike them with his fists or feet.

  His father hadn’t known kickboxing either. He simply enjoyed spending time with his son. While his wife clearly preferred when he taught Lucas sculpting, the man believed rougher activities from time to time were necessary to shape him into a proper man.

  A small smile formed on Lucas’s face as the memories surfaced.

  Slowly, his smile faded, replaced by resolve in his eyes.

  No, he couldn’t leave without achieving something, not without trying one more time. And if even that chamber proved impossible to clear, then he would accept his limits and leave the dungeon.

  Lucas rose to his feet slowly and stretched his muscles. Wasting time was not an option. Not just because of Evelyn, but because he feared he had gone too long without clearing a chamber. What if the entrances opened and the monsters began roaming the corridor freely?

  He walked down the corridor, searching for his next challenge. The first transparent barrier revealed a chamber filled with blazing fire - something he had no intention of testing - so he kept walking.

  Then he finally found one that looked normal.

  As Lucas stepped through the magical barrier, the air changed instantly. It smelled of dry earth, as though all moisture had been stripped away. He swallowed instinctively.

  The chamber was a vast circular clearing. Two enormous trees stood on opposite sides, their trunks thick and dark, their branches spreading only at the very top. The ground was red stone, cracked and dry. A few tumbleweeds rolled across it whenever the wind blew.

  Lucas scanned the area. He even used Coward’s Eye on the trees.

  Everything appeared normal.

  Everything except the three open caverns carved into three different sides of the chamber.

  Lucas did not dare move deeper to inspect them. Each cavern was large enough to fit almost any monster. The lack of information and his worry that he might encounter a creature far stronger than him forced him to be extra careful.

  As if sensing his hesitation, blue windows flashed before his eyes.

  [Clear all three waves to complete the trial]

  [First wave condition: defeat the beast]

  Three waves.

  Three unknowns.

  It didn’t matter what the first trial was. Lucas had no intention of gambling his life. Even if he managed to defeat the first creature, he had no idea what would emerge next. And what if, by the time the second monster appeared, he was too far from the entrance? Or worse, what if the terrain itself changed?

  In this dungeon, everything felt possible. Once again, Lucas was reminded just how invaluable Evelyn’s information had been.

  Without wasting another second, he turned and sprinted toward the exit.

  Just as he reached the magical barrier and tried to pass through it, another blue window appeared.

  [You have retreated from 3 chambers consecutively without clearing any of them. Retreat disabled until the chamber is cleared.]

  Lucas’s eyes widened. For a brief moment, his hearing dulled and his thoughts stalled under the shock.

  Then he heard it.

  Hooves striking stone.

  He turned sharply and saw a massive boar standing near one of the caverns.

  It was easily twice the size of a normal wild boar. Its shoulders rose nearly to Lucas’s chest. Thick cords of muscle shifted beneath its dark hide that looked thick enough to deflect a blade. Its tusks curved forward, chipped at the edges from repeated impact. Scars decorated its hide, old wounds that had healed poorly and left the skin hardened.

  Its small eyes were now fixed on Lucas as it lowered its head slightly.

  The beast was clearly getting ready to charge when Lucas used Coward’s Eye on it.

  [

  Name: Boar

  Description: A territorial beast that charges anything that enters its domain.

  Rank: Bronze

  Resistances: Physical Damage (High)

  Weaknesses: Mobility, Mental Capacity

  ]

  Despite the danger and the urgency of the situation, Lucas’s mind remained calm as he assessed the information.

  It was Bronze Rank. And that meant he could kill it.

  The next chapter on Tuesday!

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