The silence around Kael was thick and heavy, pressing down like a physical weight in the suffocating tunnels of the dungeon. His breath came ragged, clouding faintly in the cold, damp air. The sharp ache in his ribs throbbed relentlessly—a raw reminder of the Carrion Hound's vicious claws. Yet beneath that sting, a subtle warmth pulsed, spreading slowly through his side. The Blood Hunger trait was quietly mending the wound, converting pain into survival.
[Trait Activated: Blood Hunger Lv.1 — Minor wound regeneration in progress.]
Kael flexed his fingers, tasting the coppery tang of blood on his tongue. The glow of the Ascension Code system flickered in his vision, streaming lines of cryptic data and metrics that pulsed in sync with his heartbeat. He was weak. Fragile. But he was alive—and that was a promise the system was determined to keep.
Ahead, the tunnel forked sharply. To the left, darkness yawned like an endless void, swallowing the feeble green glow of the Mana Torches embedded sporadically in the stone. To the right, the corridor gently ascended, faint blue runes pulsing softly along the walls.
[Decision Point: Choose Path]Left — Descend deeper into the abyss. High risk. High reward.Right — Ascension Trail. Safer path with uncertain potential.
The system nudged Kael's instincts, highlighting the safer right path as the recommended choice. The unknown still whispered promises of growth—but the risks of the depths were deadly.
Kael swallowed the ache in his throat and stepped toward the blue-lit passage.
The walls were slick with moisture, the air thick with the stale scent of ancient magic. Residual energy pulsed faintly, trapped and suppressed by wards that etched an unyielding prison.
[Rune Detected: Ancient Ward — Suppresses conventional magic. Vulnerable to light-based attacks and system overrides.]
The crushing realization settled like ice in Kael's gut: his old magic was useless here. This dungeon was a cage not only of stone, but of power—designed to strip him down to raw survival. Yet the Ascension Code was different: adaptive, relentless, insatiable.
Movement flickered in the shadows—a small, gaunt figure darted forward.
[Enemy Detected: Shardling Lv.1 — Agile, weak but dangerous in numbers.]
Kael reacted instinctively, dodging the snapping claws. His dagger flashed, slicing the creature's neck in a swift, brutal strike. It collapsed with a harsh, wet gasp.
[Enemy Defeated: +20 EXP][Level Up! You are now Lv.3]Stat Points +7 | Skill Points +2[Skill Unlocked: System Theft Lv.1]
The system theft skill pulsed in his HUD—a beacon of hope.
He knelt beside the corpse and activated the skill interface. Streams of corrupted data and ethereal energy flowed into his system.
[Skill Acquired: Toxic Claw Lv.1 — Adds poison damage to physical attacks.]
Kael flexed his fingers slowly, sensing the subtle venom coursing through his limbs. Every enemy was now a stepping stone, every kill a lesson etched into his body.
The blue runes ahead brightened, pulsing like a heartbeat. The system's alert chimed sharply.
[Warning: Hostile entity detected nearby.]
Kael's breath caught as a figure emerged from the shadows—a woman cloaked in tattered robes, silver hair shimmering faintly, eyes sharp and unreadable.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded, gripping his dagger tightly.
She smiled faintly, eyes scanning him with a mixture of caution and calculation. "Lira. Trapped here longer than you. You'll need allies if you want to survive."
The system flagged no immediate threat but urged caution.
[System Advice: Proceed with alliance carefully.]
Before Kael could respond, a deafening roar tore through the corridor. A massive beast charged—a Fangborn Terror, jaws dripping venom, muscles coiled for the kill.
[Enemy Detected: Fangborn Terror Lv.5 — Poisonous bite, aggressive combatant.]
The fight exploded into motion. Kael slashed wildly, coating his blade with the toxic venom from Toxic Claw. Lira moved like a shadow, precise and fluid, distracting the beast and slicing its flanks.
The poison took hold slowly, weakening the creature's monstrous strength. Pain tore through Kael's body with every movement, but the system's healing kept him on his feet.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Kael drove his dagger deep into the beast's eye as it lunged.
The creature collapsed, shuddering violently.
[Enemy Defeated: +150 EXP][Level Up! You are now Lv.4]Stat Points +10 | Skill Points +3[Trait Upgraded: Blood Hunger Lv.2 — Accelerated wound regeneration and stamina recovery.]
Panting, Kael's vision shimmered with system data. The battle had pushed him to the edge—and the system acknowledged it with a surge of energy.
Lira gave a nod of approval. "You've got fire. Maybe you're stronger than you look."
Kael wiped sweat and grime from his face, feeling the dull ache in his ribs fade quicker than before. The Ascension Code wasn't just a tool—it was becoming his lifeblood.
[Quest Updated: Form alliance with Lira — Survive and escape together.]
Their eyes locked, a silent agreement forged in the shadowed depths.
"Together," Kael said firmly.
The dungeon stretched endlessly, filled with nightmares and mysteries. But Kael's resolve had hardened. The Ascension Code was growing within him—an unstoppable force born from blood and pain.
No matter the darkness ahead, he would rise.
End of Chapter 2