A deep roar tore through the mist behind him.
Mo Ling turned and froze.
A massive creature with a bull's head and human body thundered toward him, its hooves shaking the ground with every step.
"Fuck!"
He spun and sprinted the other way.
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[WARNING]
You are being chased by a Dark Minotaur (Rank 1). Survival chance: near zero.
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His heart sank. The pounding of hooves grew louder, each step echoing like a drumbeat of death. The monster closed the distance in seconds, its shadow swallowing him whole.
Mo Ling barely turned before the minotaur's massive hand struck.
"Aaaaagh—!"
The impact sent him flying into a stone wall. Bone cracked; pain flashed white. He slammed into the ground, his shoulder twisted at an unnatural angle.
He tumbled, rolling into a narrow fissure that split open beneath him, falling into an even deeper abyss.
When he finally stopped, everything hurt. Blood leaked from his nose and mouth; every breath was a battle.
"Where… am I?" he gasped, rage flickering in his eyes.
"What's the meaning of this?"
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[NOTICE]
You are in a magical underground cave, known as a Dungeon.
Dungeons form naturally from the remains of extinct creatures , later claimed by stronger species.
Current domain: Dark Minotaurs — darkness and madness affinity. Rank range: 1–5.
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Mo Ling's breathing was shallow, but steady. He looked down the tunnel and saw a faint light at the far end.
Without hesitation, he began crawling, dragging his wounded body with his good arm and legs.
The jagged floor tore at his skin. Every inch forward drew more blood. Above, the minotaur was hammering the surface, trying to reach him. Each strike sent dust and pebbles raining down.
Then came another roar, shrill and furious followed by dozens more echoing through the cavern. The earth trembled with the thunder of hooves.
"How can they respond so fast?"
Fear crept in, but he didn't stop.
He couldn't.
If something powerful enough to shatter the dungeon reached him, it would be over. But fear only sharpened his will.
There was resilience in his eyes the raw instinct to live, to rise above, to sit one day where the Verdant Monarch had sat.
Finally, he reached the light. It spilled from a hole in the rock — a narrow opening that revealed a glowing underground pool. The water shimmered faintly, almost alive.
_______________________________________
[NOTICE]
Natural Source of Origin Essence detected.
This energy enhances growth and advancement across all realms.
Recommendation: Immerse immediately.
_______________________________________
With a final push, Mo Ling dragged himself to the edge and fell headfirst into the pool.
For a moment, nothing happened.
He didn't drown. He didn't even need to breathe.
"What now?"
_______________________________________
[GUIDE]
To absorb Origin Essence, focus inward. Draw it through your pores naturally and without force.
_______________________________________
He closed his eyes. At first, he tried to pull the energy by will alone and failed. Then, he let go.
He imagined breathing it in, slow and calm.
That's when he felt it.
A warmth spreading through his veins. The pain dissolved, replaced by a quiet stillness. His body felt weightless his mind as calm as a still lake.
For the first time since awakening in this strange world, Mo Ling felt alive.
The Origin Essence flowed into him endlessly, mending bone, flesh, and soul. The system's faint chime echoed in his mind.
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[CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING
RANK1]
_______________________________________
What would normally take years of cultivation he achieved in minutes.
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[INFO]
The average amount of time required to reach rank one is 3 years
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Stayed there absorbing the Origin Essence while resisting.
Then the tranquility broke.
A low, ancient growl echoed from the depths of the pool, so deep it felt like the water itself was trembling.
The light dimmed.
The temperature plummeted.
_______________________________________
[WARNING]
A Rank 6 creature has awakened from slumber.
_______________________________________
Mo Ling looked down. Beneath him, the radiant water twisted into darkness. Something vast moved, black and endless.
Then came the mouth.
A colossal head surged upward, eyeless and gaping, devouring light as it came. Before Mo Ling could react, the creature bit his left arm clean off.
Pain arrived too late, he was already flying upward, thrown by the sheer force of its rise.
The surface shattered.
The dungeon exploded.
Minotaurs who had been clawing their way down froze in terror as the ground split apart. The Rank 6 beast burst through the ceiling, consuming everything in its path.
And then silence.
Mo Ling lay amid the wreckage, half-buried in dust, staring up through the gaping hole the creature had left behind.
The world trembled. The air screamed.
_______________________________________
[WARNING]
A Calamity will fall on this land.
_______________________________________
Mo Ling clenched his teeth, blood dripping from his lips.
Even now even one-armed, barely alive there was no fear left in his eyes.
Only defiance.