From investigating a missing person to being stranded on one of the worst levels of a dungeon—
who would've thought things could turn out like this?
I wasn't sure whether to be glad that I was still alive or miserable that I was stuck here.
To be honest, if I ever make it out alive, I'm going to make sure those Valneria bastards pay…
though I'll probably end up dead before that happens.
It was time to stop joking around and get serious.
Rodeao was under a strong sleep spell—one I couldn't dispel.
It was time for my adventurer's instincts to kick in.
The only reason the monsters hadn't raided this place yet was because of the dungeon's mana presence.
But it wouldn't last forever.
In a few hours, it would fade. And then they'd come.
I had to find a way to outmaneuver them and reach a teleportation pod.
For now, I needed resources.
I searched the corpses scattered around the room, checking every pocket and pouch.
Fire crystals, light crystals—anything would do.
But all I found were accessories carved with that same cursed symbol.
Frustration burned inside me, but I kept going.
Finally, I managed to find a single fire crystal. I tucked it into my bag.
The Scarlet Forest was far more dangerous than any other part of the dungeon.
The monsters here weren't just savage—they were intelligent.
They hunted in packs, set traps, even toyed with humans for amusement.
But their intellect also made them exploitable.
Unlike ordinary beasts, these ones showed emotion… fear included.
That meant there was something they feared.
An apex predator.
And if monsters had to hunt one another to survive, that meant we were standing in its domain.
My left hand was burned to a crisp, several ribs shattered, and my right leg throbbed with every step.
I could probably sneak out by lowering my mana presence and staying undetected.
But Rodeao made that impossible.
I couldn't suppress his mana—it would flare, drawing attention.
And I wasn't in any shape to fight.
There was only one tactic left.
To use the scent and hide of a monster to mask us.
A double-edged sword—it could keep some monsters away, but it would also attract others.
I invoked Leap, teleporting a corpse just beyond the edge of the dungeon mana zone—straight into the forest.
Then I watched carefully through mana sight, waiting to see what came for it.
The scent of human flesh worked quickly.
Red Hound Wolves arrived first, followed by Crimson Goblins and a snake-like creature.
They circled the body until something far larger appeared—the real terror of this place.
The dominant predator.
It towered over the others—the Rayland Sheep.
Each step made the ground tremble.
The lesser beasts scattered as it devoured the corpse in one bite.
I knew then—this was the one I needed.
I lured it using the remaining bodies, studying its movement, its blind spots.
When it lunged for the last corpse, I invoked Leap again—teleporting behind its neck—and slit it open in one strike.
The creature fell with a heavy thud, blood pooling beneath it.
I immediately teleported its body back inside the mana-controlled zone.
Without wasting time, I tore through its fur.
The thing I was about to do… the Valneria wouldn't have liked it.
Using the fire crystal, I burned away the blood and impurities, then wrapped Rodeao in the cleaned fur.
I made sure the creature's scent soaked into both of us.
Then, using its blood, I covered my own scent as well.
With Rodeao slung over my shoulder, I stepped out of the mana zone and activated my mana sight, pushing it to its limit.
Every flicker, every movement in the fog—I tracked it.
Avoiding contact was the only way we'd live long enough to find a pod.
The atmosphere was thick and suffocating.
It had been an hour since I left.
The scent tactic worked—so far, no monsters had approached.
My legs screamed to stop, but adrenaline kept me moving.
The potion's effects were fading fast, and pain came flooding back in waves.
I could only hope to find a mana pod soon… before my body gave out completely.
By my calculations, the Scarlet Forest of Death was about a hundred floors deep.
If I ascended or descended far enough, I'd eventually find a teleportation pod.
But the real question was—how much longer could I last?
My eyes burned from overusing mana sight, and my body trembled from exhaustion.
At best, I had five hours left.
Five hours to find the exit.
Five hours before this place claimed me too.