The dungeon hummed with life—or death. The blue-silver light pulsed faintly, casting jagged shadows across the corridor. Floor Two. Stronger monsters, more traps, more ways to die. I crouched low, knives in hand, every sense on edge. The hum of mana vibrated through the floor beneath me, a warning and a guide.
Outside, the world was chaos. Smoke swirled from burning buildings, thick and black. Fires licked walls and sidewalks, turning concrete to cinders. Screams of humans pierced the air, some running blindly, others already torn apart by monsters. Pools of blood reflected flickering flames, turning the streets into rivers of crimson. The smell of iron, char, and smoke burned in my nostrils. I did not flinch. Observation, calculation, and patience were my weapons. Survival depended on them.
My status screen glimmered in my vision:
Level 3 – Tanya von Degurechaff
HP: 45/45
Strength: 4
Agility: 22
Dexterity: 20
Magic: 23
Endurance: 5
Perception: 16
Still fragile. A single hit from a stronger monster would end me. But the first floor had been a lesson. I had learned to rely on precision, traps, and Mana Sense. Floor Two would demand more.
The corridor ahead twisted and narrowed, faint light glinting off debris. I crouched low, moving silently, listening. A low growl sounded from the shadows, followed by another, then another. Packs of Feral Hounds, slightly larger than the first floor—Level 3 now—sniffed and prowled. Their eyes glowed red in the flickering light.
I crouched behind a toppled pillar, observing. One hound sniffed toward me, then turned its head sharply, signaling the others. They were intelligent enough to hunt together. The small corridor worked to my advantage. I quickly scanned the area: debris, broken furniture, a loose pipe, glass shards, overturned chairs.
I set the first trap. A shard of metal tied to the pipe would swing across the alley. Another trap—glass scattered over a narrow path, hidden beneath smoke and shadows. My fingers danced quickly, preparing a final trap: a barrel filled with debris balanced on a rope over a narrow corridor. The first monster to charge blindly would trigger it.
I crouched low, knives ready, eyes flicking between shadows. The hounds advanced, moving like a pack, sniffing, growling, eyes glowing. The first lunged, stepping on the scattered glass. Its yelp cut through the air. I struck immediately, knives plunging into its exposed throat. It shrieked, blood spraying across walls, floor, and ceiling. The other hounds lunged blindly into my traps. The barrel tipped, crushing one under rubble, snapping limbs and cracking bone. Another tripped over the glass, slicing its paws, blood spraying in thick arcs.
I moved with silent precision. My small frame allowed me to slip between traps and shadows, striking exposed weak points. Blood sprayed across walls, floors, and even myself. The smell of iron and smoke was overpowering, but I did not flinch. Predator's Instinct pulsed, highlighting the eyes and throat of the remaining hound. I plunged my knives, deep, twisting, precise. The creature's shriek ended in a gurgle as it collapsed.
Outside, chaos continued. Fires consumed entire blocks. Smoke choked streets. Humans ran screaming, some tripping into pools of blood, others caught by monsters and torn apart. The sounds of snapping bone, screaming, and fire crackling filled the air. I noted every movement, every opportunity, every hazard. I had no mercy. Only survival.
Another hound approached from the shadows. This one was larger, Level 4. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural red hue. I could feel the mana radiating from it, raw and aggressive. I did not hesitate. The alley narrowed, giving me the advantage. I used the environment: a precarious beam overhead, a barrel filled with debris, and a chemical spill from a broken bottle. The monster charged blindly, triggering the trap. Debris fell, crushing one leg. The chemical spill hissed as the fire from the corridor ignited it. Smoke and blood mixed, choking and blinding it.
I struck from behind, knives flashing. One stab to the throat, another to the eye. Blood sprayed in thick, sticky arcs, sizzling where it touched the chemical spill. The monster collapsed, twitching, convulsing, and finally lying still.
Notifications appeared:
[Monsters Killed: 4 Feral Hounds (Level 3–4)]
EXP gained: 30 → Level Up: Tanya von Degurechaff, Level 4
[Floor Two Kill Streak: 4 monsters]
+3 Agility
+3 Dexterity
+3 Magic
Mana Sense improved: F → E
I wiped blood from my hands and chest. My small body shivered, not from fear but adrenaline. My knives were slick, my clothes stained. Smoke stung my eyes. The air was thick with the smell of iron, chemicals, and fire. The corridor stretched forward, twisting into darkness. Floor Two had already claimed victims outside and inside alike.
Another wave of monsters appeared, hissing and growling. I moved silently, slipping behind shadows, setting traps, and reading their movements with Mana Sense. Every trap triggered with deadly efficiency. Glass shredded paws, metal impaled limbs, chemical spills burned flesh. Screams echoed, blood sprayed, and the floor became a tapestry of chaos, gore, and death.
I crouched in the shadows, knives ready, listening. My heart did not race. My body was fragile, but my mind was alive, calculating every strike, every step, every opportunity. Floor Two was harder, bloodier, more chaotic. But I was alive. I survived. And survival meant opportunity