Lucas stared at the blue window, eyes wide.

  He had played games when he was younger. He understood what a quest window implied. But understanding a concept and seeing it floating in front of his eyes were two very different things.

  For a brief moment, he wondered if he was hallucinating. He had heard stories about snake venom doing strange things to the mind, twisting perception, making people see things that weren’t there. Under normal circumstances, he might have believed that explanation.

  Actually, he would have likely believed it - that is, if he hadn’t been seeing blue windows long before the snake ever bit him.

  Maybe Evelyn knows, he thought. Evelyn…

  The idea had barely formed before he turned sharply toward where he had last seen her. The realization hit him all at once. He hadn’t checked on her. He didn’t even know whether she had seen the same dream, or whether the apple had an entirely different effect on her.

  She was on the ground.

  Folded in on herself, trembling faintly. Tears ran down her cheeks, soaking into the ground beneath her face.

  Lucas moved to her immediately, checking her hands and legs first, anything not covered by clothing, searching for signs of a bite. He found nothing. No puncture marks. No swelling.

  He crouched beside her and shook her gently.

  “Evelyn,” he called, voice softer than usual.

  No response. Not even a twitch.

  His jaw clenched. He hesitated for only a second before activating Coward’s Eye, though doubt crept in the moment he did. After its failure with the apple, how could he rely on the information it provided?

  The blue window appeared anyway.

  [

  Name: Evelyn ***

  Race: Human

  Level: ????

  Status: Deep Sleep (Unnatural)

  ]

  How am I supposed to wake her up? Lucas thought as the blue window showing Evelyn’s information faded.

  But the quest window remained in place, as if to remind him that his problem didn’t matter.

  So if I clear three chambers, I can leave. Does that mean I can’t leave without doing it? he thought, frustrated.

  He reread the text one more time. It didn’t have a penalty listed. Nothing that would threaten him with immediate death if he failed the quest. That almost made it worse. If the only way out of this place was through the quest, then failure wouldn’t need a punishment. It would simply trap him here.

  Lucas took a deep breath to clear his mind, forcing the air into his lungs, then let it out slowly.

  His thoughts were still scattered and sluggish. Adrenaline lingered in his system, and whatever the apple had done to him hadn’t fully worn off yet either.

  He closed his eyes and tried focusing on the quest alone.

  It actually gave him some comfort, that is, until his stomach growled, loud enough to make him wince.

  He hadn’t eaten properly in who knew how long. Hunger in a place like this was more than just uncomfortable. It meant weakness. Slower reactions. Mistakes. And mistakes here would get him killed.

  How can I navigate this place without her help?! Lucas thought bitterly as his gaze returned to Evelyn.

  He tried again, shaking her harder this time. Enough that her black hair came loose and fell across her face.

  Still nothing.

  Lucas lowered her back to the ground as gently as he could and brushed the strands of hair away from her face, clearing them from her nose and mouth. In her current state, her hair was probably the least important concern, but he didn’t want to leave her like that.

  Her pale face had grown even paler, almost white. Her eyelids were still wet with tears, and her dried lips trembled faintly. Whatever dream held her was clearly one steeped in sorrow, something that caused her pain.

  Yet there was nothing Lucas could do to help her.

  He forced his gaze away and stood.

  He didn’t like the idea of exploring the dungeon alone, but staying with her wouldn’t change anything. His hunger would only worsen, and if it reached the point where even walking became difficult, fighting would be out of the question.

  But first, he needed his weapon.

  He found his staff right where he had woken up. The gemstone at its head was smeared with dried traces of the snake’s blood. As he picked it up, he cast one last look at the snake and the apple tree, anger tightening his jaw.

  Before leaving he glanced back at Evelyn and briefly considered moving her into the corridor instead of leaving her behind. But he dismissed the idea. He remembered her words that some things were bound to specific chambers and vanished once you left. If that applied here, moving her might prevent her from ever waking up.

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  Was the dream random? A griffin, a spear and… even her… Was it just my mind, or was it this place? He thought as he stepped out of the chamber and into the corridor.

  Even if the dream was nothing more than my imagination going wild, the quest clearly isn’t. It might be given by this dungeon itself, but why would anyone create such a place…

  He stopped in front of another chamber, sealed off from the corridor by a glass-like barrier. Lucas scanned the surface for an inscription, hoping Coward’s Eye might be able to decipher it.

  Eventually, he spotted text etched faintly into the barrier.

  [

  Name: Magical Barrier

  Description: ????

  Tier: ????

  ]

  He wasn’t disappointed. Even before activating the skill, he hadn’t expected it to work. Trying and failing was still better than walking past without trying at all.

  Beyond the barrier, the chamber was modest in size and clearly visible.

  It looked like a cavern carved into the rock. The floor and surrounding walls were made of rough, reddish stone, with boulders scattered throughout the chamber. At its center, a large, bear-like creature scratched its back against one of the rocks. It might have been an actual bear, but with its back turned toward him, Lucas couldn’t be certain.

  He activated Coward’s Eye again.

  [

  Name: Grizzly Bear

  Level: 47

  ]

  Level 47 was far stronger than the level 15 snake he had killed earlier. The fight would be more dangerous, but it also meant more experience points.

  Lucas actually felt relief when he saw how strong the bear was. To him, that made it less likely the chamber hid another trap like the poisonous apple. He couldn’t be certain, but it was enough to remove some of his worries.

  He checked his status and inventory.

  [Spearmanship (Beginner) – Passive Skill. +10% increase to all damage dealt by spear.]

  He didn’t have healing potions, but what he did have was 44/57 XP. That gave him hope. Even if the bear wounded him, as long as he managed to kill it, leveling up would restore his injuries. All he needed was 13 more points.

  Lucas scanned the chamber one last time, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. He even checked the ceiling, every wall, every corner. He found nothing out of place.

  The bear was still scratching its back when Lucas stepped inside. That distraction was the main reason he moved immediately. He wanted to close the distance before it noticed him.

  He charged, running as fast as he could, his boots striking loudly against the stone floor. The chamber was damp and cold, and the sharp ammonia stench of urine burned his nose. Even so, Lucas’s gray eyes stayed locked on the bear’s dark brown back.

  Despite the noise, the bear reacted too late. By the time it began to turn, Lucas was already in range.

  He leapt forward, driving the tip of his staff into the beast’s side while it was still half-turned. He felt the resistance give beneath his hands, then the dull impact of bone beneath the skin.

  The bear roared and swung a massive paw at him. It missed. Lucas was dragged sideways instead, still gripping the shaft as the staff remained lodged in the creature’s body.

  The bear roared again as the wound widened. Blood burst free as Lucas tore the staff loose.

  The gemstone was completely red now.

  [Successfully poisoned Grizzly Bear! Strength, Dexterity, and Agility reduced by 40%. Duration: 60 seconds]

  What? Lucas froze fraction of a second. Then he remembered the stains on the gemstone. The snake’s venom…

  The bear didn’t give him time to think. Even poisoned, it charged. Its movements were clearly slower now, its steps heavy.

  Still, Lucas didn’t lower his guard.

  I only have sixty seconds. He reminded himself as he backed away carefully, waiting.

  The opening came when the bear rose onto its hind legs and lunged.

  Lucas dove to the right and thrust upward, aiming for the neck from below.

  He misjudged the reach.

  The bear’s claws caught his leg from the knee down, tearing through leather as if it were cloth. Four deep, brutal gashes opened at once.

  Lucas grunted, but his strike landed.

  The beast choked on its roar as the staff punched through its neck, the gemstone bursting out the far side.

  [Successfully poisoned Grizzly Bear! Strength, Dexterity, and Agility reduced by 40%. Duration: 60 seconds]

  The bear stumbled and fell, but its eyes grew even more feral. It forced itself upright, blood spraying from its neck like a fountain. It took a slow, heavy step toward Lucas, who scraped against the stone floor, trying to drag himself away. Every movement came with ragged breaths and sharp flashes of pain, a thick trail of blood smeared behind him.

  The wound to his leg was far worse than he had hoped.

  “Die, you bastard,” he shouted, glaring back at the beast.

  The bear tried to charge him, but its legs gave out. It crashed to the ground instead. It was clearly the poison taking effect, rather than the blood loss.

  I don’t have much time. Lucas realized and reached toward his pouch - his fingers froze when a roar came from his left.

  Another grizzly was charging at him. Smaller than the first, but fast.

  Lucas’s eyes widened. His mouth went dry.

  Still, he didn’t panic.

  He plunged his hand into his pouch and tore out a scroll, breaking its seal without hesitation. A surge of unfamiliar energy rushed through him, and instinct guided him as he directed it toward the charging beast.

  A fireball formed in midair, the space around it warping. Then it launched forward and slammed into the grizzly.

  The creature didn’t even have time to react.

  It all happened in less than two seconds. But in Lucas’s mind, it stretched on endlessly. The world seemed to pause, and when it resumed, the bear lay motionless on the ground, its body charred and smoking.

  [You’ve gained 10 Experience Points!]

  Lucas snapped his head back toward the first bear. It was no longer moving. Its body lay in a spreading pool of blood, dulled eyes still locked on him - until they finally turned milky white.

  [You’ve gained 10 Experience Points!]

  [You’ve leveled up!]

  Lucas breathed out heavily as a green sheen washed over him and his leg began to heal. The mending of torn flesh came with a burning sensation, but the simple knowledge that he had escaped death dulled the pain.

  The entire battle had lasted less than a minute. Twice in that time, Lucas had nearly died.

  If not for the poison and the scroll, I’d be dead… he thought, lips pressed into a thin line.

  The lesser fireball scroll had been the real reason he’d dared to enter the chamber. The trump card in his pouch had given him the confidence to take the risk, the assurance that he could survive even if things went wrong.

  Now it was gone.

  Lucas was still stuck in that strange mix of relief and disappointment when he heard it - a sound like a dormant mechanism grinding back to life. A moment later, a silver light descended from the ceiling, settling at the center of the chamber.

  The next chapter on Saturday!

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