The hunger came back stronger than before.
It didn't creep this time... it screamed. A twisting, stabbing knot in his gut that made him curl over and bite his lip until it bled.
He had felt hunger before. The kind that came from skipping a meal, or going to sleep with only stale bread. But this was deeper. Wilder. His body was beginning to cannibalize itself for energy.
And the dungeon gave nothing.
No fruit. No roots. No stale bread.
Nothing to chew. Nothing to drink.
Just silence. Stone. And the echo of his own ragged breathing.
He sat still for a while, trying not to move too much. Even shifting his legs made the ache flare. The mana inside him had recovered, yes... but the rest of him was falling apart.
The screen didn't come back on its own this time.
So he summoned it.
[STATUS]
🧍 Name: Thane
🧬 Race: Human
🌍 Origin: Unknown Plane
❤️ Vitality: 4
💪 Strength: 3
⚡ Agility: 5
🧠 Intelligence: 6
🔥 Mana: 3 (30/30)
🔁 Passive: Law of Absolute Repetition (Active)
🎒 Skills:
[Firebolt – Untrained] (Mana Cost: 10)
📈 Level: 1
🧪 EXP: 18 / 100
He stared at the numbers.
None had changed.
He had rested. Mana had returned. But that was it.
He needed to cast again... to repeat. He understood that now. But he also understood what it would cost. Just three casts would empty him. And last time, that nearly killed him.
So he waited.
He listened.
He watched the faint pulses of light in the walls, the strange roots twitching like veins. He tracked every sound, every breeze, every tiny pebble that fell in the distance.
Then he stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
He moved further down the tunnel, his bare feet slapping gently against the stone. The air grew denser the deeper he went. Like the dungeon didn't want him moving forward. Like it knew.
He didn't care.
If there was no way up... he would go forward.
If there was no food... he would burn until there was.
Minutes passed.
Maybe hours.
The dungeon stretched onward in an uneven path, leading him into a wider chamber at last. It was tall here. The ceiling arched far overhead. The faint glow from fungus veins gave the place a dull blue shimmer.
But there was something else.
Movement.
Thane dropped low and pressed his back to the wall. He listened.
A shuffle.
Then a low gurgling groan.
It came from the other end of the room.
Another beast.
Not like the last one. This one was smaller. Four-limbed. Humanoid... in the most grotesque way. Pale gray skin. Twisted limbs. Blank eyes. And claws.
It was gnawing on something.
A bone. Maybe from a goblin. Maybe not.
It hadn't seen him yet.
He swallowed hard.
His hand rose.
Firebolt.
He didn't cast it.
Not yet.
He looked at the mana bar floating at the bottom of the screen.
Three casts.
One to learn. One to adjust. One to kill.
If he failed... he would pass out again. But this time, he wouldn't wake up in silence. Not with something that looked like that nearby.
He moved behind a broken stone pillar, keeping low, feet quiet.
He needed distance.
And time.
He waited until the creature turned away... then he extended his hand, took a breath, and whispered it.
"Firebolt."
A spark flickered.
Mana drained. Down to 20.
The flame shot forward and struck the far wall with a crack of heat.
The creature jolted and spun. Snarled. It wasn't smart, but it wasn't blind either. It sniffed the air. Drool ran from its jaw.
Thane stood.
His heart raced.
He held his hand higher.
"Firebolt."
Second shot. This time, the fire flew straighter. Hotter.
It hit the creature's shoulder. The thing howled and spun, flailing against the wall as smoke rose from its skin.
But it didn't die.
It charged.
Thane didn't hesitate.
"Firebolt!"
The third blast burst from his palm and struck the creature center mass. It collided with the flame mid-sprint and fell hard, skidding across the stone.
Smoke filled the air.
The creature didn't rise.
Thane stared at it, shaking.
Then...
[+12 EXP]
The screen flashed once.
His hand dropped.
He fell to his knees.
But this time... he stayed conscious.
Barely.
The mana bar read 0/30. He had nothing left.
But the beast was dead.
And he was alive.
He crawled to the wall, collapsed against it, and breathed through the ache in his limbs.
Twelve experience.
It wasn't much.
But it was more than nothing.
He smiled weakly.
Not because he was proud.
But because this world didn't hand him anything...
And yet, it still gave... just a little... when he took it by force.