Luke stood beneath a tree, resting as he gathered his thoughts.
His gaze remained fixed on the ground while he reviewed his inventory.
[Inventory:
Tissue Paper Box: 3
Electric Fence: 1
Mosquito Repellent: 3
Snack Bar: 10
tal Ladder: 1
Pepper Spray: 1
Rope: 20 ters
Wired Spikes: 1
Gray Shell: 1
Magma Tooth: 1
Steel Claws: 1
Camouflaging Cloak: 1
War Drums: 1
Mid-Rank Healing Potions: 3
Low-Rank Healing Potions: 10]
He was prepared, for the most part. The healing potions were ready, and the mid-rank variants were potent enough to regrow a severed arm. Their regenerative power far surpassed that of the low-rank versions.
The latest addition to his arsenal also left him feeling considerably more confident.
Drawing in a slow breath, he turned his thoughts toward the system.
’Am I rushing this? Maybe I should give it more ti?’
[Host, the system may sound rude at tis, but that is rely the host’s paranoia speaking. The system does not bla the host. What happened previously was a rare error on the managent’s part. As for the host’s capabilities, the host appears more than prepared to challenge the second level.]
Luke found himself strangely relieved after hearing that.
Perhaps the system was right. He had been overthinking things.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
"Alright. Transfer."
....
"Tell sothing. Is it truly necessary for you to keep getting in my way?" Roxanne asked, her voice far too calm for soone whose prized pot had just been shattered.
Standing beyond the scattered fragnts was the culprit herself.
Thea.
Crossing her arms, the woman replied, "Maybe it’s your fault for wandering around with that thing everywhere just so people can admire your creation." A sneer tugged at her lips. "What? Since you couldn’t get his attention, you’re trying different thods now?"
Roxanne rolled her eyes.
"Do you genuinely believe I’m that desperate for attention, Thea?"
Thea let out a quiet snicker.
"Why would you be?" she asked before lowering her voice. "After all, aren’t you already getting plenty of attention from a certain young man these days?"
The mont those words left her mouth, Roxanne’s expression changed.
The usual indifference vanished.
Coldness settled into her eyes.
A sharp, suffocating chill radiated from her gaze, causing even Thea’s confidence to waver. The shorter woman’s posture stiffened instinctively.
In a flat, emotionless voice, Roxanne spoke.
"What I do is none of your concern. So be very mindful of your boundaries."
She took a step forward.
"Until now, I haven’t bothered retaliating."
Another step.
"But if I ever decide to, you will lose sothing very precious to you."
Bare feet pressed against the shattered clay. Sharp fragnts bit into her soles, yet she paid them no attention.
Stopping directly before Thea, Roxanne leaned closer and whispered into her ear.
"And that would be your pride."
Her lips curved ever so slightly.
"So be very careful about what you say, okay?"
With those words, Roxanne walked past her.
Blood stained her footsteps, leaving crimson imprints across the ground with every step she took.
Thea remained where she stood, fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her teeth grinding together.
’She didn’t react when it was about our Lord... but the mont I ntioned Luke...’
A cold, malicious glint flickered within her eyes.
Thea wasn’t petty enough to run to their Lord and complain about Roxanne’s behavior or her growing closeness with Luke. No, that would be dull. More importantly, it wouldn’t produce the result she wanted.
If she truly wished to break this woman, to shatter that irritating pride and unwavering confidence, then there was only one path forward.
Take away what she treasured.
A quiet snicker escaped her lips.
"Maybe I’ve been a little too harsh on you, boy," she murmured under her breath.
The smile on her face widened, carrying a distinctly sinister edge.
"The next ti we et, I might let you play around a little more~"
.....
"Haah, here I am," Luke muttered as he stood inside the protective enclosure that separated him from the dungeon itself.
He had been transported to the exact sa spot where his previous attempt had begun.
Even now, he could still make out the faint claw marks left by the giant bear on a tree across from him.
Fortunately, there was no sign of the enormous creature.
For once, he could relax.
Luke sat down and decided to formulate a plan before making any moves.
"Alright. Draw a map."
[Analyzing the area...]
Luke had completely forgotten that the system had never prohibited him from using the Map feature.
The ability allowed him to survey an area spanning nearly thirty kiloters around his location.
With it, navigating the dungeon would beco far easier. He would know where he was going, where resources could be found, and which regions were worth avoiding.
Unless he cleared the first floor, every visit would return him to this sa forest.
The only thing that changed between levels was the difficulty of the creatures inhabiting it.
A few monts later, a translucent map unfolded before his eyes.
His position was marked at the center.
Around him were six notable landmarks.
The first thing he noticed was a cave icon to the west.
The sa cave where he had died.
"Yeah. Definitely not going there."
His gaze shifted elsewhere.
To the northwest lay a region marked as deep forest. The entire northern section was similarly labeled as dense woodland.
Three dangerous directions already.
"Great."
Moving on, he examined the eastern side.
A large body of water appeared there.
Near it, toward the south, another marker caught his attention.
Settlents.
Luke blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What the fuck? Am I actually going to find humans here?"
[Not the kind the host is imagining.]
The system’s response ca imdiately.
[The host should exercise extre caution around them. For safety reasons, the system will designate a boundary zone. Crossing beyond it may cause the host to encounter entities far beyond what should exist on the second level.]
As the words appeared, a wide circle slowly materialized on the map.
Luke stared at it.
Then his eyes narrowed.
If even the system felt the need to warn him this seriously, then whatever lived beyond that boundary was sothing he absolutely did not want to et.
At least not yet.
Alright, he wouldn’t venture too far.
With the boundary marked, he could limit his movents accordingly and avoid unnecessary risks.
Since the circle only extended partially into the northern region, and the western cave was firmly off his list, the northwestern area seed like the most reasonable hunting ground available.
Luke rubbed his chin.
’What was the requirent for this level again?’
[Level 2]
[Objective:
1. Kill Level One Beasts: 0/50
2. Kill Level Two Beasts: 0/3]
[Ti Limit: 6 Hours]
Luke nodded.
Six hours.
That wasn’t exactly a lot of ti.
He couldn’t afford to spend the entire duration creeping around and second-guessing every step.
A little caution was good.
Too much caution would simply waste precious ti.
Once the protective barrier ca down, he would head northwest and start hunting whatever crossed his path.
Grrr...
A low, rumbling growl suddenly echoed through the forest.
Luke froze.
Slowly, almost chanically, he turned his head toward the sound.
Near the sa tree.
The exact sa tree where his previous death had rested.
A massive silhouette erged from the shadows.
A bear.
Another gigantic bear.
For a few seconds, Luke simply stared at it.
Then he stared at the sky.
Then back at the bear.
’Fuck my life.
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