"So this is the dungeon. Nobody is around."
Livio looked around the dense forest. There was no one else there—just him.
"Fine, I'll do it. I've kept my sword and the escape stone. This time, I will improve myself."
With determined steps, Livio marched inside the cave.
"Do you know of any dungeons?" Livio's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I know one, but nobody goes there." Athena's face turned pale.
"If it's a high-level dungeon, then why the hell would a beginner in their right mind go there?" Livio asked, confused.
"You idiot, that's not the reason they avoid it," Athena snapped, frustration evident on her face.
"Then explain to me—why the hell do they avoid it?" Livio started tapping the table with his index finger impatiently.
"It's the simplest dungeon in this kingdom. Players assume it's too easy and ignore it. But after skipping it, they head to the next high-level dungeon—only to get themselves killed." Athena placed her hand over Livio's.
The cave started growing darker, and soon, the path ended with a wall.
"What now? How do I activate the mission?" Livio scratched his head.
Suddenly, a screen popped up in front of his eyes.
This dungeon has five levels, with difficulty ranging from 1 to 10.
If your health bar reaches zero, you will die.
You can carry your items inside.
Do you want to enter the dungeon? Yes or No.
"I guess I should click 'Yes' then."
Livio pressed the option.
Immediately, the surroundings shifted—like blocks rearranging themselves. The walls and floor moved in an eerie, mechanical fashion. Within moments, the entire room was consumed by darkness.
"What? I didn't bring any light with me… Should I use the escape stone?"
His forehead was damp with sweat. His throat went dry. His body trembled.
Livio hurriedly opened his inventory, and the faint glow from it gave him a little visibility.
"Nothing is here.....… Who knows what's lurking? Should I just escape?"
His heart skipped a beat as a loud thud echoed through the chamber.
Torches lining the walls suddenly burst into flames, illuminating the vast, circular room.
There were no doors. No exits.
"What now? I guess I should get ready."
Livio pulled out his katana and unsheathed it.
A sound came from behind him. He turned quickly....only to see a rabbit.
"Wait….... That thing wasn't there before. How did it get here?"
Livio sighed, sheathed his sword, and dismissed his inventory.
The rabbit flinched at the sight of him. But then, more rabbits began falling from the pitch-black ceiling.
"What.....…? Why are rabbits falling? Am I supposed to fight them?"
At first, they looked like ordinary rabbits, hopping around harmlessly.
"Are these my enemies? Do I really have to...?"
Suddenly, one of the rabbits' mouths split open into four sections, revealing dagger-like teeth—like a grotesque blooming flower.
Before Livio could react, the rabbit lunged at him with terrifying speed.
A sharp pain exploded in his side as the creature's jagged fangs pierced into his flesh.
"What the hell?! That felt like a bunch of knives stabbing me!"
Livio collapsed from the impact, gasping. He tried to adjust to the pain, but another screen popped up in front of him.
Pain Alert: The wound will heal, but the pain will be inflicted as in the real world.
A health bar appeared—and dropped by five points.
"Shit! I forgot!"
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself back up.
"I need to kill these bastards before it gets out of hand."
Livio tightened his grip on his katana as the rabbits slowly surrounded him, their monstrous mouths gaping wide.
One rabbit lunged at him from the front. He swung his sword to cut it down—
But it dodged.
He tried to keep track of it, but another rabbit slammed into his belly with its fanged jaws.
Livio staggered backward, his mouth opening involuntarily as he spat out saliva from the force of the impact.
Gasping, he drove his katana into the ground to steady himself. But before he could react—
A rabbit leaped at his face.
Livio instinctively shut his eyes and screamed.
"Aaaaghhh!!"
The pain was unbearable. He dropped his sword and covered his eyes in reflex.
These creatures weren't human. They were beasts.
Five rabbits slammed into his abdomen simultaneously, sending him crashing into the wall.
He collapsed onto the ground. His health bar dropped to 70.
Adrenaline surged through Livio's veins as he forced his eyes open.
"I can still see…..... but the pain is real. If I don't do something, I'm going to die. My normal reflexes aren't enough—I can't even keep up with them. I have no choice."
Livio activated PBV, covering his entire body with it. But this time, he concentrated 60% of its power into his eyes and spread the remaining across his body.
"I can see them."
His vision sharpened. In slow motion, he saw the rabbits moving toward him.
Livio marked his sword's location in his mind—just behind the horde.
The leading rabbits jumped at his face again. This time, Livio rolled beneath them, dodging the attack.
He sprang up and sprinted toward his katana.
Rabbits from the front lunged at him. Behind him, more were giving chase.
He feinted right to dodge, closing the distance.
But then—a sudden attack from below.
A group of rabbits bit at his legs.
Livio jumped, landing on his palms, then pushed himself back onto his feet, still running toward his sword.
"Iiiicchhhh!!"
A high-pitched screech rang out from behind.
Livio turned to see a rabbit mid-air, jaws wide open—aimed straight at his head.
Reacting fast, he used his momentum to kick the rabbit behind him.
But while he was distracted, more rabbits jumped at him from all directions.
The katana was just behind him now.
Livio slid across the floor toward it, exposing his back in the process.
As he reached out, he grabbed the handle, using the sword to stop his momentum.
"Bring it on, you bastards."
He picked up the katana and took his stance.
Two rabbits attacked from the sides. He dodged forward, then spun back, swinging his blade.
One rabbit's head flew off.
A screen popped up—99 more to go.
"No problem."
Livio dashed forward, slashing left and right.
Two rabbits lunged at him simultaneously. He swung to cut both—
But one rabbit caught the blade in its jaws.
"What the hell?!"
As he struggled to pull it free, two rabbits slammed into his neck.
Livio stumbled but managed to yank the katana free, sending blood spraying.
His health bar appeared—now at 60.
"I can't afford to take any more hits."
Dodging temporarily, Livio thought, Can I make my sword stronger?
Wait—
That could work.
Livio closed his eyes. PBV surged from his body and coated the katana.
"Bring it on."
This time, the rabbits' fangs couldn't stop the blade. Livio cut through them like butter.
"Yes! This is fun!"
He moved like a dancer, slicing through the monstrous creatures.
A rabbit suddenly dropped from the ceiling.
Livio was too focused on the ground ones to notice.
"Watch from above!"
A voice echoed in his head.
Livio reacted instantly, slicing the rabbit in half mid-air.
Level complete. Do you want to move to the next level?
A screen appeared.
"My health… It's not recovering. I guess I have to finish this dungeon with what I have—or find a healing potion, which I don't have."
Livio sat down, staring at his katana.
"What was that voice I heard…?"
Shaking his head, he stood up and pressed the button.
Next level—begin.