Tommy felt the air grow heavier as he approached the entrance to the Chitterbeast Nest. The dark cave yawning ahead seemed to pulse with the promise of danger, the scent of damp stone and the faint buzz of movement coming from deep within. It was the next step in his journey. After the Parasite Dungeon, he had learned so much about fighting without a system, about pushing his limits, but now he was facing something different. The Chitterbeasts were faster, more dangerous. Tommy's heart raced, but he couldn't afford to hesitate.
"Are you sure about this, Glitch?" a voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
Tommy turned to see Clinton, standing just inside the entrance with his usual cocky stance, arms crossed over his chest. "You're no longer grinding the tutorial dungeon. I thought you'd give up by now."
Tommy's hand gripped his sword tighter. He had heard it all before—the mocking, the insults, the name-calling. The word "Glitch" stung, but it was something he had learned to live with. He didn't let Clinton's taunts get to him. Instead, he just nodded and answered, "I'm here to fight"
Clinton snorted, clearly amused by Tommy's persistence. "Yeah, well, don't drag me down." He turned away without waiting for a response, signaling for Tommy to follow him inside the dungeon.
As they stepped into the dimly lit cavern approaching the dungeon portal, Tommy heard footsteps behind him. Another adventurer had arrived, a young girl with bright eyes and a wide grin on her face. She couldn't have been older than fifteen, but her confidence was striking. She was practically bouncing on her toes.
"Are you guys going into the Chitterbeast Nest?" she asked eagerly. "Can I join your party?"
Clinton eyed her with a raised brow, clearly unimpressed. "A kid like you wants to tag along?" he said with a sneer. "This place is no joke. Turn back"
The girl, unfazed by his dismissal, stood a little taller. "I'm Tessy. And I can handle myself, so don't worry about me." She glanced at Tommy, eyes twinkling. "You're The Glitch right? I've heard a lot about you."
Tommy winced internally at the mention of his nickname. "Yeah, that's me," he said, trying not to let it show how much the label stung.
Tessy smiled brightly. "Cool! I read about your fights in the tutorial dungeon. You're not bad."
Clinton rolled his eyes, already walking toward the dungeon's depths. "Whatever. The more the merrier. Just don't get in the way, kid." He didn't wait for a reply before heading deeper and go towards the portal.
Before they could even move, Tommy heard the voices from behind. A small group of adventurers had gathered at the dungeon's entrance, watching them with amusement.
"Look at this," one of them jeered. "The Glitch and his little party of kids. How do you think he'll do against the boss?"
"He'll probably run away like always," another voice chimed in.
"No way he can handle that thing without a system. He's nothing but a joke. A total clown"
Tommy, caught between Tessy's enthusiasm and Clinton's indifference, followed the two of them into the dungeon. The Chitterbeast Nest was unlike the Parasite Dungeon in many ways. The air was cooler, the shadows deeper. The walls of the cave seemed to hum with the sound of movement, and occasionally, Tommy caught glimpses of glowing eyes in the distance.
As they ventured further in, Tommy couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He was used to it by now, but there was something different about this dungeon—something that made his senses tingle. He tightened his grip on his sword, ready for whatever came next.
Suddenly, the first wave of Chitterbeasts emerged from the darkness. Small, quick creatures resembling squirrels with spider legs, their bodies covered in tough chitinous armor. They had many legs and wicked pincers, skittering toward them with alarming speed.
Clinton was the first to react, charging forward with fire balls conjured. "Stay close, and keep up! This will be quick!" he barked, the fire blasting through the air in a flurry of movement. Within moments, several Chitterbeasts had fallen, their bodies crumpling to the floor in a burnt mess of legs and twitching limbs.
Tessy, meanwhile, barely broke a sweat. She raised her hands, and a gust of wind swirled around her, slicing through a cluster of Chitterbeasts with ease. They didn't even get close enough to touch her before being shredded apart by the force of the wind. She smiled as she twirled in place, almost like she was dancing through the fight.
"This is easy," she giggled, effortlessly dispatching another Chitterbeast with a gust of air.
Tommy hesitated for a moment, but the Chitterbeasts didn't wait for him to decide. Two of them lunged at him from opposite directions, their pincers snapping in the air.
He moved quickly, sidestepping the first one, but the second one came at him fast. Tommy's sword cut through the air, narrowly missing as the creature darted to the side. He tried again, this time connecting with its side, but the beast didn't go down immediately.
"Come on, Glitch," Clinton shouted over his shoulder as he cleaved through a dozen Chitterbeasts with his flames. "You've got to do better than that. This isn't a sightseeing trip."
Tommy gritted his teeth, frustration rising in his chest. Clinton's taunts only pushed him harder. He focused, blocking the next strike and retaliating with a more powerful swing. The creature's tough exoskeleton cracked under the force of the blow, and it crumpled to the ground.
He moved on to the next one, more determined now, using the momentum from his previous strike. Tommy felt his mana swirling inside him, pulsing through his body. He didn't understand it completely yet, but he knew how to use it—to focus it into his muscles, to enhance his strength. The creatures kept coming, but Tommy was finally starting to see the rhythm of their attacks.
It was then that Tommy realized something important. He wasn't just reacting to the Chitterbeasts—he was learning their patterns. The way they moved, the way they attacked—it was predictable. The first strike was always a feint, followed by a quick snap with their pincers. Once he figured that out, dodging became second nature.
"Nice work, Glitch," Tessy called out, impressed as she finished off the last of the Chitterbeasts in her immediate vicinity. She turned and gave Tommy an encouraging smile.
"Thanks," Tommy muttered, his breath coming in short gasps. He had fought hard, but his muscles were burning from the strain. It was nothing compared to the constant mocking he had received, but it was still a reminder of how far he had to go.
As they pressed deeper into the dungeon, Clinton's voice broke through the silence again, filled with irritation. "Seriously, how does he keep going like that? No system, no power-ups. What's the deal, Glitch?" He glanced back at Tommy, his gaze skeptical.
Tommy ignored him, focusing instead on the path ahead. He wasn't here to answer questions; he was here to survive. And right now, survival was looking more like a challenge than ever.
They reached the heart of the dungeon. The air felt heavier here, as if the very stone was holding its breath.
And then, in the distance, Tommy saw it—the Chitterbeast Queen, the boss of this dungeon. It was massive, its chitinous body gleaming in the dim light, and its eyes glowed with an intelligent malice. It let out a low, guttural growl, shaking the walls of the cave.
Tommy clenched his fists but said nothing. He had heard it all before, but today, it didn't matter. Today, he was going to prove them wrong.
With one final look at his teammates, he stepped forward into the heart of the dungeon, ready to face whatever came next.