The fifth floor was a scorching desert, its dunes stretching endlessly under the blazing sun. Sung Jihoon pushed forward, his body tense as he navigated the hostile environment. Massive scorpions, the size of trucks, lurked beneath the sand, their armored tails poised to strike with venom that could melt metal. Their pincers, equally enormous, snapped menacingly as they moved with a surprising swiftness for their size.
Equally intimidating were the giant armadillos, also the size of trucks, their hardened shells like natural tanks. They barreled across the sands, rolling at breakneck speeds, their heavy armor deflecting most attacks. Jihoon quickly realized that brute strength alone wouldn't work—he'd have to time his strikes perfectly, waiting for the vulnerable underbelly to expose itself before he could land a fatal blow with his Hell's Dagger.
Above, vultures the size of helicopters circled, their shadows sweeping across the dunes like the harbingers of death. They soared in and out of view, their beady eyes tracking Jihoon's every move, ready to swoop down and tear him apart with razor-sharp talons.
The heat of the desert was oppressive, and the constant attacks from these massive creatures made every step feel like a marathon. Jihoon's cloak flapped in the hot wind as he activated the Cloak of Infinity. One of the scorpions lunged, its tail striking toward him, but suddenly, it was as if the creature had been pushed back by an unseen force. Though only ten seconds, it felt like an eternity to Jihoon, watching the massive beast struggle to close the distance. Yet the more it tried, the further it seemed to get from him.
Taking advantage of the moment, Jihoon surged forward, dodging the tail and plunging Hell's Dagger into the scorpion's exposed underbelly. The burning effect of the dagger vaporized the creature from the inside out, leaving a steaming husk in its place.
The vultures dove down with terrifying speed, but Jihoon used the same tactic, luring them in before unleashing precise strikes. Each vulture fell, their enormous wings crashing to the ground like thunder, leaving a cloud of sand in their wake.
The armadillos proved tougher, their rolling attacks forcing Jihoon to leap and dodge constantly. But when they overextended themselves in their attacks, Jihoon would strike with deadly precision, Hell's Dagger piercing through weak spots, burning them alive from within.
With each kill, his achievement points stacked up, and Jihoon felt his strength growing.
However, As more of the desert's monstrous inhabitants rushed toward him, Jihoon quickly realized that his initial strategy wasn't sustainable. The Hell's Dagger had served him well, its burning effect devastating the massive scorpions and armadillos, but the sheer number of enemies and the oppressive desert heat were taking their toll.
Each swing of the dagger drained his energy, and the desert's relentless sun beat down on him, sapping his stamina even faster. His mana reserves were also dwindling. He had used Snowstorm, the ability he had absorbed earlier, to temporarily change the climate around him. Icy winds and snowflakes swirled in an isolated pocket, cooling his overheated body and slowing down his enemies. But he could feel it—this strategy was temporary. The snowstorm was fading faster than he had hoped. The oppressive heat would soon reclaim the land, melting away the cooling effect and returning everything to its blistering state.
Panting heavily, Jihoon made a tactical decision. He couldn't keep fighting like this, not under the relentless sun. He looked around and spotted a cave entrance in the distance. With no time to waste, he sheathed Hell's Dagger and bolted toward the cave, dodging the scorpion's snapping pincers and the armadillos' rolling charges.
Once inside the cave, he leaned against the cool stone wall, finally able to catch his breath. The drop in temperature was a welcome relief, and for the first time in hours, Jihoon felt like he could think clearly. He wiped the sweat from his brow, the cool air inside the cave already helping to regulate his body temperature.
He had heard stories about the desert floor in his previous life—rumors passed down by the survivors who had braved the trials. The stories spoke of one undeniable truth: monsters don't move at night. The desert's extreme temperature drop after sunset forced the creatures into hiding.
Jihoon smirked. The night was his advantage.
He sat down in the cave, quietly watching the sun descend behind the dunes. As the sky darkened and the stars emerged, the heat gradually faded, replaced by a chilling cold. He felt his energy returning, and his mana slowly began to recover. But more importantly, he knew that once the night settled in, the desert creatures would cease their relentless pursuit.
Still, he couldn't afford to be careless. There were other dangers lurking in the night, even if the desert monsters stayed dormant. He took the opportunity to check his equipment, sharpening Hell's Dagger and making mental notes of his remaining resources. He couldn't stay in the cave forever—eventually, he would need to face the Desert Worm, the boss of this floor. But for now, patience was his greatest ally.
As the desert cooled and the monsters fell silent, Jihoon emerged from the cave, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. The night was still and eerily calm, and for the first time since stepping onto the fifth floor, Jihoon felt like he didn't have the upper hand.
After night had fully fallen, Jihoon cautiously stepped out of the cave, his senses on high alert. He was met with an unexpected stillness. The once hostile desert was now eerily quiet. The scorpions, armadillos, and vultures that had relentlessly pursued him during the day were nowhere to be seen.
He raised an eyebrow, feeling a growing sense of unease. "Strange," he muttered to himself, recalling the countless hours he had spent studying in school. Scorpions were supposed to be nocturnal, thriving in the coolness of the night. And yet... there was nothing.
Suddenly, he heard a distant sound—a low rumble, like thunder but more ominous. His eyes narrowed as he strained to identify the source. Then it hit him. A massive sandstorm was barreling across the horizon, heading directly for him. The sheer size and force of it were overwhelming.
Jihoon swore under his breath. "Advantageous, my ass!" he cursed, quickly picking up his pace and sprinting across the dunes. The wind began to howl, and the sandstorm moved faster than he expected, consuming the desert in a whirl of dust and sand.
"If I ever see that guy in this life, I'm going to f**k him up!" he growled, clenching his fists as he ran. The promise of safety during the night had been a blatant lie, and now he was forced to deal with the violent chaos of the desert.
The sandstorm roared behind him, threatening to swallow him whole. Jihoon gritted his teeth, pushing his body to its limit. His mind raced as he scanned the desert for cover, knowing that one misstep could mean being buried alive in the swirling sands.
As the storm drew closer, Jihoon cursed again, silently vowing revenge on whoever had spread those misleading stories. This desert had no intention of making things easy for him—day or night.
As the sandstorm loomed ever closer, Jihoon weighed his options. He couldn't go back into the cave—he'd be trapped, suffocating without oxygen as the storm sealed it shut with tons of sand. The fear of being buried alive clawed at him, but facing the storm head-on seemed like madness. Yet, there was something about it, a strange certainty deep in his gut.
If he ran till morning, the scorpions and other creatures of the desert would find him eventually, and in the open, with limited mana, he had no chance against them. The storm, however, was unpredictable—dangerous, yes, but it might provide a sliver of opportunity.
"I can't run from everything," Jihoon muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as the wind began to pick up. "I'm not dying here."
He tightened his grip on Hell's Dagger, the blade still shimmering faintly from the earlier fight. With a deep breath, he turned and sprinted straight toward the heart of the sandstorm, pushing every thought of survival to the forefront of his mind.
The storm hit him like a wall of stone, the force of the wind knocking him back a step. Sand scraped against his skin like a thousand tiny knives, and he could barely see an inch in front of him. But he pressed forward, using the burning aura of Hell's Dagger to cut a narrow path through the dense storm, the heat vaporizing the air just enough to keep him moving.
"Come on… keep moving, keep moving..." he muttered through gritted teeth, forcing one foot in front of the other. Every step felt like he was walking through wet concrete, but retreat wasn't an option. The storm swirled around him like a living thing, growing louder, more furious. The howling winds became a cacophony of angry roars, as if nature itself was testing him.
Just as Jihoon felt like his body was reaching its limit, the storm's intensity began to fluctuate. A strange calmness settled around him as he neared what seemed to be the storm's center. The winds still howled, but they parted ever so slightly, revealing a twisted vortex of sand and darkness in the distance.
Then, a new sound pierced through the storm—a low, rumbling growl.
Jihoon's heart skipped a beat. From out of the swirling sands, a massive form began to emerge. At first, it was just a shadow, but as it approached, Jihoon realized what it was: a monstrous creature, towering above the dunes, its body part of the storm itself.
It was a Desert Worm, a colossal beast the size of a building, its serpentine body undulating through the sands like a ship cutting through water. Its massive jaws, lined with razor-sharp teeth, opened wide as it dove in his direction, ready to devour anything in its path.
"Shit…!" Jihoon cursed as he dodged to the side just in time, feeling the rush of air as the worm passed by him, sending up a wave of sand in its wake. He stumbled, barely catching his balance, but he didn't have time to rest.
The Desert Worm was even more terrifying than Jihoon anticipated, towering like a living skyscraper, its serpentine body coiling through the sand with unsettling grace. The sheer magnitude of it sent a wave of dread through him. The creature's segmented body twisted and stretched high above him, its head like a massive battering ram with rows of serrated teeth gnashing as it came closer.
"Goddamn, it's huge!" Jihoon swore under his breath, feeling the tremors under his feet with each movement the beast made. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to deal with something so massive. There was no way he could take this thing head-on—not in a direct fight, not with his mana so low.
The Desert Worm roared, the sound reverberating through the desert, making the very air shake. It lunged, its massive head crashing down toward Jihoon with destructive force. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed as sand sprayed everywhere.
Hell's Dagger glowed fiercely in his hand, its heat evaporating the sand around him in a narrow circle, but Jihoon knew it wouldn't be enough to kill this thing outright. The worm's body was armored with thick, overlapping plates, tougher than any monster he'd faced so far.
He would need to find a weakness.
The worm let out another terrifying roar, burrowing into the sand and reemerging several feet away, its enormous body creating a whirlpool of sand as it moved. Jihoon barely had time to catch his breath as it surged forward again, jaws wide, teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
Jihoon cursed under his breath, his legs already burning from dodging and running. The only way to beat this thing was to outthink it. He couldn't rely solely on brute strength—he had to be smarter than the beast.
As the worm lunged at him again, Jihoon darted to the side, his mind working frantically. Its size was both its strength and its weakness. If he could bait it into making a mistake, perhaps he could exploit an opening. He remembered what he'd heard about desert worms: they were blind, relying on the vibrations in the sand to track their prey.
That was it. He had to find a way to use that against it.
As the sandstorm roared past Jihoon, he braced himself, expecting nothing more than to be buffeted by the swirling winds and sand. But as the storm settled, revealing the aftermath, something far worse caught his eye. Emerging from the dunes, crawling from hidden burrows and crevices, were the desert scorpions and armadillos. And above, the massive vultures circled ominously in the sky, their predatory eyes locked on him.
Jihoon wiped the sand from his eyes and clenched his fists. "Shit," he muttered, his breath heavy as he took in the looming creatures. It all made sense now—the reason the monsters hadn't come out earlier. They were waiting for the sandstorm to pass, seeking cover until the storm brought them back.
But this was a terrible time for him. The Desert Worm still lurked, recovering from his earlier assault. Its massive body shifted slightly beneath the sand, indicating it was far from defeated. The scorpions and armadillos, each the size of trucks, were closing in, surrounding him in a tightening circle. The vultures above circled lower, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Jihoon's body screamed in exhaustion. He had already used a lot of mana to survive the storm, to battle the worm, and to keep himself alive in this brutal desert. Now, he was facing even more enemies, and his resources—both food and mana—were dwindling fast.
He considered retreating to the cave, but immediately dismissed the idea. He could get trapped, suffocated if the entrance caved in during another storm. Worse yet, the Desert Worm could sense his presence and strike when he least expected it. Running was not an option.
"If I don't kill it now," Jihoon thought, "I don't know when I'll get another chance." He gritted his teeth, his mind racing through possibilities. The Desert Worm was still the most dangerous of them all. If it emerged again at the wrong moment, he would be as good as dead.
The vultures began to dive, their massive forms casting shadows over the sands. The scorpions' tails lashed dangerously, dripping with venom, and the armadillos charged, their armored shells gleaming under the moonlight.
Jihoon quickly summoned Hell's Dagger, its flame flickering to life in his hand. "Let's do this," he muttered, steeling himself for the chaos that was about to unfold.
With the dagger in one hand and his mind set, he dashed toward the closest scorpion, its pincers snapping at him as it lunged forward. Jihoon dodged under its attack and slashed with Hell's Dagger. The creature screeched as the heat from the blade seared through its thick exoskeleton, vaporizing it from the inside out.
No time to rest. Another armadillo charged him, its thick shell deflecting his initial attacks. Jihoon leaped onto its back, jamming the dagger between its armored plates. The beast howled as flames erupted from within, crumbling to the ground in a heap.
But as Jihoon fought, he knew the worm could be reemerging at any second. He couldn't hold out forever against this onslaught. The only way to win was to take down the worm now, before it fully recovered.
As Jihoon fought the other desert monsters while anticipating the return of the desert worm, he felt himself being pushed back with every passing moment. His sluggish movements betrayed the toll of the battle; one of his arms was already broken from a brutal attack by a massive armadillo. Wincing in pain, Jihoon let out a bitter laugh. "Since I might die here," he said, his voice low but resolute, "I might as well use up all I've been saving."
He had accumulated a total of 5,200 achievement points from his previous battles and some of his ongoing struggles in the desert. It was time to put those points to use. Jihoon activated his necromancy ability, summoning dark energy to hold back the advancing desert creatures. He needed a plan, so he quickly activated his second trait, which allowed him to search for something that could give him an edge.
First, he scrolled through the authorities, but it was useless; he couldn't find any authority that could assist him. The least costly option available was a staggering 100,000 achievement points, far beyond his reach.
Next, he turned his attention to skills. While there were several useful abilities listed, he lacked the points necessary to purchase them. The only skills he could afford were disappointing, providing little benefit in his current situation.
Frustrated, Jihoon moved on to the items section, but once again, he found nothing of value. His heart raced as the realization set in: he was running out of options. Just as he was about to lose hope, he navigated to the potions tab.
There, his eyes caught a glimmer of promise: a High-Grade Mana Strengthening Potion and a High-Grade Strength Potion, both priced at 2,500 achievement points each. His pulse quickened. He needed the strength and mana to fight against the monstrous creatures and prepare for the imminent arrival of the desert worm.
In addition, he spotted a Low-Grade Speed Potion for just 200 achievement points. It might not be powerful, but every bit of advantage counted. Without hesitation, he spent 5,200 achievement points, purchasing the two high-grade potions and the low-grade speed potion.
Jihoon quickly drank the potions, feeling a surge of power coursing through him. The mana-strengthening potion expanded his magical reserves, while the strength potion amplified his physical prowess. The low-grade speed potion gave him a burst of agility, allowing him to evade the desert monsters more effectively.
Rejuvenated and filled with newfound energy, Jihoon steeled himself for the battle ahead. He was determined to face the desert
worm, knowing that this was his chance to turn the tide and prove his strength against the relentless monsters of the desert.