These creatures weren't going to take turns attacking him. They weren't going to wait for him to be ready.
They were going to kill him.
He had to move.
One of the Crawlers lunged again, its jaws snapping open.
Henry reacted. He swung his sword wildly, the blade scraping against its armored shell instead of slicing through. Sparks flew.
The Crawler recoiled, not dead but momentarily stunned.
Henry didn't give it a chance to recover.
He stepped forward, putting all his weight behind his next attack. This time, the blade found a weak spot—the joint where the head connected to the torso.
His sword sank in.
A screech filled the air as the creature convulsed, its body twitching violently before collapsing.
[EXP +10]
One down.
Four to go.
The moment he killed the first one, the rest swarmed.
Henry swung again, but one of them latched onto his leg.
[HP -5]
He stumbled. Another hit slashed across his back.
[HP -5]
Blood dripped down his arm. His vision blurred for a second.
Panic threatened to take over.
No. Focus.
He gritted his teeth and kicked the Crawler off his leg. He swung at the next one, but his form was sloppy—his movements raw, unrefined.
The Crawlers dodged, weaved, and lashed out.
Every time he struck one down, another would land a hit on him.
[HP -5]
[HP -5]
The pain was constant, his body aching, bleeding, shaking.
But he refused to stop.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he slammed his sword into another creature's skull.
[EXP +10]
Three left.
His muscles screamed.
He could barely hold his sword steady.
Another strike—another kill.
[EXP +10]
Two left.
Then, finally—
The last one fell.
[EXP +10]
Henry stumbled back, chest heaving.
His body was a mess—blood dripped from gashes along his arms, legs, and side. His clothes were torn, sticking uncomfortably to his skin.
The pain was real.
This wasn't a game.
But he was still alive.
The air shifted.
A deep, ominous hum vibrated through the dungeon.
Henry forced himself to straighten.
At the far end of the cavern, something moved.
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, wrapped in dark, tattered robes. Its face was hidden beneath a cracked mask, the edges smeared with dried blood.
It held a staff, its bony fingers wrapped around the gnarled wood.
Henry's stomach twisted.
Dungeon Priests.
They weren't like the Crawlers. They used magic.
And judging by the aura surrounding this one—it was about to attack.
Henry barely had time to react before the priest raised its staff.
A pulse of energy surged forward.
Pain exploded through Henry's chest as a force slammed into him, throwing him backward.
[HP -5]
He crashed against the stone floor, coughing violently.
The priest began chanting.
A sickly green glow enveloped its staff.
If that spell finished—he was dead.
Henry pushed himself up.
His body screamed in protest, but he had no choice.
The priest wasn't fast.
But he was.
He forced himself forward, ignoring the way his legs ached.
The priest lifted its staff again—
Henry lunged.
He swung his sword with everything he had left.
The blade cleaved through the priest's torso, cutting deep.
The priest let out a horrible, inhuman shriek.
Then—silence.
[EXP +30]
Henry fell to one knee, his body trembling.
Blood dripped from his wounds. His head throbbed. His throat was dry, torn from heavy breathing.
But he wasn't dead.
He had won.
Then, from behind him—
A low growl.
Henry's stomach dropped.
More monsters.
Dozens of them.
He had no time to think.
The fight wasn't over.
He gripped his sword tighter—and charged.
It was a blur of pain, blood, and raw survival instinct.
Henry fought.
He fought.
And fought.
And fought.
His body moved on its own, sword swinging wildly, barely dodging, barely reacting in time.
[HP -5]
[HP -5]
[HP -5]
His vision darkened at the edges. His arms felt like lead.
But he kept going.
Until—
The last beast fell.
The dungeon fell silent.
Henry stood there, swaying slightly, covered in blood.
His head throbbed. His vision swam. His throat felt like it had been scraped raw.
But he had cleared the first level.
And he was still standing.
Something glowed.
Henry turned, his gaze locking onto the remains of the creatures.
Embedded within their bodies were small, pulsing crystals.
Beast Crystals.
Henry knelt, pulling one free.
As he held it in his palm, a new message appeared.
[Would you like to absorb the Beast Crystal for EXP?]
Henry stared at it.
Then, s
lowly—
He agreed.
A warm energy surged through him as the crystal disintegrated into pure EXP.
[EXP +25]
He grabbed another.
[EXP +25]
And another.
[EXP +25]
By the time he finished, he could feel it,
His EXP was nearing the threshold.
He was on the verge of leveling up.
The beasts charged.
This time, Henry was ready.
His movements weren't perfect—far from it—but compared to before, they were sharper.
He dodged the first swipe. The second. The third.
He ducked low, his sword slicing across a crawler's underbelly.
[EXP +10]
Another beast lunged—
Henry sidestepped, barely avoiding the claw aiming for his throat.
Pain flashed through his shoulder as another beast caught him from the side.
[HP -5]
"Dammit," he hissed, twisting his body to slam his blade into its head.
[EXP +10]
The battle stretched on.
Every movement burned. Every attack drained him.
Blood dripped from his wounds, his breathing grew ragged, but he kept moving.
He had to.
One by one, the beasts fell.
Until—
The final one collapsed.
Henry stood there, panting, drenched in sweat and blood.
For a long moment, the dungeon was silent.
Then,
[All enemies defeated.]
[You have leveled up.]
A sudden surge of warmth rushed through Henry's body. His vision flickered for a moment as a golden light washed over him.
Then, the familiar voice of the System echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! You have reached F2 Rank.]
[All stats increased by +10.]
[HP increased from 100 to 150.]
[New Skill Obtained: Recovery (Lv.1)]
[Recovery (Lv.1): Instantly restores HP and stamina. Boosts healing speed significantly.]
[Skill Points Obtained: +50]