The Crimson Crawler turned its beady, black eyes toward him. Its mandibles clicked, tasting the air, seeking the scent of blood.
Dante stood motionless, his breath steady. For the first time, he wasn't afraid.
The Phantom Blade flickered in his grip, an ethereal weapon that pulsed with cold, spectral light. It felt weightless yet absolute, an extension of his will. He tightened his hold. Time to see what it could do.
The Crawler lunged.
Dante moved.
His body reacted faster than his mind, his instincts heightened by years of surviving torment. He sidestepped, barely a blur in the dim cavern. The creature's mandibles snapped at empty air. Before it could recover, Dante struck—
The Phantom Blade sliced through the monster's armored shell like mist through morning air.
The creature screeched, its body spasming as the blade phased through its defenses, cutting deep into its core. It reared back, limbs curling inward as blood spurted from a wound it couldn't even comprehend.
It collapsed.
Dante exhaled, stepping over the corpse. A prompt appeared in his vision:
You have slain a Crimson Crawler.
Select your reward:
[1] Venomous Mandibles – Gain the ability to secrete deadly venom.
[2] Enhanced Carapace – Hardened skin resistant to physical attacks.
[3] Predator's Instinct – Heightened awareness of enemy weak points.
[4] +3 Years Lifespan.
His eyes skimmed the options. He didn't hesitate.
Predator's Instinct.
A pulse of knowledge settled into his mind. He turned his gaze toward the dungeon walls, the flickering torches, the corpses littering the ground. Weak points. Vulnerabilities. It was as if the world had shifted, revealing layers he had never seen before.
More monsters lurked deeper within the cave, some retreating, some still feasting. But he wasn't interested in them.
His task wasn't done yet.
He glanced at Gareth's corpse. The Crimson Crawler had left little behind. The body was mangled beyond recognition, entrails strewn across the stone floor. Good. That meant no one would question what had really happened.
No one would know Dante had killed him.
But the others…
They were still alive.
Dante took a slow breath. If they survived and reported what happened, questions would arise. People would investigate.
He needed to make sure the story went his way.
With a final glance at Gareth's remains, he turned and walked deeper into the dungeon, toward the other students.
It was time to finish what he started.