Chapter Eleven
The world shifted.
Kisame blinked—and the school's sunlight vanished.
He stood in a chamber built of dark stone bricks, the air cool and heavy with the scent of dust and damp rock. Torches lined the walls at uneven intervals, their flames flickering weakly but stubbornly against the darkness. Shadows stretched and twisted across the floor, moving with every flicker of fire.
"…Interesting," Kisame murmured.
To his right, a narrow staircase descended deeper underground. The torches above cast pale pools of light down the steps, illuminating the rough stone while leaving the corners drowned in shadow. Each footstep echoed faintly, amplifying the oppressive silence of the dungeon.
Above the chamber, carved into the stone, faint letters glimmered in the torchlight:
SAFE ZONE
Kisame descended the stairs cautiously. At the bottom, a soft blue aura shimmered across the floor, calm and unmoving. It marked the boundary of the safe zone.
Beyond it… danger waited.
He tightened his grip on the sword, eyes scanning the dim walls, the flickering shadows, the faint runes etched into the bricks. Every movement of torchlight seemed to suggest something lurking just beyond sight.
One step forward—and safety would end.
Kisame inhaled deeply, steadying his breath, then stepped past the blue aura.
The safe zone ended.
And the dungeon began.
He advanced a few steps, guard raised.
Then—
Footsteps.
Not his.
They echoed faintly from somewhere ahead.
Kisame froze, tightening his grip on the sword. The footsteps grew faster, closer—no longer cautious, but rushing.
He activated his skill.
Hunter's Awareness.
The world exploded with information.
Three hostile presences surged toward him.
His instincts screamed.
Kisame dodged just as something lunged at where his head had been. He twisted his body and finally saw it.
"A wolf…?" he muttered in confusion.
It wasn't a normal wolf.
Its body was darker, its eyes glowing faintly. A single horn jutted from its forehead, and a black aura clung to its fur like smoke.
Two more wolves followed immediately.
Kisame dodged the second and third attacks narrowly, stone scattering beneath his feet. His heart pounded, but his mind stayed sharp.
The moment one of the wolves leaped—
Flash Step.
Kisame vanished in a blur and reappeared beside it, slicing cleanly through its neck.
Quest Complete: First Blood.
The remaining wolves didn't hesitate.
They attacked together.
Kisame dodged again using Flash Step, his movements precise. His strategy was working.
He used it once more—
But this time, he made a mistake.
Instead of a clean slash, his sword stabbed deep into the wolf's body.
The blade stuck.
"Tch—!"
Before he could pull it free, the third wolf slammed into him, knocking him backward. He crashed onto the stone floor, pain exploding through his shoulder.
Blood flowed.
"Damn it," Kisame grunted.
Most would panic.
Kisame didn't.
Still on the ground, he activated his newest skill.
Beast Tamer.
A black magic circle spread beneath the wolf's feet. Chains burst forth from the darkness, wrapping tightly around the creature and dragging it down.
Instant agony struck Kisame's head.
His vision blurred.
This wasn't a physical battle.
It was a battle of will.
The wolf struggled violently, its strength resisting the chains.
If he lost—
he would die.
Kisame clenched his teeth, forcing his will forward.
Seconds felt like hours.
Then—
The resistance shattered.
The wolf was dragged fully into the black aura, swallowed whole. The circle vanished as if it had never existed.
"Hah… hah…" Kisame breathed heavily. "That was… difficult."
He checked his system.
Health: 86 / 100
Mana: 06 / 15
He quickly drank his recovery potion.
A warm sensation spread through his body. A faint green aura wrapped around his injured shoulder as flesh knit itself back together.
His health and mana climbed rapidly.
Standing up, Kisame retrieved his sword from the fallen wolf.
A system prompt appeared.
Extract Items?
He confirmed.
The items vanished into storage.
Obtained:
Umbra Coat
Umbra Meat
Umbra Horn
Another notification followed.
New Function Unlocked: Monster Summoning Available
Kisame continued deeper.
At one point, he was surrounded by five monsters at once. He knew charging in would only get him injured.
He remembered his fourth skill—but didn't know how to activate it.
He tried imagining it.
Nothing.
"Arise… come forth… summon…" he muttered randomly.
The wolves charged.
"Summon Beast!"
Darkness burst from the ground.
From the black aura, a wolf leapt out—his wolf.
It immediately attacked the others.
With its help, Kisame slaughtered the remaining monsters.
He didn't stop.
He pushed forward, floor after floor.
By the time he reached the third floor, the danger had increased significantly. Armored goblins prowled the shadowy corridors, their crude weapons scraping against stone floors, yellow eyes gleaming with malice in the torchlight. One had nearly severed his arm with a rusted cleaver. His health bar had flashed red at 23/100, and his mana reserves were nearly depleted. Worse, his system storage hit its limit with a harsh ping and flashing red text:
"STORAGE CAPACITY REACHED: 50/50."
The weight of umbra pelts, bat wings, and goblin trinkets had become a burden rather than a prize.
Reluctantly, Kisame retreated, the blue safe zone portal shimmering behind him like a mirage as he sprinted past the final goblin patrol.
Dungeon Summary appeared in glowing text:
First Floor: Umbra - 12 Defeated
Second Floor: Nightwraith Bats - 8 Defeated
Third Floor: Armored Goblins - 3 Defeated
Quest Complete: Survivor's Instinct
Rewards flooded in, golden light washing over his exhausted form.
The pain dulled.
[Level Up Effect: Physical condition restored]
When Kisame returned to the schoolyard, night had already fallen.
Exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, he went to the canteen and ate quietly in a corner.
Then he saw Ali approaching.
"What's up?" Kisame said.
"I'm fine," Ali replied, sitting beside him. "Never thought you'd become a hero," he added teasingly. "I heard everything."
Kisame gave a weak smile.
"Forget that," Kisame said. "Have you been doing your quests?"
"Of course."
Kisame nodded. "Good. Tomorrow, after finishing our quests, we prepare for the second trial."
Ali nodded in agreement.
After eating, Kisame stood to leave—but Ali stopped him.
He led Kisame to a classroom.
Inside were sleeping bags, blankets, and snacks.
Kisame stared at him.
"…Bastard."
Ali scratched his head nervously.
"You didn't spend your coins on this stuff, did you?"
Ali smiled awkwardly.
Kisame sighed. They lay down on the sleeping bags.
After a while, Ali spoke.
"Why do you sleep outside instead of here?"
Kisame looked toward the ceiling.
"I like sleeping outside. Looking at the night sky… it's beautiful."
Ali didn't reply.
Not long after, both of them fell asleep