The moment he stepped onto the second floor, the air changed.
The heat from the first floor was still there, but now it felt heavier, pressing down on his body like an unseen weight. The stone beneath his feet was darker, almost black, and the glowing runes along the walls burned brighter than before.
[Dungeon Floor: 2]
[Environmental Effect: Mana Pressure]
[Warning: Continuous Combat Zone]
"So it's not giving me time to rest," he said quietly.
The passage ahead opened into a wide corridor, long and narrow, with broken pillars lining both sides. Lava no longer flowed openly, but cracks in the ground glowed faintly red, as if something beneath was waiting to burst out.
He took a single step forward.
The dungeon reacted.
The walls trembled, and suddenly the floor split apart. Creatures poured out in waves—lean, four-legged monsters made of ash and hardened flame, their movements fast and unnatural.
[Enemy Detected: Ash Stalkers x30]
[Level: 25]
His eyes narrowed.
"A swarm," he muttered. "Fine."
They attacked all at once.
He didn't bother holding back.
Fire surged outward in a wide arc, sweeping through the front line and turning several stalkers to ash instantly. The rest leapt through the flames, claws scraping across his arms and legs as they tried to overwhelm him.
He moved through them like a storm.
Tail strikes shattered bodies. Fists crushed skulls. Controlled bursts of flame burned enemies without draining his mana too quickly. Even as they surrounded him, he never lost his balance.
[XP Gained: +900]
More came.
The dungeon didn't pause. The moment one group fell, another replaced it. From cracks in the walls, from the ceiling, from the floor—endless movement.
[Warning: Dungeon Adaptation Detected]
His breathing grew heavier, not from exhaustion, but from focus.
"So you're adjusting," he said. "Good."
He shifted partially, scales forming beneath his skin as his wings burst out briefly, blasting him upward. From above, he brought his tail down like a hammer, crushing multiple enemies at once.
Ash filled the air.
Minutes passed.
Then silence.
The corridor was littered with scorched remains, the heat fading slowly. He stood still, eyes sharp, listening.
[Enemies Eliminated]
[HP: 128/140]
Before he could relax, the pressure spiked.
The corridor ahead darkened, and something stepped forward—taller than the others, its body lean and armored, eyes glowing a deep red. Heat rolled off it in waves.
[Elite Enemy Detected]
[Ash Warden]
[Level: 27]
Now that was different.
The Ash Warden didn't rush him. It raised one hand, and the ground erupted. Pillars of flame burst upward, forcing him to leap aside.
"So you think," he said calmly, "that tricks will work?"
He charged.
The Ash Warden met him head-on, fists colliding with enough force to shatter the stone beneath them. Fire exploded outward. The two exchanged blows, each strike sending shockwaves through the corridor.
The Warden was fast. Stronger than the drake.
But not enough.
He feinted left, then drove his tail into the creature's chest, cracking its armor. Before it could recover, he grabbed its head and slammed it into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
The third time, the floor gave way.
The Ash Warden collapsed, its body breaking apart into glowing fragments.
[Elite Enemy Defeated]
[XP Gained: +2,400]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 26]
He straightened slowly, flames fading from his body.
"Better," he said.
The dungeon responded immediately.
The runes on the walls flared, and a massive stone door slid open at the end of the corridor. Beyond it, he could feel something watching—something patient.
[Floor Boss Detected]
[Warning: High Threat Level]
He rolled his shoulders, ignoring the blood and ash on his clothes.
"If this is the second floor," he murmured, stepping forward, "then you won't disappoint me."
With steady steps and burning eyes, he walked toward the door, fully aware that the dungeon was no longer testing his strength—
It was hunting him.