The first few monsters roared as they noticed him — towering beasts of bone and darkness, their eyes burning with violet flames.
Sam met them head-on.
His sword flashed, cutting through the first creature's skull.
A second lunged from the side, and he ducked under its claws, slicing upward and splitting its torso cleanly.
Each movement was smooth, practiced, born of countless fights before this one.
Every strike carried weight. Every motion was deliberate.
Hours passed.
Hundreds of corpses began to litter the ground, each fading into black mist as he absorbed their essence.
Notifications echoed one after another, each pushing him closer to his next level.
He didn't stop to read them. He didn't need to.
His focus remained absolute, eyes locked forward, expression calm and unshaken.
He was alone again, surrounded by chaos, but there was no fear left in him.
There hadn't been for a long time.
Every enemy that fell beneath his blade was another step forward.
