squeak
A faint squeak pierced the dungeon's stifling silence, sharp as a needle in the dark.
Kira's consciousness, bound to the glowing core nestled in cracked stone, snapped to attention.
The sound came again—
squeak
squeak, skitter
A grating rhythm that echoed off the damp, moss-slicked walls.
His Core Sense flared, a pulse of mana rippling outward like a sonar wave, mapping the chamber in his mind's eye.
Something was coming.
Something alive.
Oh, fantastic, he thought, his core flickering with bitter sarcasm.
My first invaders are sewer rejects.
The skittering grew louder, a frantic patter of tiny claws on stone.
His Core Sense sharpened, painting a picture of small, darting forms at the edge of his 10-meter influence range.
Rats.
A swarm of them—ten—beady eyes glinting in the dim torchlight, matted fur reeking of filth, teeth bared like tiny daggers.
Their hunger was palpable, a gnawing desperation that vibrated through the mana-laced air.
System Notification:
Detected: Wild Cave Rats (10x)
Level: 1
Threat: Low
No adventurers.
Just pests, scrabbling for scraps in his pathetic domain.
But they were here, and that made them prey.
Kira's core pulsed, his fury from the betrayal—Avelia's cold eyes, Elaine's trembling spell, the hammer's final blow—stirring like a dormant ember.
They'll do for now.
"Slime," he commanded, his thoughts sharp as a blade, pulsing through the mana that bound his minions. "Drag your sorry self to the tunnel mouth. Intercept them."
The slime, a translucent blue blob glistening in the torchlight, quivered with surprising eagerness.
It oozed across the chamber, leaving a slick trail of acrid goo that hissed faintly against the stone.
Its wobbling form reached the tunnel's narrow entrance just as the first rats appeared, their whiskers twitching, eyes gleaming with feral greed.
The goblin—Useless—limped into position, still nursing a bruised ankle from his pit trap mishap.
His spindly green fingers clutched a rusty dagger, its edge chipped and dull.
He muttered something guttural, his yellow eyes darting nervously, but he stood beside the slime, his stench of sweat and dirt mingling with the dungeon's rot.
Show me you're worth the mana I spent, Kira thought, his core thrumming with grim anticipation.
The first rat lunged, a blur of matted fur and snapping teeth.
The slime flopped forward to meet it—and missed spectacularly.
Its gelatinous body smacked the wall with a wet splort, the impact echoing like a dropped sack of mud.
The rat skittered past, only to meet the goblin's dagger.
Useless swung wildly, more instinct than skill, but the blade caught the rat's flank.
A high-pitched squeal split the air as the creature collapsed, blood seeping into the cracks of the stone.
One down.
Kira's core pulsed, a flicker of satisfaction drowned by the chaos that followed.
The swarm surged, a writhing mass of claws and teeth.
Rats poured into the chamber, their squeaks a deafening chorus, their bodies a tide of filth.
The slime, recovering, managed to envelop one rat by sheer accident, its acidic touch sizzling as the creature dissolved with a gurgling scream.
The goblin tripped over his own feet, rolled, and stabbed two more rats in a frantic flurry, their blood splattering his scrawny chest.
The pit trap triggered with a grinding snap, catching a rat mid-leap.
The creature didn't die, its limbs twisting in agony, its squeals a piercing wail that clawed at Kira's senses.
The chaos overwhelmed his minions.
The goblin bled from three deep scratches, green blood oozing down his arm, his dagger trembling in his grip.
The slime was half-dissolved, its form sagging like melted wax, barely holding together.
Two rats, maddened by hunger, gnawed at the dungeon wall itself, their teeth grinding through loose stone, sending dust and pebbles scattering.
Kira's core flared with frustration.
This is my fearsome dungeon?
He pulsed Illusion Weave, spending 10 Mana to conjure a flickering spark of fire at the tunnel's mouth.
The illusion danced, casting jagged shadows that confused the swarm, their skittering faltering for precious seconds.
It bought his minions time to regroup, but the cost stung—his mana was draining fast.
"Goblin!" Kira's command was a mental shout.
"Lure them to the trap! Slime, block the tunnel—use your body if you have to!"
Useless shrieked, his voice a guttural wail, and sprinted past the pit trap, his limping gait clumsy but desperate.
Two rats followed, their claws scraping the stone.
The trap triggered again with a bone-jarring crunch, the slab collapsing.
One rat died instantly, its skull crushed. The other squealed, its leg mangled, trapped in the shallow pit.
The final rat, larger than the rest, leapt for Kira's core.
Its claws scrabbled up the cracked stone pedestal, close enough that he felt the vibration through his Core Sense, a violation that sparked primal rage.
The slime, with a last burst of effort, flung itself like a wet blanket, intercepting the rat mid-air.
Acid hissed, dissolving the creature into a steaming puddle that dripped down the altar, leaving a faint scorch mark.
Silence fell, heavy as the dungeon's damp air.
The goblin's ragged breathing echoed, his chest heaving.
The slime sizzled softly, its form quivering on the brink of collapse.
System Notification:
Essence absorbed: Cave Rat (x10) – +5 XP total
Current XP: 5/15 (Level 0)
Mana Remaining: 42/100
Five experience points.
For that disaster.
Kira's core dimmed, a spiritual exhaustion settling in.
He had no body, yet the weight of betrayal, of failure, pressed on him.
His slime was a dripping mess, barely cohesive.
Useless was chewing on a rat's tail, spitting fur and grumbling.
The pit trap was broken again, its stone slab cracked, mocking his weakness.
Five XP, he thought, bitterness coiling like smoke.
I need ten more to level up, and I'm already falling apart.
He summoned his status, the numbers glowing in his mind's eye like a cruel ledger.
Dungeon Status
Level: 0
XP: 5/15
Mana Pool: 42/100 (Regeneration: 1/minute)
Influence Range: 10 meters
Defense Rating: 5
Minions Active: 2/3
Trap: Pit Trap (Broken)
Skills: Core Sense, Basic Spawn, Illusion Weave
Kira's core pulsed with disgust.
One rat chewed my wall.
My wall.
This dungeon is pathetic.
The goblin, oblivious, sat in the slime's oozing puddle, mistaking it for a seat.
The slime squeaked—a wet, indignant sound—and shoved him off, its body rippling in protest.
Maybe I'll let the next rats eat them both, Kira thought, his core flickering with dark amusement.
Then, a new sensation pricked his Core Sense, sharp, from just beyond the tunnel's mouth.
A presence, not skittering or frantic, but steady.
Humanoid.
Alone.
Its footsteps were calm, measured, each one echoing like a drumbeat in the dark, growing closer.
System Notification:
Detected: Adventurer (lv 1)
Status: Approaching Dungeon
Kira's core flared, its blue glow brightening, casting jagged shadows across the chamber.
His exhaustion burned away, replaced by a cold, ruthless anticipation.
Finally.
A real enemy.
The betrayal's pain stirred, Avelia's face flashing in his mind, her cold command to die.
This adventurer, whoever they were, would be the first to taste his vengeance.
Hopefully.