Velian picked up the bloodied dagger lying beside a shattered boulder. Its once-silver edge was now stained crimson glinting faintly under the dungeon's weak light. He stared into the reflection—his own tired, sunken eyes gazing back at him. His voice came out in a bitter chuckle.
"I bet they escaped already," he muttered. "Dren… Riven… used us to buy time. Would be a pity if they didn't make it out alive."
He sighed, dragging the blade through the dust.
"Thirty kills, huh?" His fingers clenched the dagger's hilt. "Doesn't matter if I'm weak. In this world, survival is everything. Power's the only currency."
He began walking again, footsteps soft and cautious. But then—he froze.
Something glowed beside him.
Velian's heart skipped.
The glow pulsed brighter and brighter until it forced him to shield his eyes. A black mist unfurled from the light, swirling with eerie grace until it condensed into a small creature—feline in shape, floating gently in the air. Two glowing purple eyes flickered once… then closed.
Velian stumbled back. "What the hell…?"
The system's tone buzzed calmly in his ears.
---
[Lexomancer System — Familiar Registered]
Name: [Nyx]
Status: Dormant (Initial Awakening Phase)
Bond: Forming…
Type: Unknown
Classification: Restricted
Familiar has entered post-awakening stasis.
Power calibration in progress…
Estimated dormancy duration: Undetermined.
[Note: Nyx is currently asleep. Interaction unavailable until further notice.]
---
Velian stared at the floating cat-like creature, still gently sleeping. He hesitated, then gently picked it up and slipped it into his pouch.
"Nyx, huh… You're not here to help right now, are you?" he whispered. "Figures. Even my own familiar's sleeping on the job."
He stood, dusted his pants off, and tightened his grip on the dagger.
"I'll treat this like a game. A survival game. Let's see if this system is a joke or if it really wants me dead."
He pressed forward into the dungeon's shadowy guts, his boots crunching over dry bones and stones. After a while, he came upon a gruesome sight: a shattered corpse with its skull flattened into the ground. He winced at the stench.
"Dren…" he whispered.
He looked around. Kael's body wasn't there.
"So they died too. Maybe from the quake, maybe something worse. Doesn't change anything—we were all doomed the moment we stepped into this hell."
He kept walking, sliding down a rocky incline, using his dagger as balance. As he reached the bottom, the silence unnerved him.
"Where are the Lycergs? I haven't seen one in a while…"
He turned a corner.
His breath caught.
Dozens of Lycerg beasts were hunched over remains, gnawing and growling. Flesh tore. Bones cracked. Blood dripped down their jaws.
Velian crouched behind a jagged rock. "Villagers," he whispered. "Poor bastards…"
His body froze. His breathing slowed. Sweat rolled down his temple.
One wrong move—
CRACK.
His boot tapped a loose stone.
The noise echoed.
The Lycergs stopped feeding.
Velian's heart stopped.
Dozens of glowing red eyes turned toward him.
"…Damn it."
He turned and ran.
The beasts roared, chasing him like demons unleashed. Their snarls filled the air. Velian cursed under his breath, pushing his legs harder.
"They're faster than before!"
Suddenly, a panel blinked in front of him:
---
[Lexomancer System — Danger Status]
Host is being pursued.
Threat Count: 20 Hostile Entities Detected.
New Quest Initiated: Eliminate All Pursuers.
---
Velian's eyes widened. "Twenty?! They're this many. I can't possibly kill all this by myself."
A beast pounced. He barely rolled aside.
"I have to do something! I need power!"
He remembered the command word.
"DIE!"
He pointed his hand at the beast.
Nothing happened.
The creature's claw slammed into him. He staggered backward.
---
Command Word: "Die" is currently locked.
Access Denied.
Please refrain from premature murder attempts.
---
"PREMATURE?! Are you joking?!" he yelled.
Another Lycerg lunged. Velian deflected the attack with his dagger, but the force sent him crashing into a wall. His arms trembled from the impact. Blood trickled from his lip.
More Lycergs surrounded him, moving in a half-circle.
"They're… coordinating."
He raised his hand.
"BURN!"
Nothing.
---
Command Word: "Burn" has not been unlocked.
---
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS?!"
He ducked another swipe, panting hard.
Then another ping:
---
Command Word Available: "Sleep"
Effect: Induces drowsiness or full unconsciousness.
Range: 10 meters.
---
Velian blinked. "Sleep…? You want me to nap with them?!"
A beast lunged.
He had no choice.
"SLEEP!"
ZAP.
A ripple of golden light struck the beast midair.
Its eyes went blank.
THUD.
It collapsed, softly snoring.
Velian's jaw dropped.
"…It worked?"
Another Lycerg charged.
"SLEEP! SLEEP! SLEEP!"
Beasts dropped one after the other. Some crumpled. Others toppled sideways. The cavern became a graveyard of snores.
Velian stood alone.
He blinked. "It... actually worked."
---
[Reminder: "Sleep" lasts 5–10 seconds depending on resistance.]
---
Velian froze.
One Lycerg twitched. Another scratched its belly. Then a snort.
They were waking.
His face paled. "Oh… crap."
He rushed the nearest one.
SLASH! Its head flew.
He didn't wait.
He dashed from beast to beast—slicing throats, stabbing hearts, kicking bodies down. Blood sprayed like a fountain. His body moved on instinct. His eyes glowed with cold fire.
One beast woke mid-slice and tried to roar—
"SLEEP!"
THUD.
Velian grinned like a madman.
Only three left.
One woke and blinked, yawning.
"SLEEP!"
SLASH!
Another stood dazed.
"SLEEP!"
THWACK!
The last tried to crawl away. Velian stalked toward it.
He crouched beside it. "So beasts feel fear, huh?"
He grabbed its head.
"Fear... desperation… survival. That's what we humans feel every day. The only difference?"
SLASH!
"We know how to think."
He stood in a field of corpses, the dungeon silent except for the dripping blood.
Suddenly—a growl echoed.
Then another.
Then many.
---
[Lexomancer System — Alert!]
15 Hostile Entities Detected.
---
One beast lunged.
"SLEEP!"
THUD.
Velian walked toward it to finish it off—then froze.
Aera's scarf was tangled on its horn.
His expression shattered.
He stabbed it over and over, screaming, tears mixing with blood. Rage swirled in his aura.
He stood again.
His eyes were hollow.
"Sleep."
One word.
Fifteen Lycergs fell.
---
Later…
Velian staggered over a twitching corpse. His blade dripped red. His body ached. His knees trembled.
The last Lycerg crawled with a broken jaw. Velian knelt and dragged his dagger across its throat.
Silence.
Then—
Clink.
He dropped the blade and sat down.
"…Thirty five ," he whispered. "That's thirty five ."
The system chimed.
---
[Lexomancer System — Quest Complete]
Confirmed Kills: 35
Command Word Unlocked: "Poison"
Type: Debuff
Rank: Tier I
Effect: Weakens target's physical or magical abilities.
Duration: 10–15 seconds.
---
Velian laughed dryly. "Poison, huh?"
He wiped his cheek.
"One word at a time…"
He stood.
The dungeon was deathly quiet.
"…Now how the hell do I get out of here?"
---
Then—
Another chime.
---
[Ding! Lexomancer System — Quest Directive]
Final Boss-Class Entity Detected.
Estimated Threat Level: Catastrophic.
Status: Severe Fatigue
Continuing may result in irreversible consequences.
Retreat remains a valid option. No second chances.
Lexomancer… do you wish to proceed?
YES / NO