Robin had been level 3 for five days now. Five days of daily quests, weapon practice, and careful observation. Five days of maintaining the facade of slow, believable progress.
But it wasn't enough.
The daily quests gave him 50 experience points per day. At that rate, reaching level 4 would take another month. Level 5 where Time Echo unlocked was two months away minimum.
Too slow.
Robin needed combat experience. Real combat. The kind that came from killing enemies, not from push-ups and meditation.
The system had been clear from the beginning:
[EXPERIENCE GAINED THROUGH:]
- DEFEATING ENEMIES (+VARIABLE EXP BASED ON RANK)
- ABSORBING LIFE FORCE FROM SLAIN FOES (+BONUS EXP)
He'd killed Void Rats before. During his first desperate hunt in the dungeons, he'd gained 10 experience per rat. Eighteen kills had given him 180 experience more than three days of daily quests.
The dungeons. I need to go back.
But that had been weeks ago, when no one was watching. When the cursed child was dismissed as too weak to be interesting.
Now the Duke had eyes on him. Servants tracked his movements. Guards noted when he left his room.
Going to the dungeons would be risky. If he was caught, questions would be asked. Questions he couldn't answer without revealing too much.
But if I don't take risks, I'll never grow fast enough.
Robin waited until well past midnight. The castle had settled into its deepest sleep. Even the Duke's surveillance had limits, they couldn't watch him every second of every night.
He dressed in his darkest clothes. Grabbed his training dagger from its hiding spot. Checked the corridor outside his room.
Empty.
Robin moved through the passages he'd memorized. The route to the dungeon entrance was burned into his memory, left at the storage alcove, down three flights of stairs, through the old wine cellar that hadn't been used in decades.
The dungeon door loomed before him. Heavy oak, reinforced with iron. A simple lock meant to keep out curious servants, not determined intruders.
Robin pulled a bent piece of wire from his pocket. Lock picking was a skill Justin had learned during his years as a street rat, before the Starks recruited him.
The lock was old. Primitive. It took Robin less than thirty seconds.
The door swung open with a soft creak.
Darkness greeted him. The smell of damp stone and rot. And underneath it all, the faint, acrid scent of Void corruption.
Beasts are here. I can smell them.
Robin had stolen a candle from the library, but he didn't light it yet. His enhanced perception let him navigate the darkness reasonably well. Light would make him a target.
He descended the stone steps carefully. Each footfall placed with precision, avoiding loose stones that might clatter.
The dungeon was a maze of corridors and cells. Once, it had housed prisoners. Now it was abandoned, the cells empty except for rats—normal and Void-touched alike.
Robin moved deeper. His breathing was controlled, quiet. His hand rested on the dagger's hilt.
A sound. Skittering. Claws on stone.
Robin froze. Let his perception expand. There—twenty feet ahead, moving fast.
Void Rat.
He could see it now, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. Larger than a normal rat, easily the size of a small dog. Its fur was patchy, revealing corrupted flesh underneath. Eyes that glowed faint red.
[VOID RAT DETECTED]
[LEVEL: 2]
[RANK: F]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: LOW]
The rat hadn't noticed him yet. It was focused on something else probably another rat, competing for territory.
Perfect.
Robin drew his dagger silently. Took two steps forward. The rat's head snapped up, finally sensing him.
Too late.
Robin lunged, using the narrow corridor to his advantage. The rat tried to dodge but there was nowhere to go. Robin's blade punched into its skull, driving through corrupted bone.
The creature shrieked, a sound like tearing metal and dissolved into black motes of energy.
[VOID RAT DEFEATED]
[+15 EXP]
[LIFE FORCE ABSORBED: +2 HP]
Fifteen experience. More than before. Either the system was rewarding him for fighting above his previous level, or this rat had been stronger.
Robin's health, which had been at 44 after the beating from his brothers, jumped to 46.
The life force absorption. It's healing me.
Useful. Very useful.
Robin moved deeper into the dungeon. His confidence grew with each step. This body was stronger now. Faster. More capable.
Another rat appeared. Robin killed it with a single thrust to the throat.
[+15 EXP]
And another. This one he caught from behind, his dagger sliding between vertebrae.
[+15 EXP]
The hunting became meditative. Find. Stalk. Kill. The rhythm of predation.
[LEVEL 3: 140/300 EXP]
Robin lost track of time. Lost track of how many rats he'd killed. His dagger work was improving with each fight, muscle memory solidifying, reactions sharpening.
[WEAPON MASTERY (DAGGER): 23/150]
Then he heard it. A sound different from rat skittering. Heavier. Slower. Deliberate.
Robin pressed himself against the wall. Extended his perception.
There. In a large cell ahead. Something big. Something that made the Void Rats scatter in fear.
Robin approached carefully. Peered around the corner.
The cell had collapsed partially, creating an opening to the outside, probably how the beasts were getting in. And in the center of the cell, feeding on a dead rat, was something much larger.
[VOID HOUND DETECTED]
[LEVEL: 5]
[RANK: F+]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: MODERATE]
A canine beast, corrupted by Void energy. Easily four feet tall at the shoulder. Muscle and sinew wrapped around a skeletal frame. Eyes that burned with hungry red light.
This was beyond the Void Rats. This was a real threat.
Robin's tactical mind calculated odds. His stats were better than before. His weapon mastery had improved. His health was nearly full.
But this thing is level 5. Two levels above me. Stronger. Faster. More dangerous.
The smart move was to retreat. Hunt more rats. Build up experience safely.
But Robin hadn't survived twenty years as a commander by playing it safe. Sometimes you took calculated risks. Sometimes you fought enemies that should kill you.
And if I can kill it... the experience...
An F+ rank beast, two levels higher, would give massive experience. Maybe 50 points. Maybe more.
Worth the risk.
Robin checked his dagger. The blade was still sharp. His grip was steady.
I have one advantage. Surprise.
The Hound hadn't detected him yet. It was focused on its meal, guard lowered.
Robin stepped into the cell. His footfalls silent. Dagger held in a reverse grip better for a downward strike.
Ten feet away. The Hound's ear twitched.
Now.
Robin lunged. His dagger aimed for the creature's exposed neck, right where the spine met the skull. The killing blow Justin had used on a dozen similar beasts.
The blade connected. Drove deep.
But not deep enough.
The Hound exploded into motion. It twisted, far faster than Robin had expected. His dagger tore free, opening a gash but not severing anything vital.
The beast's claws raked across Robin's chest. His servant clothes offered no protection. Pain exploded through him.
[-18 HP]
[CURRENT HP: 28/52]
Robin rolled backward, barely avoiding the Hound's snapping jaws. His chest was bleeding. The pain was intense.
Too fast. It's too fast.
The Hound circled him, intelligent eyes tracking his movement. It was wounded, his strike had opened a significant gash but not critically.
This was a real fight now. Life or death.
Robin's mind raced. Justin's combat experience flooded his consciousness.
The Hound lunged again. Robin sidestepped, using the narrow cell to his advantage. The beast's bulk made it less maneuverable in tight spaces.
He struck at its flank as it passed. A glancing blow, but it cut.
[-8 HP TO VOID HOUND]
The creature snarled. Spun faster than should be possible.
Robin barely got his dagger up in time. The Hound's teeth closed on the blade instead of his arm. The impact knocked him backward.
This wasn't like fighting rats. This thing was intelligent. Tactical.
So am I.
Robin changed tactics. Stopped trying for killing blows. Started targeting legs. Mobility. If he could cripple it, he could finish it safely.
He feinted high, struck low. His dagger opened a cut on the Hound's front left leg.
The beast howled. Limped slightly.
Good. Again.
Robin pressed the advantage. Used the cell's collapsed wall for cover. Struck from unexpected angles.
Another cut on the rear leg. Another on the flank.
The Hound was slowing. Bleeding. But it was also getting desperate.
Desperate animals were dangerous.
The beast charged. Not trying to be clever. Just raw aggression.
Robin dove aside. The Hound crashed into the wall where he'd been standing.
And Robin saw his opening.
The creature was stunned, off-balance. Its neck was exposed.
Robin didn't hesitate. Drove his dagger deep into the Void Hound's throat. Angled upward, seeking the brain.
The blade punched through corrupted flesh and bone.
The Hound's eyes went wide. It tried to turn, to fight, but its body was already failing.
Robin twisted the dagger. Felt the creature go limp.
[VOID HOUND DEFEATED]
[+75 EXP]
[LIFE FORCE ABSORBED: +10 HP]
[ACHIEVEMENT: DEFEATED ENEMY 2 LEVELS ABOVE HOST]
[BONUS: +25 EXP]
Robin collapsed against the wall, gasping. His chest ached where the claws had raked him. But the life force absorption was already working flesh knitting, pain fading.
[CURRENT HP: 38/52]
One hundred experience points. From a single kill.
[LEVEL 3: 240/300 EXP]
Robin started laughing. It hurt his wounded chest, but he couldn't stop.
Worth it. Absolutely worth it.
He stood slowly. His legs shook from adrenaline crash. But he was alive.
And he'd just proven something important: he could fight enemies above his level and win.
Time to go. Before something worse shows up.
Robin made his way back through the dungeon. Killed two more Void Rats along the way, easy prey after the Hound.
[+30 EXP]
[LEVEL 3: 270/300 EXP]
He emerged from the dungeon as dawn threatened the horizon. Locked the door behind him. Made his way back to his room.
Collapsed on his bed, exhausted but triumphant.
Thirty more experience points. One more hunt like this and I level up.
And then I'm one step closer to Time Echo.
Robin closed his eyes. His chest still ached despite the healing. His clothes were torn and bloodstained.
Worth it.
All of it.