"What the fuck…" Orion looked through the hole and saw another chamber beside the now-destroyed one. But unlike the one he was currently in, this chamber wasn't empty. And what he saw sent a chill down his spine.
Skeletons.
From what little he could see through the hole, there were far too many—bleached bones stacked together, the remains of countless soldiers.
Holy shit… if this many people couldn't make it out of this place, how can I?
The thought discouraged Orion—but he didn't let it linger for long. His eyes soon lit up with another idea.
Loot.
If I can get into that room, he thought, there's got to be loot left behind by the fallen.
Without hesitation, Orion activated Flame Pulse and Scale Manifestation, then began punching the stone wall with all his strength.
"CRASH—!"
After several heavy blows, the wall finally gave way. A person-sized hole opened in the stone-brick structure, and Orion stepped through.
"Cough—cough—COUGH!"
The moment he stepped inside, a foul stench filled his lungs. The air was thick and stale, scraping his throat and forcing him to cough violently. He staggered forward, eyes watering, chest heaving with each labored breath.
After a few tense moments, the dust settled and the air slowly thinned. The chamber's suffocating, oxygen-poor atmosphere eased, and his body began to adjust. Whatever stale, heavy air had once filled the room had long since dispersed.
This room was massive.
At least six times larger than the previous chamber.
In the center stood a mountain of human bones—skulls, ribcages, shattered armor—piled together like a grotesque monument. Rusted weapons lay scattered across the floor.
Were they trapped here too—like him—unable to find a way out?
His fists clenched.
I won't end up like them.
The thought hardened his resolve.
He searched the chamber for anything useful, but most of what remained were rusted, half-broken weapons scattered across the floor. Still, he picked up a few and tested them one by one, feeling their balance, their weight—then discarding them.
Finally, his hand closed around a katana-like sword. Among all the weapons, only this one felt right. Its narrow blade, manageable length, and balanced weight made it easy to handle—perfect for a complete beginner like him.
The only problem was it was too rusty and dull. But having a weapon other than his claw was good.
He continued scavenging and found a small pouch containing gold coins.
If I ever get out of here, this might actually be useful.
He didn't feel guilty about taking from the dead. They weren't going to need it anymore anyway.
Next, he reached for a suit of armor. It looked like iron, yet strangely untouched by rust.
"Appraisal."
[Enchanted Silver Armor]
Provides an additional boost to defense.
Can be used for long periods without deteriorating.
Orion quickly put it on, but he couldn't handle the weight.
"My god… whomever it belonged to was one heavy motherfucker."
Sigh, a good piece of armor I can't use.
After spending a long time sorting through the remains, Orion decided to make his time worthwhile while waiting for the system upgrade.
He decided to train.
He dragged several intact skeletons upright and positioned them like practice dummies.
Then he began.
Orion focused on the Draconic Instinct that had guided him during his fight with the Ravager. He tried to remember those movements—the angles, the timing—letting his instincts take over.
But this time…
He was sloppy.
"Ugh… I don't want to rely on instinct every time I fight."
Each time Orion let instinct take over, it felt like he wasn't fully in control of his own body—and he didn't like that one bit.
But Orion knew better. If he wanted to survive the dungeon—or this strange new world—he had to rely on his instincts. Training alone in the depths of the dungeon, with limited materials and without even knowing the basics of fighting, he still had a long way to go.
Still, he didn't give up.
Again and again, he practiced.
Slowly, his movements began to flow together, growing more controlled and fluid.
"Alright, I am getting the hang of it," he grinned.
After training a bit more of his instinct-driven fighting style, he picked up the sword and started swinging wildly. That's when an idea struck him.
What if I fight with both my claw and a sword?
It had the potential to be unpredictable… confusing… deadly.
Excited, Orion tried to move the way he imagined.
Reality was… painful.
He looked less like a warrior and more like a drunk dad at a party trying to dance.
"…This is harder than I thought."
Still, he didn't abandon the idea. He realized he needed proper sword training—and his instincts didn't provide that.
"Once I get out of here… I need to find a teacher."
For now, he focused on what he knew.
As he trained, he could feel it—his body growing stronger.
To test himself, Orion activated Scale Manifestation and punched the chamber wall.
BOOM!
This time, the hole he created was far larger than before.
"Hmph."
A spark of pride flickered in his chest.
Motivated, he continued training.
Then—
"Grrk!"
Orion froze.
A chilling sound came from behind him.
He turned instantly.
"Holy shit… is that a goblin?"
The creature stood near the pile of bones. Short. Green-skinned. Bones strung as accessories. A small, rusty short sword clenched in its hand. Its long, crooked nose made it almost comical.
More absurd than threatening.
"Appraisal."
[Corpse-Gathering Goblin – F Rank]
Highly aggressive. Collects and consumes corpses.
Ohhh… so that's why there are so many bodies.
"SKREEEEE!"
The goblin charged, rusty sword raised.
Orion stepped aside, claws flashing.
A quick slash and the creature crumpled, bones cracking under the strike. It tried to crawl away, but another swift swipe finished it.
"…Whew. That was almost too easy."
But something felt wrong.
Where had it come from?
By all appearances, the chamber was completely sealed—no doors, no visible entrances. Come to think of it, there shouldn't have been any way in or out at all.
And there was no way a single puny goblin had scavenged this many corpses on its own… right?
He went back to the spot where the goblin had appeared and noticed something he hadn't before—a slight slope in the floor. Moving closer, he realized it led to hidden stairs, cleverly concealed by debris and shadows.
Curiosity won.
He followed the stairs.
The stairs opened into a dark hallway.
Then—
"SKREEEEE!"
"GRIKK!"
"SKREEEEE!"
From the darkness ahead, goblins emerged—one after another.
But this time…
Orion smiled.
He wasn't afraid.
Instead, a thrill surged through his veins.
Like he was rediscovering a part of himself he never knew existed.
"Oh…"
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"This is going to be a lot of fun."