The cave became very quiet.
Qin Zetian sat beside the small fire she had made. The cooking pot in front of her was slowly boiling. Steam rose into the air, carrying the warm smell of rice, meat, and vegetables.
But the silence did not make her feel safe.
Across the cave, several monsters were staring at her. Their glowing eyes watched every movement she made.
Some were wolf-like creatures with rough gray fur. Others had long tails and sharp claws. One looked like a giant lizard with thick scales.
They were all dungeon monsters. Creatures that normally attacked humans without hesitation. Yet none of them moved.
They simply sat a short distance away, staring at the pot of food. Their noses twitched again and again.
Zetian held the wooden spoon tightly. Her heart was beating fast.
"If they attack… I won't survive."
She glanced at the dark crystal pit where the mutant wolf had died earlier. The purple light from the crystals flickered quietly. The radiation in the air still felt heavy, but her body was no longer weakening.
Instead, she felt strangely calm. The storage space inside her mind felt stable now. Like a silent world connected to her.
The pot began bubbling louder. The smell of the stew grew stronger. One of the wolf monsters slowly moved closer.
Zetian stiffened. "Stay back…"
But the monster only sat down again a few meters away. Its tongue came out slightly. It looked almost like a dog waiting for food.
Zetian blinked. "This… is strange."
Before she could think further, the ground suddenly trembled. At first, it was small, like distant thunder. Then the shaking grew stronger. Dust fell from the ceiling. Crystals rattled against the stone walls.
Zetian quickly stood up. "What's happening now?"
Deep underground, far below the cave where she stood, something ancient was moving.
In the deepest part of the dungeon was a massive underground chamber. The ceiling stretched high into darkness. Black stone pillars surrounded a giant throne made of bones and crystal. And on that throne sat a terrifying creature.
A being far stronger than the monsters in the upper levels. Its body was tall and powerful. Dark armor-like skin covered its muscles. Long, sharp horns curved from its head. Its eyes had been closed for a very long time.
This creature was known among monsters as the Mutant King.
For years, it had been sleeping.
But today, something unusual had entered the dungeon. A strange energy. A scent that did not belong in his territory.
The smell of food.
Slowly, the Mutant King's eyes opened.
A deep red glow filled the chamber.
The moment it awakened, a powerful wave of energy exploded outward. The shockwave rushed through the underground tunnels. Through every cave, crystal chambers, and nest of monsters.
The entire dungeon shook violently.
Back in the cave, Zetian almost lost her balance. The ground trembled so hard that cracks spread across the stone floor.
The monsters around her suddenly stood up. Their calm expressions disappeared. Their eyes turned bright red. Low growls filled the cave.
"What's wrong with them?" Zetian stepped back slowly.
The wolf monster that had been sitting calmly suddenly roared. Another monster slammed its claws into the ground. They looked angry, wild, and out of control.
The shockwave from the Mutant King had reached them. The powerful aura awakened their instincts. Now they wanted to hunt, to destroy, and to eat.
One of the monsters turned toward Zetian. Its sharp teeth showed. Drool dripped from its mouth. Another monster moved closer. Then another...
Zetian's chest tightened. "No… not now…"
She had just survived one disaster.
Now the monsters were going crazy again. The nearest wolf monster lunged forward. Zetian quickly grabbed the cooking pot and threw it aside. Hot soup splashed across the ground. The rich smell of food filled the cave.
For a moment, the monsters hesitated. But the violent aura from the dungeon was stronger. The wolf monster rushed at her again.
Zetian turned and ran. Her shoes slipped on the stone floor. Behind her, claws scraped against the ground.
Growls echoed through the cave.
"Think… think…" Her mind raced. Her body was still weak. There was nowhere to escape. The cave walls surrounded her.
One monster jumped from the side. Its claws slashed her arm. Pain shot through her body. Zetian fell hard onto the ground. Blood stained the stone floor.
The monsters slowly surrounded her. Their eyes burned with hunger. For the second time that day, Zetian faced death. Her breathing became fast and uneven.
"I can't… die here…"
At that moment, something inside her mind reacted again.
The storage space trembled.
But this time, something different awakened.
A strange energy flowed through her eyes. The world around her suddenly changed. Above the head of the nearest monster, a glowing number appeared.
[Hunger: 92%]
Zetian blinked in confusion.
"What…?"
She looked at another monster. Above its head appeared another number.
[Hunger: 88%]
Then another.
[Hunger: 95%]
Not only that.
She could also see another faint number beside it.
[Energy: 63%]
[Energy: 71%]
It was as if her eyes could suddenly read the condition of every monster. Their hunger, their strength, and their physical energy.
Zetian stared in shock. "I can… see their status?"
One of the monsters roared and lunged forward again.
Instinctively, Zetian reached into her storage space. A large piece of raw meat appeared in her hand. She threw it across the cave. The meat landed on the ground.
Immediately, two monsters rushed toward it. They fought over the food. Another monster turned toward the spilled soup on the stone floor. The hunger numbers above their heads slowly began to drop.
[92% → 81%]
[95% → 84%]
Zetian's heart pounded. "It works…"
Her new ability allowed her to see exactly how hungry the monsters were. And how desperate they felt.
They were not attacking her because they hated humans. They were attacking because the Mutant King's aura had pushed their hunger to extreme levels. They needed food.
Zetian quickly pulled more ingredients from her storage space.
Meat.
Fish.
Bread.
She threw them across the cave.
The monsters rushed toward the food. Their attention left her completely.
Zetian slowly backed away, breathing heavily. Her arm still hurt from the claw wound. But she was alive.
The cave gradually became quiet again. The monsters were busy eating. The red glow in their eyes slowly faded. Above their heads, the hunger numbers continued dropping.
[71%]
[64%]
[53%]
Zetian leaned against the stone wall and slid down to sit on the ground. Her hands trembled. "What kind of ability is this…"
First, the storage space. Then the cooking ingredients. Now, the strange vision showed monster hunger. None of this made sense.
But far below the cave.
Deep in the underground throne chamber.
The Mutant King sat silently. Its red eyes stared upward through the layers of stone, through the tunnels, and through the caves. Until its gaze stopped at one human girl.
Qin Zetian.
The Mutant King slowly tilted its head. As if curious, as if it had found something interesting.
A faint connection had formed when she awakened her new ability. A connection between the human girl…
And the ruler of the dungeon monsters.
But Zetian did not know this yet. She only knew one thing. Inside the dangerous dungeon, her strange powers had just begun to grow.