A Quiet Path to Danger
The forest grew quieter as the group continued along the path.
Arieus had begun to notice it several minutes ago, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had changed. The wind still moved through the leaves. The crystalroot trees still gave off their faint blue-green radiance. Somewhere in the distance, something small rustled through the undergrowth before disappearing beneath a cluster of ferns.
Everything looked normal.
Yet the deeper they traveled, the more the forest seemed to hold its breath.
Arieus walked near the center of the group, occasionally glancing toward the trees surrounding them. Genryu remained at the front, his pace steady and deliberate. Shoen moved several steps behind him, his eyes constantly sweeping across the surroundings. Priscilla walked with considerably less caution, humming quietly to herself as though they were taking an evening stroll rather than heading toward a dungeon that had caused most local adventurers to refuse to approach it.
Donevan, meanwhile, was eating.
Again.
Arieus had already seen him consume enough food during the journey to feed a small adventurer party.
He glanced at the enormous piece of roasted meat in Donevan’s hand.
Then at Donevan.
Then back at the meat.
“…How are you still hungry?”
Donevan stopped chewing.
He looked at Arieus with genuine confusion.
“I’m always hungry.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It answers every question.”
Priscilla laughed.
“Don’t bother trying to understand him, dear. I’ve known him long enough to realize that food is basically his second source of oxygen.”
Donevan swallowed.
“That’s slander.”
“You ate three meals before we even reached the forest.”
“Four.”
Priscilla blinked.
“See?”
Arieus laughed.
Despite himself, he was beginning to enjoy being around them.
There was something strange about the group.
They were powerful—ridiculously so, from what Arieus had already seen—but they didn’t carry themselves like people who believed they were above everyone else.
They argued.
They teased each other.
They complained.
They laughed.
And yet whenever Genryu’s expression became serious, every one of them immediately became alert.
It reminded Arieus of the teams he would play with on First Person Shooter games or in party raids in MMORPG games.
Not simply people traveling or playing together.
But a real party.
People who knew exactly what the others were capable of.
People who didn’t need to explain every movement because they had already fought together enough times to understand one another.
Arieus opened his Status HUD while walking.
The translucent display appeared at the edge of his vision, hovering over the forest path without obstructing his view.
【STATUS】
Name: Arieus Minazuki
Race: Human
Level: 25
Health: 100%
Chirikal Energy: 880 / 880
【BASIC ATTRIBUTES】
〔STR〕 950〔SPD〕 979〔DEF〕 740
〔INT〕 1000〔VIT〕 900〔DEX〕 851
〔STA〕 1,500
【SKILLS】
Unique Skill: 《Shadow God》
《Demon Wind Scythe》《Detect》
《Wind Manipulation》Unique Skill: 《Cocoon》
《Shadow Movement》《Shadow Manipulation》
Arieus focused on the first skill.
The system responded immediately.
【Unique Skill: 《Shadow God》】
Description: Recieved once user Succesfully evolves the skill 『God Skill: Shadows』. User now has the ability to manipulate shadows according to his/her level. User may also now communicate with other species once encountered.
〔C.E Cost: .07% - 4.0%〕
Current Affinity: 1200 / 1500
Skill Tree: Partially Locked
The skill tree unfolded beneath the description.
Most of it was blacked out.
Only three nodes were visible.
【Shadow God Skill Tree】
《Shadow Movement》 — Learned
《Shadow Manipulation》 — Learned
《Shadow God: Shadow Predator》 — Available
Arieus’s eyes narrowed with interest.
He focused on the third node.
【Shadow God: Shadow Predator】
Description: Summons shadowy tentacles out of a pool created with shadows, which drag the users prey down into the deepest darkness of depths to be devoured by darkness. Once devoured this skill has the ability to take up to two skills from the target, giving them permanently to the user.
C.E Cost: Unknown
Control Requirement: Shadow God Affinity — Insufficient
Warning: Skill control is currently unstable. Activation may result in loss of judgment, uncontrolled predatory behavior, or temporary inability to distinguish ally from enemy.
Arieus stared at the description for several seconds.
“A predatory shadow entity,” he muttered under his breath. “A transformation skill. Something that can hunt through darkness and consume hostile energy.”
His grin slowly widened.
“That sounds incredible.”
The thought of tearing through a dungeon as a living shadow beast sent a thrill through him. He had watched enough isekai and fantasy battle anime on Earth to know exactly how dangerous abilities like this could become. Skills that transformed the user into something monstrous were rarely ordinary. They were the kind of abilities that turned desperate battles into legends.
“But the warning is clear,” he continued, his voice lowering as he studied the description. “I’ve reached 1200 affinity out of the required 1500, yet that still isn’t enough to fully control the skill.”
He leaned slightly closer to the translucent display.
“So the Shadow Predator is available to me, but availability doesn’t mean mastery. The system is practically warning me that if I activate it now, the skill might overwhelm my judgment and turn my instincts against everything around me—including the people fighting beside me.”
Arieus’s grin faded slightly as he considered that.
He wasn’t afraid of the skill.
But he respected what it represented.
“This isn’t another technique I can casually test in the middle of a battle just to see what it does,” he said to himself. “It’s a predatory force connected directly to the Shadow God, and my current affinity is still 300 points short of the amount required to control it completely.”
He glanced at the skill tree again.
“So I’m close… but not close enough.”
The edges of the node flickered with faint blue light, but the skill remained unstable.
“I need another 300 affinity before I can truly control it.”
His eyes narrowed as he studied the warning.
“That means I can’t rely on Shadow Predator as part of my normal fighting style yet. If I use it now, I might gain an overwhelming advantage against an enemy, but I could just as easily lose control, attack an ally, or become trapped inside the predatory instincts of the skill itself.”
He paused, then gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
“In games, powerful transformations are limited by cooldowns, resource costs, or scripted mechanics. Here, the danger is personal. If I fail to control Shadow Predator, there won’t be a reset button and no safe menu to return to.”
Arieus slowly closed the skill description.
“Not yet.”
He kept his eyes on the fading display.
“I’m not going to pretend that 1200 affinity is enough when the system clearly says otherwise. I’ll continue building my affinity, learning how the Shadow God responds to me, and strengthening my control over the shadows I already possess.”
He clenched his hand.
“When I reach 1500, I’ll use it properly.”
His expression hardened with determination.
“And when that happens, Shadow Predator won’t be some uncontrollable monster hiding inside me. It’ll be my skill, my power, and my decision to use.”
He glanced toward the darkening path ahead.
“For now, I have Shadow Movement. I have Shadow Manipulation. I have my wind abilities, my heightened senses, and the experience I gained from surviving my first battle since arriving in this world.”
He nodded to himself.
“That’s enough.”
A moment passed.
“For now.”
The thought of finally commanding Shadow Predator without fear of losing himself remained in the back of his mind.
“I’ll reach 1500 affinity.”
His grin returned, sharper and more focused than before.
“Then I’ll find out exactly what the Shadow God is capable of.”
He moved to the next skill.
【Skill: 《Demon Wind Scythe》】
Description: Forms a cutting blade of compressed wind around the user’s limb or weapon. The blade can slice through physical targets and disrupt weak energy barriers.
C.E Cost: 120 C.E per activation
Arieus nodded.
“Reliable offensive skill. Low enough cost to use repeatedly.”
He focused on 《Detect》.
【Skill: 《Detect》】
Description: Detects nearby living beings, objects, energy signatures, and abnormal phenomena within the user’s perception range.
C.E Cost: 40 C.E per activation
Then 《Wind Manipulation》.
【Skill: 《Wind Manipulation》】
Description: Allows the user to control and redirect surrounding air currents. Greater precision and force require greater Chirikal Energy output.
C.E Cost: 80 C.E minimum per activation
Arieus’s eyes gleamed.
“The cost changes depending on how much force I use. That means the skill has a lot more room to grow than the basic description suggests.”
He moved to 《Shadow Movement》.
【Skill: 《Shadow Movement》】
Description: Allows the user to move between connected shadows or briefly merge with surrounding darkness.
C.E Cost: 180 C.E per activation
Then 《Shadow Manipulation》.
【Skill: 《Shadow Manipulation》】
Description: Allows the user to shape, extend, bind, and control shadows within the user’s effective range.
C.E Cost: 150 C.E minimum per activation
Arieus looked at 《Cocoon》 last.
《Unique Skill:》『Cocoon』 200/780 exp.
|Once this skill receives enough exp. upon use, it will envelope the user in a hardened silky cocoon infused with immense Chirikal Energy for 1hr. While inside the user will undergo an Epic Evolution permanently giving them a new form and changing their Race, as well as 3 new skills. This change will give +30 to all stats and skills.
Unlock Requirement: 200 / 738EXP
Arieus could barely contain the excitement building in the center of his chest. Although he had not accumulated enough progress toward the skill, it was the prospect of undergoing an epic evolution that captured his eye.
“This is unbelievable,” he whispered. “I wonder what the options for my evolution are here. What is a guy to do with all this anticipation?”
He closed the skill descriptions and returned to the main status screen.
The numbers were familiar now.
His attributes had already been distributed.
His skills were no longer mysterious icons. They were his artistic instruments, waiting for the right canvas.
And the dungeon ahead was exactly the kind of place where he could create a masterpiece.
Arieus closed the Status HUD.
“Hey, Priscilla,” Arieus said, turning toward her. “Can I ask you something?”
Priscilla glanced at him, her expression brightening with curiosity. “Of course, dear. What is it?”
“How did your parents meet?”
Priscilla blinked.
“My parents?”
“Your mother is an Elf, right? And your father is an Orc?”
She smiled.
“That’s right.”
Arieus looked at her pointed ears, then at the small tusks visible when she smiled.
“That sounds like an unusual pairing.”
“It was,” Priscilla said. “Though not for the reason you might think.”
Arieus tilted his head.
“Then what happened?”
Priscilla’s smile softened.
“It began with the Goblin Horde that raided the eastern side of the continent.”
The lightness in her voice faded, replaced by something more solemn.
“There wasn’t just one Goblin King leading them. There were several. They gathered their clans together and swept across the eastern territories, ransacking village after village.”
Arieus’s expression grew serious.
“Multiple Goblin Kings?”
Priscilla nodded.
“They were powerful enough to overwhelm entire settlements. They burned homes, destroyed farms, and murdered the men who tried to defend their families. The women were captured and taken away as spoils.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her weapon.
“My mother’s village was one of the places they overran.”
Arieus glanced at her.
“She survived?”
“She did,” Priscilla replied. “She was one of the few who escaped before the goblins could take her. She fled into the forest with a handful of other Elven women who had managed to survive the attack.”
“What happened to them?”
“My father found them.”
Arieus looked surprised.
“Your father?”
Priscilla nodded.
“He was part of an Orc hunting company at the time. They were tracking game near the eastern forests when they discovered my mother and the other survivors. They were exhausted, injured, and terrified.”
Her expression warmed.
“My father and his companions took them in. They gave them food, treated their wounds, and escorted them somewhere safe.”
“So that’s how they met?”
“That was how they met,” Priscilla said. “But it wasn’t love at first sight.”
Arieus smiled.
“I figured it probably wasn’t.”
“My mother distrusted Orcs. After what she had endured, she distrusted almost everyone. My father, on the other hand, thought she was the most stubborn person he had ever met.”
“That sounds promising.”
“It became more promising when she threw a knife at him.”
Arieus stared.
“She threw a knife at him?”
“He tried to tell her she was too injured to walk. She told him she would rather crawl than be carried by an Orc.”
Arieus laughed.
“What did he do?”
“He carried her anyway.”
“That was brave.”
“That was foolish,” Priscilla corrected. “She bit him.”
Arieus laughed harder.
Priscilla joined him, her eyes shining with amusement.
“My father said that was the moment he realized he was in love.”
“Because she bit him?”
“Because she was still fighting,” Priscilla said. “Even after losing her village, even after seeing her people slaughtered and captured, she refused to surrender. He admired that.”
Arieus’s smile faded slightly.
“And your mother?”
“She came to admire him too. He never treated her like a helpless survivor. He treated her like someone who had endured something terrible and still deserved to choose what happened next.”
The forest seemed quieter around them.
“He and his hunting company protected the surviving Elven women until they could rebuild their lives,” Priscilla continued. “Some returned to other Elven settlements. Others stayed among the Orcs who had rescued them. My mother stayed.”
“Because of your father?”
“Partly,” Priscilla said. “But also because she realized the Orcs were not the monsters she had been taught to fear.”
Arieus looked toward her.
“And the two of them eventually married?”
“They did. Their story became something of a heroing tale among both Elves and Orcs. An Orc hunter who rescued an Elven survivor from a Goblin Horde, then spent the rest of his life proving that courage and kindness mattered more than blood or old hatred.”
Arieus smiled.
“That really is a heroing tale.”
Priscilla’s expression softened.
“My mother always said the heroic part wasn’t that my father found her. It was that he gave her the freedom to decide whether she wanted to be found.”
Arieus was quiet for a moment.
“That’s a good story. Thank you for sharing such a story with me.”
“It is,” Priscilla said. “And whenever people ask how an Elf and an Orc could fall in love, my mother tells them the same thing.”
“What does she say?”
Priscilla grinned.
“That my father was too stubborn to leave her alone, and she was too stubborn to let him win.”
Arieus laughed.
“That sounds like you.”
Priscilla placed a hand over her chest in mock offense.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“You absolutely do.”
She laughed again.
The conversation continued for several more minutes, shifting from the Goblin Horde to Priscilla’s childhood and the strange customs she had inherited from both sides of her family. By the time she finished, the heaviness of the story had given way to warmth, and even Arieus found himself smiling.
Then the trees began to thin.
Large slabs of black stone emerged from the earth, their surfaces covered in ancient cracks and moss. The roots of the surrounding crystalroot trees twisted around them like enormous fingers.
Then the ground leveled out.
A river appeared ahead.
Moonlight shimmered across its surface.
Beyond it stood the entrance.
Arieus stopped.
His expression slowly changed.
The dungeon wasn’t simply a hole in the earth.
It looked as though the mountain itself had been split open.
Jagged black stone formed a massive archway, its edges resembling the teeth of some ancient creature. Strange markings covered the walls, worn nearly smooth by time.
A cold mist drifted from the entrance.
It rolled across the ground.
Arieus stared into the mist.
Nothing about it triggered his 《Detect》 skill.
No notification interrupted his thoughts.
The mist simply drifted across the ground, cold and silent, while the darkness beyond the entrance remained impossible to read.
Arieus looked back toward the dungeon.
Something was watching them.
He couldn’t prove it.
But he could feel it.
Genryu stopped beside the river.
“They should be just beyond this river, Captain.”
Priscilla pointed toward the cavern.
Genryu nodded.
“The dungeon entrance, yes.”
He stared at the darkness.
“According to the rumors, it’s known as…”
He paused.
“【Reapers Domain】.”
Arieus stared at it.
The name alone sent a strange thrill through him.
The group went silent.
Arieus looked toward the entrance again.
The darkness inside seemed deeper than it should have been.
“None of the local Adventurers will even come near this place,” Genryu continued. “They say the moment they approach the entrance, they feel an ominous aura.”
Arieus kept his gaze on the dungeon entrance, considering Genryu’s words without confusion. Aura, danger, and supernatural pressure were all familiar concepts in a world where Chirikal Energy shaped living beings, abilities, and the environment itself. The only part he wanted clarified was how someone could sense that presence before seeing its source.
“Are you saying they can sense the Chirikal pressure of the monsters in the dungeon before they even enter?” Arieus asked. “If so, how can someone sense mana directly instead of relying on a skill like 《Detect》?”
Genryu nodded, apparently pleased that Arieus had understood the distinction immediately. “Well normally you wouldn’t be able to… Not from this distance unless you have a high proficiency with sensing chirikal energy or the one exerting spiritual pressure is just that strong. But as I explained earlier, Chirikal Energy is the power that exists within living beings, monsters, abilities, and even certain places or objects. It is not limited to the energy you spend when activating a skill; it also flows through the world around you, leaving behind pressure, movement, and traces that can be perceived if your senses are trained to recognize them.”
He raised one hand and continued in a calm, measured voice. “〈Chirikal Sense〉 is the ability to perceive that energy directly. It allows you to sense living beings, monsters, distant presences, and even remnants left behind by abilities, whether they are near or far. 《Detect》 gives you structured information by confirming that something exists within your perception range, while 〈Chirikal Sense〉 allows you to feel the nature, density, direction, and quality of the Chirikal Energy that makes up or surrounds that thing.”
Arieus’s attention sharpened as the explanation connected with what he already knew. “So 《Detect》 identifies the existence of a target, while 〈Chirikal Sense〉 lets me interpret the energy behind it. If something is hiding, invisible, or separated from me by a wall, I may still be able to sense it as long as its Chirikal Energy is strong enough to reach me.”
“Exactly,” Genryu replied. “The stronger the presence, the heavier the surrounding atmosphere will be, though distance, barriers, concealment abilities, and the nature of the surrounding environment can interfere with your perception. You should not treat it as perfect information. It is another sense, and like sight or hearing, it must be trained through experience before you can reliably distinguish what you are sensing from what you merely expect to find.”
Arieus looked down at his hands, already understanding the principle. “Then I don’t need to learn the skill through some complicated ritual. I only need to recognize the Chirikal Energy that is already around me and allow the skill to organize what I perceive.”
Genryu smiled. “You learn quickly. Since you already possess abilities that consume Chirikal Energy, your body and mind are familiar with its presence. Now all you have to do is spread your own Chirikal Energy as a thin blanket protruding from you and by doing so you allow it to feel the Chirikal energy it comes into contact with.”
Arieus closed his eyes and immediately began applying the explanation. He relaxed his breathing and allowed his awareness to extend beyond ordinary sight and hearing.
The forest continued moving around him. Leaves brushed against one another. The river flowed over smooth stones. Someone behind him shifted their footing, and Donevan’s armor gave a faint metallic creak.
Arieus ignored the sounds and focused on the energy beneath them.
The first sensation was faint, but it was unmistakable.
A warmth.
Not from the air.
Not from the sunlight.
Something deeper.
Arieus’s breathing slowed as he recognized the presence of Chirikal Energy moving through the area.
“There,” he murmured. “That’s something.”
He focused on it carefully.
The warmth shifted whenever someone moved nearby. It wasn’t a single source. It was spread throughout the area, but each person carried a different pattern.
Arieus kept his eyes closed and allowed the impressions to separate naturally instead of forcing them into words.
Priscilla’s energy was the first he recognized.
It was bright and restless, almost like sunlight dancing across water. It moved quickly and never remained still for long, and even when she stood quietly, there was a playful quality to it.
“Priscilla,” he said quietly.
She tilted her head. “Are you talking about me?”
“It’s your chirikal pressure, I can sense it.”
She raised both hands. “That’s quick, how are you able to pick up the technique so fast!?”
“I haven’t grasped it just yet. It’s still not fully clear.”
Arieus returned his attention to the sensation, shifting his focus toward Donevan.
“Donevan’s energy was heavier, dense and flowing. It felt like a deep current beneath a river’s surface, slow and powerful enough to drag anything into its path if it stopped resisting.”
Donevan swallowed another bite of meat.
“What is this…. It feels almost beast-like in nature while also feeling calm.”Arieus seeing the torrent of Chirikal energy within Donevan left him feeling surprised.
Arieus closed his eyes again and allowed the sensations to settle in his mind. “Priscilla is bright and restless. Donevan is dense and powerful. Shoen is cold and precise. Genryu is balanced and controlled. Those are the people around me. The forest has its own energy too, but it’s weaker and spread out. The trees feel slow, almost like they’re breathing through their roots, while the river is constantly moving and therefore has no single shape.”
His awareness reached toward the dungeon entrance.
The warmth vanished.
Arieus’s eyes opened.
“What was that?”
Genryu turned toward him. “What did you sense?”
“It was like reaching toward something and finding nothing there. Not emptiness exactly, but something that swallowed the sensation before I could understand it.”
Shoen’s expression sharpened. “Did you sense a presence?”
“No….. Not just ‘a precense’, It was more like a cluster. A cluster of predator-like hunger.”
Hearing this, the whole group tightened up as beads of sweat appeared upon all of their heads. They knew the risk prior to showing up, even still they pressed forward.
Genryu’s gaze remained fixed on the entrance. “Alright, let’s get into formation. Everyone stay on your guard no careless mistakes, understood?”
And just like that, everyone was on high alert as they walked toward the entrance.
Arieus’s eyes narrowed slightly as a familiar grin creeped from the sides of his mouth.
“I plan on having a tone of fun on this raid…” he whispers to himself. “I’ll keep my awareness close. I’ll focus on the people around me and the space immediately ahead, and I’ll learn how to increase my detection skills.”
He flexed his fingers as the new sense settled into place. “I’m not going to only depend on 《Detect》. If 《Detect》 tells me that there is danger or evil intent directed at me or in the vicinity, then 〈Chirikal Sense〉 should help me in determining both how much Chirikal Energy something has and how powerful it is. I just need to practice until the distinction becomes natural.”
PING
〔Congratulations! You have learned 《Chirikal Sense》〕
* by exerting a finely thin layer of Chirikal Energy,  invisible to the naked eye, the user can sense small traces of Chirikal Pressure within a 7 mile radius.
PING
〔Due to the user having multiple sensory skills that are compatible, skill fusion has been activated.〕
〔The skill《Detect》and 《Chirikal Sense》will now merge to become《Chirikal Descry》〕
PING
〔Congratulations, you have learned《Chirikal Descry》〕
* through the use of sonic waves, the Chirikal energy of the user bounces of the sound waves to create a ripple affect, allowing the user to sense even the smallest signature in a 7 mile radius. Once activated, 《Chirikal Descry》 also reveals the exact location of every detected signature within its range, allowing the user to distinguish the position of hidden, invisible, or obstructed targets through the returning ripples of Chirikal Energy.
The moment Arieus stepped beneath the stone archway, the temperature dropped.
His breath became visible.
The sound of the river behind them seemed to disappear.
The dungeon swallowed the outside world.
They walked deeper.
The walls changed from natural stone into enormous slabs of dark mineral. Veins of pale blue crystal ran through the walls, but unlike the crystalroot trees outside, these crystals gave off almost no warmth.
They looked dead.
They continued deeper without touching the crystals, maintaining formation while Arieus kept 《Chirikal Descry》 active and monitored the surrounding signatures.
The first monster appeared after nearly twenty minutes.
It came from the ceiling.
A long, armored creature dropped silently behind Arieus. Its body resembled a serpent, but thick plates of dark blue armor covered its entire length. Jagged fins extended from its spine, and its mouth opened into four separate jaws, each lined with narrow, needle-like teeth.
Arieus sensed it through the ability he had only just acquired.
The returning ripple from 《Chirikal Descry》 revealed its exact position above and behind him.
His eyes snapped toward the ceiling.
“Behind!”
The creature lunged.
Arieus twisted sideways. Its jaws snapped shut where his head had been, scraping against the stone floor hard enough to send sparks scattering through the darkness.
He landed in a crouch and immediately focused 《Chirikal Descry》 on the monster.
Its energy signature became clearer within his perception, allowing him to follow its movements even as it twisted through the air.
【Frostmaw Coilwyrm — Level 37】
〔Chirikal Energy: Moderate〕
Arieus grinned.
“Got you!”
The Coilwyrm struck again.
Arieus ducked and compressed wind around his forearm.
『Activating』《Demon Wind Scythe》
〔C.E. Cost: 120〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 880 → 760 / 880〕
A razor-thin blade of compressed wind formed around his arm. He swung toward the creature’s exposed underside, but the strike glanced off its overlapping armor plates, producing a shrill metallic screech.
“Hard shell!”
Shoen appeared beside him, his expression calm despite the creature’s speed.
『Activating』〈Frozen Shadow〉
〔C.E. Cost: Not yet established〕
Three frozen shadows erupted from the ground and seized the Coilwyrm’s lower body. Ice crawled over its armored plates, spreading from its tail toward its torso.
The creature thrashed violently.
Arieus saw his opening.
He stepped forward, using 《Wind Manipulation》 to redirect the airflow beneath his boots and accelerate into a low slide beneath the monster’s frozen head.
『Activating』《Wind Manipulation》
〔C.E. Cost: 80〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 760 → 680 / 880〕
He emerged beside the creature’s neck and swung again.
『Activating』《Demon Wind Scythe》
〔C.E. Cost: 120〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 680 → 560 / 880〕
This time, the compressed blade struck between two damaged armor plates.
The Coilwyrm screamed.
Its body twisted violently enough to fracture one of Shoen’s icy restraints. The creature ripped its lower body free and whipped its armored tail toward Arieus.
He tried to evade, but he had committed too much of his momentum to the attack.
The tail clipped his right shoulder.
The impact threw him across the stone floor.
Pain exploded through his arm as he struck the ground and skidded backward. His shoulder throbbed, and for a moment his fingers refused to close properly.
Ping!
〔Damage Received: Frostmaw Coilwyrm — Tail Strike〕
〔Health: 100% → 91%〕
〔HP Lost: 9%〕
〔STA: 1,500 → 1,462〕
〔STA Lost: 38 — Impact and Forced Movement〕
〔Injury Assessment: Right Shoulder — Moderate Impact Trauma〕
〔Physical Performance: Slightly Impaired〕
Arieus gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet.
“Okay! That definitely hurt!”
The pain was real. So was the weakness spreading through his shoulder. He could still move his arm, but the impact had made precise movements more difficult.
He had just learned something important.
His attributes might make him stronger and faster than an ordinary person, but they did not make him invulnerable.
The Coilwyrm lunged again.
Arieus rolled beneath its jaws as they snapped shut, then pushed himself away from its head. The creature’s breath washed over him, carrying the bitter smell of damp stone and something metallic.
He scrambled backward and regained his footing.
The Coilwyrm’s body blurred.
It vanished into the darkness above.
Arieus’s eyes narrowed.
He kept 《Chirikal Descry》 active, following the returning ripple as the monster crawled across the ceiling. Its position shifted from one side of the chamber to the other, the energy signature moving faster than his eyes could reliably follow.
“Above me!”
The Coilwyrm dropped.
Arieus waited until the last possible moment.
『Activating』《Shadow Movement》
〔C.E. Cost: 180〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 560 → 380 / 880〕
His body dissolved into the shadow beneath him.
The Coilwyrm crashed through the space where he had stood, its armored head smashing against the floor. Stone fragments scattered across the chamber.
Arieus reappeared behind it, one knee touching the ground.
For an instant, he thought he had outmaneuvered it.
Then the creature twisted.
Its four jaws opened toward him.
Arieus barely raised his arm in time.
『Activating』《Wind Manipulation》
〔C.E. Cost: 80〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 380 → 300 / 880〕
A compressed burst of air struck the Coilwyrm’s head and forced it sideways. Its jaws snapped shut beside Arieus’s face, close enough that he felt the displaced air brush against his cheek.
“Too close!”
The monster’s tail swept toward him again.
Arieus jumped over it, but the Coilwyrm followed immediately, twisting its entire body through the air. Its speed was astonishing for something so heavily armored.
He landed hard and felt the impact travel through his legs.
〔STA: 1,462 → 1,448〕
〔STA Lost: 14 — Hard Landing and Rapid Evasion〕
The Coilwyrm was already closing the distance.
Arieus tried to retreat, but its head cut off his escape route. He pivoted and attempted to slip around its side, only for the creature to snap at him again.
Shoen’s frozen shadows tightened around its rear body, slowing it for a fraction of a second.
“Arieus!”
“I know!”
Arieus thrust both hands forward.
『Activating』《Wind Manipulation》
〔C.E. Cost: 80〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 300 → 220 / 880〕
The air compressed into a narrow blast and struck the Coilwyrm directly in the chest.
The monster slid backward, its claws carving furrows into the stone as it fought to resist the force. Several armor plates cracked, revealing dark tissue beneath.
Arieus spotted the opening.
He moved before the creature could recover.
『Activating』《Shadow Movement》
〔C.E. Cost: 180〕
〔Chirikal Energy: 220 → 40 / 880〕
His body merged with the shadow beneath the Coilwyrm and emerged beside its exposed neck.
The monster sensed him immediately.
Its head snapped around.
Arieus raised his arm, but the familiar blade of compressed wind did not form. His Chirikal Energy had fallen too low to pay for another activation of 《Demon Wind Scythe》.
For the first time since entering the dungeon, his next move was limited not by the monster’s strength, but by his own resource management.
Ping!
〔Chirikal Energy: 40 / 880〕
〔Warning: Insufficient Chirikal Energy for 《Demon Wind Scythe》.〕
Arieus’s grin faltered.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
The Coilwyrm lunged.
He had no time to retreat and no energy for another shadow displacement. Instead, he watched the creature’s movement through 《Chirikal Descry》, waiting until its jaws opened wide enough to expose the softer tissue behind its lower plates.
He stepped inside the attack.
Not away from it.
Inside.
The Coilwyrm’s jaws snapped shut behind him as Arieus drove his forearm into the gap beneath its neck, using the last of his physical momentum to wrench its head sideways.
The maneuver was dangerous. If his timing had been even slightly off, the creature would have caught him between its jaws.
But the Coilwyrm’s earlier injuries had weakened its armor, and Shoen’s ice was still restraining part of its body.
Arieus twisted with the monster’s movement, then drove his heel into the cracked plates along its neck.
The damaged armor broke.
A narrow section of its vulnerable core became exposed.
“Shoen! Now!”
Shoen did not hesitate.
『Activating』〈Frozen Shadow〉
〔C.E. Cost: Not yet established〕
The remaining frozen shadows surged upward, locking the Coilwyrm’s head and neck in place. Ice spread across the exposed tissue, slowing its movements and preventing it from turning toward Arieus.
Arieus stepped away from its jaws, his right shoulder aching and his breathing growing heavier.
He had one opening.
He couldn’t waste it.
He drew back his arm and used the surrounding shadows to brace himself, then struck the exposed core with all the force he could generate without spending more Chirikal Energy.
The Coilwyrm convulsed.
Its claws scraped frantically against the floor. A final shudder passed through its armored body before its head collapsed against the stone.
For several seconds, Arieus remained motionless, watching to make certain it would not rise again.
Then the creature’s energy signature began to fade.
Ping!
〔Frostmaw Coilwyrm defeated.〕
〔+180 EXP〕
Arieus exhaled and lowered himself onto one knee.
His shoulder hurt, his legs felt heavier than they had at the beginning of the encounter, and his Chirikal Energy was nearly exhausted. He had won, but the fight had cost him considerably more than he expected.
He opened his Status HUD.
【STATUS】
Name: Arieus Minazuki
Level: 25
Health: 91%
Chirikal Energy: 40 / 880
STA: 1,448 / 1,500
〔Injury: Right Shoulder — Moderate Impact Trauma〕
〔Condition: Fatigue Accumulating〕
Arieus stared at the numbers.
“I really need to stop spending everything at once…”
He had entered the fight eager to test his new abilities. Now he understood that possessing several powerful skills did not mean he could use them all whenever he wanted.
Every activation had a cost. Every dodge demanded effort. Every mistake could leave him injured and make the next encounter more dangerous.
And he had used 《Shadow Movement》 twice without considering how little Chirikal Energy he would have left afterward.
He closed the Status HUD.
“I need to fight smarter.”
The Coilwyrm’s body dissolved into dark particles, leaving behind a few fragments of blue-black armor that clattered across the floor.
Arieus kept 《Chirikal Descry》 active, carefully monitoring the surrounding signatures. With his Chirikal Energy so low, he knew he could not continue using expensive skills indefinitely. He needed to conserve what remained and rely on his natural senses until he recovered.
The returning ripples revealed no additional signatures approaching.
Genryu stepped closer, studying the fallen creature before looking at Arieus.
“You all right?”
Arieus flexed his injured hand. The movement sent a dull ache through his shoulder, but his fingers responded.
“I think so. Nothing feels broken, but that tail strike definitely wasn’t pleasant.”
“Then remember it,” Genryu replied. “A monster doesn’t need to kill you with one attack. Sometimes it only needs to leave you too exhausted to survive the next one.”
Arieus glanced at the remains of the Coilwyrm.
The lesson was painfully clear.
He had survived his first serious dungeon encounter, but he had burned through most of his available energy and taken a direct hit because he had focused too much on offense.
Genryu’s expression softened slightly.
“Now you’re thinking like an adventurer.”
Arieus rose carefully, favoring his injured shoulder.
His grin returned, though this time it carried a little more caution.
“Fine. Next time, I’ll make sure the monster runs out of options before I run out of energy.”
Shoen glanced at him.
“Preferably before it hits you.”
“That’s the plan.”
Donevan gave a low chuckle from farther down the passage.
“Good plan. You should try it sometime.”
Arieus turned toward him.
“I’m starting to understand why Priscilla teases you so much.”
Donevan stopped chewing.
“Now hold on—”
Priscilla laughed, and even Genryu allowed himself a faint smile.
For a brief moment, the tension eased.
Then Arieus looked deeper into Reapers Domain.
His shoulder still hurt. His stamina had not fully recovered. His Chirikal Energy was nearly depleted, and the first monster had already forced him to change his approach.
Whatever waited farther inside, he would have to face it with a better understanding of his limits.
He took a steady breath.
“Let’s keep moving. But this time, I’m watching my resources.”
