part1 · 052-ep52

Episode 52: The Fourth Floor's Monster

Seeing the monster emerge from the darkness, Ren readied his spear.

Four-legged. A size bigger than a Grayfang. Near-black gray fur covered a long, lean body.

Two short horns on its head. Jaws lined with sharp fangs. And three sharp claws extending from each long foreleg.

"...Never seen this one."

Ren carefully put distance between them. The monster lowered into a crouch.

"Appraisal."

《Name: Darkhound》

《Type: Monster》

《Trait: High agility, sharp claws》

《Attacks: Bites, claws》

"...A speed type, huh."

He took in what the display told him. The fourth floor. A monster he'd never seen.

No room for carelessness.

The Darkhound kicked off the ground.

"—!"

Ren triggered 《Body Strengthening》. Magic flowed into his legs, and he leapt sideways.

Right after, sharp claws swept past right in front of him.

"Fast...!"

Faster than a Grayfang. Ren readied his spear again at once.

The Darkhound changed direction. This time, it came head-on.

"Come on!"

Ren thrust out his spear. But the Darkhound dropped low and slipped past it.

"Wha...!"

It slipped straight inside his guard. Claws closing in.

Ren took it on the spear's shaft.

—Clang!

"Heavy...!"

The impact knocked him back several steps. The monster pressed in.

Ren ran. Made space. Catching his breath, he watched the monster's movements.

"It's fast, but..."

It wasn't just fast. Right before every attack, it always dropped low. A faint tell lived in that windup.

"Then..."

The Darkhound took off again. Ren didn't move.

He let it come. Closer still.

And—

"Now!"

Power flooded his legs with 《Body Strengthening》, and he leapt sideways. The Darkhound's claws cut through empty air.

In that instant, Ren wheeled around.

"There!"

Spear thrust. It caught the monster's shoulder.

"Yes!"

The Darkhound pulled back. Ren didn't chase.

He adjusted his flow of magic. Strong only in the moments it was needed. Nothing wasted.

"One more time..."

The monster closed in. Ren stepped in to meet it.

The distance between them vanished in an instant.

Claws. Spear.

Each dodging the other's attacks.

And at the last—

Ren's spear caught the monster. The Darkhound dropped to the ground.

"...Got it."

Ren lowered his spear and caught his breath. Clearly different from the monsters of the third floor.

Faster, and its attacks sharper. Even so — only everything he'd learned until now had let him win.

For a while, Ren checked over his body.

"..."

Nothing happened. No special change inside his body. No feeling of a skill activating, either.

"...Nothing this time, huh."

What came to Ren's mind was 《Survival Adaptation》.

When he'd been driven into danger before, his body had changed. But not this time.

No voice announcing an activation, either.

"...Means it wasn't needed yet?"

The reason why, Ren couldn't say.

Only—

This time, he'd gotten through on his own strength. That much he knew.

"Gotta get even stronger."

Ren faced forward.

Then—

From far off, a faint sound drifted over.

"...There's more than one."

Ren re-gripped his spear.

He'd only just entered the fourth floor. The exploring had barely begun.