Boran woke up to find the air hot and stuffy in his room. He quickly dressed and headed outside, still full from last night's dinner.
He entered the Infinite Tavern, making his way through hundreds of adventurers toward the quest board. A window appeared as he approached.
The window displayed quests suitable for his level range of 3–8.
[Twilight Pit (3-8)]
[Kill 20 Dark Crawlers]
[Kill 20 Gloomy Hunters]
[Kill 20 Bone Walkers]
[Eternal Guardian - Kill Mur-Azar]
[Reward: 5000 XP, 500 gold]
After accepting the quest, he exited through the large door to the Hub and entered the Twilight Pit without hesitation.
The darkness in the Twilight Pit felt almost tangible. Phosphorescent moss covered the stalactites, bathing the dungeon in an eerie bluish light. A strange smell of moisture and mold permeated the air.
Water pooled on the ground, each step echoing through empty corridors. Rough, damp rocks lined the walls, occasionally revealing bone fragments and discarded weapons—remnants of fallen adventurers.
The dungeon grew more complex as he ventured deeper. Narrow passages branched from the main corridor into small chambers and vast halls. Deep pits dotted some halls, emanating ominous hissing sounds.
Deep within, the walls took on an organic appearance—as if the dungeon itself were alive and breathing. Distant moans and creaking bones betrayed the presence of deadly creatures.
A dark shadow glided around the corner. As Boran's eyes adjusted, he made out a giant crawler, three meters long with pale gray skin, moving in coils along the ground. Instead of eyes, it had deep pits in its head that seeped a light fluid.
The Dark Crawler flicked its tongue, sensing its surroundings. Its chest expanded and contracted like bellows, muscles rippling beneath its skin. Long, sharp teeth jutted from its mouth, dark liquid dripping from its jaw.
The creature halted, tilting its head toward Boran's position. It had sensed him. Its tongue flicked faster as it curved backward like a drawn bow, ready to strike.
Boran gripped his shield firmly, prepared for the Dark Crawler's attack.
The Dark Crawler lunged with incredible speed, spraying poisonous fluids from its mouth.
Just as it reached him, Boran swung his shield.
"Stunning Shield Bash! (SSB)"
[You dealt 16 damage]
The shield struck the Dark Crawler's head with a resounding crack that echoed off the dungeon walls. The creature staggered, its head whipping sideways as it lost balance. The force threw it back several meters.
The creature shook its head, dazed. The fluid seeping from its head pits had darkened, forming small pools below.
Suddenly, the Dark Crawler threw back its head and sprayed dark, steaming liquid toward Boran. Despite raising his shield, he couldn't completely block the attack.
[You took 12 damage]
[Remaining HP 183]
"I didn't know it could spit," Boran muttered through clenched teeth. As the creature prepared another lunge, he felt his shield ability ready again.
When the Dark Crawler charged, Boran swung his shield with even greater force.
"SSB!"
[You dealt 18 damage - Critical Hit!]
The strike staggered the beast. The shield's sharp edge caught one of the head pits, drawing an angry hiss as droplets formed below.
The Dark Crawler attacked again with renewed fury and speed. Boran, waiting for his shield ability to refresh, rolled right to dodge its poisonous spit and razor-sharp teeth.
After missing its target, the crawler whirled around immediately. Boran kept moving between the dungeon walls, dodging attacks while waiting for Stunning Shield Bash to become available.
The creature spat again. Boran dodged at the last second, and the acid-like liquid began corroding the wall behind him.
"SSB!"
Boran's shield shot out like a bullet, its wooden surface gleaming in the pale blue light. The strike caught the Dark Crawler's neck with a sharp crack.
[You dealt 18 damage - Critical Hit!]
The crawler's head twisted unnaturally. Its body convulsed once before collapsing lifelessly, black fluid seeping from its head pits and releasing a metallic odor.
[1/20 Dark Crawlers killed]
[You gained 50 XP]
[You gained 1 Dark Scale]
"Haha! Two critical hits in a row! I don't know how I managed that, but it felt great. One Dark Crawler I can handle. Three SSBs to kill them isn't bad—I can take on one or two at a time."
[Dark Scale, a rare material that drops from Dark Crawlers. These scales are special pieces that break off from the creature's skin and contain its poisonous essence. Craftsmen use these scales to make high-level poison-resistant armor. Additionally, alchemists consider these scales a valuable ingredient in various potion recipes. The chance of a single scale dropping from a Dark Crawler is quite low. Therefore, it fetches high prices in the market.]
"That could be useful. But didn't the notification show 183 health remaining? I wonder about my total health."
He opened his character panel to check.
[Health Points: 183/195(+25)]
[Mana: 77/80]
"Wow, my health has increased significantly! I gained forty from leveling up twice, plus twenty-five from equipment. But where did the rest come from?"
When he held his hand over his health points, an extra screen appeared.
[Base Health Points 114, Health Points from Endurance 56(+30 equipment, title), Health Points from Equipment 25]
"So endurance points directly increase my health. I should keep investing in endurance."
Boran advanced carefully through the dungeon corridors. After his encounter with the Dark Crawler, he moved more cautiously, shield ready at every corner.
Soon he noticed a strange glow on the dungeon walls. Approaching closer, he discovered a small cluster of bluish-glowing mushrooms.
"What's this?" he murmured, leaning in for a better look.
[Measuring Plant Level...]
[Level 1 Phosphor Mushroom discovered]
[These rare mushrooms grow in dark dungeon environments and naturally emit light. They are used by alchemists in the creation of various illumination potions. They can also be used as a component for some wizards' spells.]
"Interesting," said Boran. He carefully collected the mushroom and placed it in an empty inventory slot, watching it vanish from his hand and appear in storage. "It might be useful later. I should keep moving."