After consuming the cores of two Trolls and gaining regeneration, Darwin felt his body become lighter than ever—brimming with energy. Zero glanced at one side of the ruined wall and said softly, "Darwin… the hidden room's forge is nearby. I can feel it."
"Then let's head there right away," Darwin replied enthusiastically.
They made their way through narrow corridors until they reached a faint wall covered in optical illusion—and after Zero touched the symbol above it, the wall vanished like smoke.
They entered.
The room was dark and silent, but a foul stench and rustling sounds greeted them almost immediately. Slowly, light from crystals above began to glow, revealing a wide space like an underground arena—and inside, dozens of monsters wandered: humanoid lizards, massive insects, even horned wolf-like creatures.
Darwin looked at them with a wild grin. "Zero… your meal has arrived."
Zero smirked. "This time, I'll devour them without restraint."
Darwin drew his twin daggers and dashed into the center of the arena. His steps were swift, his body light, and the blades in his hands moved like dancers.
A humanoid lizard lunged from the right—Darwin spun, deflected with his left dagger, and drove the right into the creature's neck. Green blood spurted, and the body collapsed.
A giant insect crawled toward him with spiked legs—Darwin ran up the wall, then leapt from above, driving both blades into its head while shouting, "DIE!"
He rolled, then slashed two wolf monsters in one swift motion. The gust from his daggers was strong enough to slice through a nearby iron chain.
Three monsters surrounded him from behind, but Darwin jumped high, spun mid-air, and threw his right dagger into one of their eyes. As he landed, he pulled the blade from the corpse and slashed the other two down in a brutal flurry.
The room turned into a slaughterhouse. Corpses littered the floor. Blood stained the ground. Monster shrieks mixed with Darwin's manic laughter.
"HAH! NOW THIS—IS WHAT I CALL TRAINING!!"
Eventually, all the monsters were slain.
Darwin stood at the center of the battlefield, panting, his body drenched in enemy blood. But then something strange happened: he didn't feel hungry.
"Huh? That's weird… Why don't I feel hungry?" Darwin asked, touching his stomach.
Zero answered flatly, "That's my blessing. I couldn't stand watching you eat like a wild beast anymore."
Darwin pouted. "I was starving, okay? If I had fire, I'd have cooked it first."
Zero waved a hand dismissively. "You were beyond reason. You bit into it like roasted meat."
Darwin pointed at himself angrily. "I was still sane!"
Zero didn't respond. Instead, he glanced at the pile of monster bodies. "Monster cores fill you up now. So it's fine. But if you miss human cooking, that's another matter."
Darwin sighed. "Yeah… I miss hot rice, soup, and meat. How long have I even been stuck in this place?"
Zero just shrugged. "Don't think about it. Just focus."
Darwin began gathering the monster cores one by one. Once they were collected, Zero opened his mouth wide and—GRRAKK… CHUPP… the sound of devouring echoed through the room, disgusting and impressive at the same time.
Suddenly—DARWIN CRIED OUT!
"ARRGH!" He clutched his head.
But this time, the pain wasn't as intense as before. Slowly, the sensation flowed… then faded. He blinked. The room looked brighter—even though the crystal lights had gone out.
"I can see… in the dark?"
Zero nodded. "Night Vision. That skill is very useful in dungeons without lighting."
"Nice… But why only one?" Darwin grumbled.
"That's how it should be," said Zero while eyeing his body. "Skills aren't supposed to come in rapid succession like before. But your body… is different. Maybe because you're not from this world."
Darwin fell silent, then took out the Speed skill crystal from his pocket. "Alright then… how do I use this?"
Zero raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you already absorb a crystal before?"
"That was an accident, okay? I was ambushed by skeletons. It just got absorbed on its own."
Zero chuckled. "Just hold the crystal and imagine the skill merging with your body."
Darwin did as told. As soon as he touched it, the crystal glowed and melted into his palm. His body seized—pain shot through his legs—as if his muscles and bones were being restructured. But once it was over…
"Whoa…" Darwin jumped. His body surged forward five meters with a single push of his legs.
"My speed increased drastically! But… it drains stamina." He took a breath. "I need to train so I can use this without burning out."
Lastly, Darwin looked at the purple fruit in his hand. "Time for today's final experiment."
He bit into it—the taste was sweet, like a regular apple. But shortly after…
"Ugh… My eyes… itchy… Ants? Why does it feel like something's crawling behind my eyeballs?!"
His eyes twitched violently. But after the sensation passed, he opened them wide—and was stunned.
"I can see REALLY far… and in great detail!"
He could see tiny cracks on the far wall, even a small insect in the corner.
Zero smiled. "That's one of the best effects. Precise vision is incredibly useful for long-range combat."
Darwin nodded with satisfaction. "Nice. I like this power."
Zero walked to the corner of the room and sat down. "You've absorbed too much for today. Rest. We'll head to the next room once you've recovered."
Darwin finally sat down, back against the wall. His eyes still glowed with new power, but his body began to feel tired—and he drifted off to sleep.
Darwin awoke with his body still feeling heavy, but his breathing was steady. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the dungeon ceiling above him.
"Wake up, Darwin," Zero's voice came low but sharp, filled with tension.
Darwin blinked. "Is something wrong?"
Zero turned, his crimson eyes narrowing. "Something's watching. Quick, activate Stealth."
Reflexively, Darwin moved his hand to his chest, envisioning a veil of mist covering his body. He faded, vanishing into the shadows, blending with the darkness of the room. He held his breath. All he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart.
From the hallway on the right side of the room, a horrifying creature emerged—bipedal, floating without a sound, its body cloaked in tattered black robes, its face a skeletal mask with glowing green eyes, burning like cursed flames. It glided forward slowly, its form like smoke caught in a cold wind. The creature was Wrath—a guardian of darkness, a soul-hunter that punished intruders who dared defile this place.
It floated in slow circles, moving cautiously, as if sniffing out their presence. Darwin could even smell the scent of sulfur and death wafting from the creature. He stayed completely still, cold sweat soaking his back.
Several minutes passed—minutes that felt like hours—in suffocating silence. Then, Wrath slowly drifted away, vanishing back into the dark hallway, dissolving into the stillness as if it had never existed.
Darwin exhaled deeply and slowly emerged from Stealth mode.
"What was that?" he asked in a low voice, still shaken by the terrifying presence moments ago.
Zero stared intently at the corridor Wrath had just passed through. "That was one of the servants of this dungeon's master. He might've sensed intruders and sent a scout to confirm. If we get caught, more than one Wrath will come."
"So… we're racing against time," Darwin nodded slowly, trying to regulate his breathing. "We have two options: head to the hidden room or go straight to the boss room. If we go to the secret place, I might become stronger. But if Wrath shows up while we're fighting monsters there, we're dead. On the other hand… if we go straight to the boss, I have no idea how strong he is."
Darwin fell silent for a moment, eyes locked on the ground as if trying to visualize every possible scenario.
Zero added, "We should wait until you're stronger. The dungeon boss isn't a regular monster. He's a Lich. He commands an army of undead and can use tier five magic. One small mistake, and we'll be nothing but bones."
Darwin remained quiet. His head was still aching from his previous evolution, but his mind was clear. He knew Zero was right. An enemy like that couldn't be faced with half-baked strength.
"Alright," he said at last. "We'll go to the next hidden room. I'm not ready to turn into ashes before I get to eat hot rice again in the real world."
Zero gave a faint smile, then without another word, stepped toward the wall on the left side of the room. A small symbol was etched there—unnoticeable to the untrained eye. He touched it, and the wall slowly shifted, revealing a path to the next secret chamber. Cold air and the scent of damp earth spilled out.
"Get ready, Darwin," Zero whispered. "This place might be even more dangerous than the last."
Darwin clenched his fists. His gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he stepped into the shadows of the next room.