Max had to use the public washroom, and it seemed like he'd be using it for a while. Outside felt noisy, bright, and warmer — something Max didn't mind at first — but it was beginning to take a toll on his mind.
He could hear distant chatter, see the texture of leaves on the trees, and even feel the slightest movement of the wind brushing against his skin. It was exhausting. Beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead as dizziness hit him hard.
Max had no choice but to rush back inside and lock himself in. His senses were heightened, and the sudden exposure to the outside world was too much — especially with the mana in his body still unstable.
"I need more mana crystals... and to reach a stable stage," Max said out loud.
Years of living alone had left him with the habit of talking to himself. It was his way of coping with isolation — sometimes, words were better out than in.
After about half an hour, Max finally calmed down. He had foreseen this scenario; it was mentioned in the manual, and he had prepared for it accordingly. He re-read the section:
"If the cultivator is using a technique for the first time, he may feel overwhelmed due to sudden changes in bodily functions. The cultivator must continue developing the technique until the mana within stabilizes."
Max raised an eyebrow. "Thank me, I prepped a few things beforehand... hehehe."
A grin tugged at his lips. He remembered the extra 1,000 nits he'd spent on equipment. Costly, but worth every bit.
He stood up and opened the second package inside the black box. It was heavy, packed with tools. After skimming the manual, he stuffed everything into a bag.
He couldn't afford proper protective gear — which costs over 5,000 nits — so he settled for second-hand, high-quality cycling gear. Helmet, aerodynamic glasses, knee pads, shoes, a thin but full-body protective suit, chest plates, and — most importantly — spinal protection.
He packed light and fast. Everything went into a backpack. He was ready to re-enter the dark dungeon.
Max stood before the toilet pot. A flash of memory hit him — what happened the last time. For a second, fear gripped his chest.
"There's still time... I could give up..."
Slap!
He lightly slapped his cheek and took a deep breath.
"No. I can't give up after coming this far. I have to be better than this. I will become better than me."
Almost without hesitation, he pulled the flush lever and closed his eyes.
With a gurgling sound, the spiral started again — faster and more violently this time. Space twisted, the air distorted, and in the next second, Max was sucked into the dark dungeon.
"Fuck me twice," he cursed as the sharp pain returned to his skull. Even with his eyes shut, the nausea rolled back through his gut.
Thud!
He hit the ground hard — and immediately blew up, vomiting the last contents of his stomach. Max lay on his back, staring up at the same weird red sky again.
It took him nearly an hour to calm down completely.
"Is this because of my enhanced senses?" he murmured.
He sat up and surveyed the space. He had watched countless videos of expert Explorers tackling new dungeons — and he had a plan.
First: Scan the area — a 100-meter radius, roughly.
Max carefully mapped it out, noting every detail. Most important were the mana crystal clusters, rocky structures in which mana crystals grew. There were fifteen in total.
The ground was dusty, red, and soft. Max felt like the gravity here was higher than Earth's — which would reduce his speed and increase the damage from falling.
Then came the key landmark: the dark portal he'd arrived from. It sat at the center of the space, surrounded by a faint, 2-meter radius dome — a hemispherical energy shield.
The safe zone.
He plotted it all down, took photos, and packed his bag. His heart thudded wildly. What he was about to do next... was risky.
"Next… I… I need to test the monster's timing," he whispered.
His voice trembled as he stepped outside the golden dome, eyes wide.
According to dungeon mechanics, monsters didn't appear randomly — there had to be a trigger. In violet dungeons, slimes only spawned 30 seconds after entry. In indigo ones, poison slimes appeared after crossing a 10-meter mark.
Max had to find the trigger here.
He stood still, waiting.
Five minutes passed. Ten. Fifteen.
Nothing.
"So… it's not time-based," he muttered, taking another careful step forward.
His legs trembled. Every nerve in his body was on high alert. One sound — one flicker — and he'd bolt back to the safe zone.
He took another step. Then another. Ten steps. Still nothing.
The silence unnerved him more than the threat of monsters. His gut twisted.
He moved in a cautious circle, staying close to the safe zone.
The monsters weren't coming, but he didn't dare his guard down either. Now, he needed to get the crystal from Crystal Cluster and escape before the monsters came.
Each Crystal cluster had two to three mana crystals. These were rare — unlike basic dungeons where crystals could be picked up once and were gone, a flower could regenerate crystals over time.
The only catch was that Max had to harvest them carefully.
He took out two pieces of equipment from his backpack. One was shaped like a clamp — a crystal extractor designed to carefully harvest mana from clusters. The second was a small, glass-like container.
Max carefully placed the extractor on the crystal and twisted it clockwise, just as the manual instructed.
Thunnggg!
A sharp crack echoed through the air — a sound like metal hitting stone. Max's eyes snapped open. His ears picked up movement.
"The trigger is… sound," he muttered.
He didn't even bother securing the crystal in the container. He turned and bolted toward the safe zone with everything he had.
The scene was all too familiar. He knew what was about to happen.
It was coming.
"Grrrrrrrrrr…"
A deep, low growl rumbled from somewhere nearby. Max could hear it — coming from below.
He focused every fiber of his body on running. A second later, it appeared.
The flying monster — a grotesque creature — soared into view, launching from the other side of the safe zone and heading straight for Max.
"Grragaggrggrrrrr…"
It growled again, more aggressive, more present. In a flash, it was upon him. Its long, fleshy tentacles lashed out in all directions.
Max ducked the same way he had the first time. He almost made it — but one of the tentacles latched onto his wrist. The force yanked him off the ground, lifting him into the air. More tentacles lunged toward him.
He tired to break free, but the difference in strength was too big.
No time to think.
Max leaned in and bit down on the tentacle with every ounce of strength he had.
"Grraaahhh!!" the monster shrieked, this time in pain.
Black blood oozed from the tentacle as it recoiled in shock. That single moment was all Max needed.
He broke free and sprinted to the safe zone. The monster tried to follow but couldn't keep up.
Max dived straight into the black portal, like diving into the water.
The world twisted and swirled around him, space folding violently — and the next instant, he was thrown out into his bathroom, slamming hard against the ceiling before crashing to the floor.
The extractor, container, and mana crystal scattered around him.
Max's finger shook uncontrollably, realising what he just did. He touched his lips and froze — black blood.
His heart skipped a beat.
"I need to act quickly," he thought, shoving the mana crystal into the container. He tore off his helmet and rushed to the sink.
He began scrubbing and rinsing his mouth, desperate to get any trace of the monster's blood out of his system. He gargled and shoved his fingers into his throat, forcing himself to vomit.
Monster blood was dangerous to humans. Given enough quantity, it could even act as a lethal poision.
But maybe… maybe it was already too late.
A wave of dizziness hit him like a truck.
Max collapsed to the floor.