I did it! Sweet Selene. I freaking broke through the strength barrier and raised it to level two. My muscles condensed and thickened. I gained a little bit of bulk, but it was minor, and no one would be able to spot the difference between my rank one physique and rank two. I could tell, and probably Lana too. In an effort to expunge my excitement, I punched the few remaining stalactites, obliterating them into dust. The few victims left me hungering for more targets. The cavern wall was the closest solution. I turned the tangle of plants and roots to ice and punched to my heart's content.

Ice cracked and shattered, breaking massive chunks off the wall. My armor-covered fists felt the impact of each heavy blow. I'd need to figure out how to strengthen my armor eventually. I pushed through the pain and punched away. I broke through the wall in a matter of minutes, creating a hole the size of my head.

Light gleaned through the hole. I peered through it and found the lair of the wolfbears. It was a colony of the beasts, and they were fenced in. Hunger for fight urged me to challenge them. I summoned a massive war hammer and slammed it into the frozen wall. A quarter of the wall broke, and the falling ice alerted the beasts on the other side. I broke another half of the wall apart and stepped to the other side just as the ambitious pack leaders arrived.

We laughed as we fought. I didn't bother using anything other than my fist and ice armor for the first five hundred fights. The beasts tried their best to swarm me and use their superior numbers and size as an advantage. They didn't realize my strength outranked theirs. I boxed bears until the ground was bloody. When I got tired, I equipped my large claymores and delivered a quick death. The wolfbears started to fear me; the weaker of the pack fled while the strong stayed to fight. I was too strong and knew how they fought all too well. Superiors, grands, and a few epics fell at my feet. At the end of the slaughter, only one was left laughing.

I stepped back into the jungle, my hunger for a fight not satiated, and finished the quest to cleanse the rot. When the mission was completed, I received no reward or praise for my actions. A small improvement to my physique was reward enough.

I ventured back into the wolfbear den. The stench of death was overwhelming, and pale gray mana filled the cavern, which was half the size of the jungle. Stone fences kept the packs of wolfbears from running wild, or they had until they were destroyed along with most of the packs. At the back of the wolf pit was a tunnel. Curiosity got the best of me, so I followed the trail. I walked two steps and collapsed. I'd run out of time.

I woke up standing in a puddle of water. My hand stretched out, and blue refreshing mana accumulated on my fingers. I kept my head low as I retrieved my body and returned to the dungeon.

The jungle and I became intimately familiar over the course of a year. For several loops, I spent the entire time fighting the foul beasts and trees that resided inside, sharpening my skills. Vines and I were practically frenemies, though the tree chose to erase me from its memory. I didn't blame it. The regular wolfbears no longer posed a threat; however, deeper into the layer, I discovered a new challenge. It was no spirit tree; this was an epic rank wolfbear that had awakened.

"Finally. It isn't nice to keep a queen waiting," The awakened beast said. The voice had a deep growl but was more feminine than I expected. Ignored guilt settled on my back. The bear lady sat on a stone chair as she polished the claws extending from her hand. She focused on her hand's long, slender fingers and the sharp claws that held her attention.

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I cleared my throat. The last time I talked was to Tents, but that was months ago. The only voice I'd been hearing was mine and the trees that taunted me with my own voice—so more of myself...

"I… Thi—"

"Silence. You have not earned the right to speak." The bear lady stood. She wasn't as bulky as the wolfbears, but she was still twice as thick as me and two feet taller. She wore no clothes, relying on her fur to keep her covered. The awakened wolfbear flashed a wicked smile. As she licked her lips, I feared she'd slice her tongue on her sharp teeth. The bear winked at me and hurled a stone spear.

Constant fighting had improved my senses. Experience taught me to never trust what you can't see. Dodging wasn't an option. I slammed my foot down, forcing walls of ice to protect me. I kicked the ice wall before me and rolled out as spears shot from the ceiling and floor. A dome covered the women and me in ice. As mist filled my shell, I threw a dozen ice bombs. They exploded in a flash of ice, and I used the distraction to disappear into my mist.

"You can not hide from me."

I turned to counter the whispers at my back. A thick ice shield formed in arms to block the blow. I needed to roll away. My shield blocked the spears. I motioned to dodge as a volley of spears crashed into my back. My roll was ruined, and I was pushed forward. A boulder slammed into my face. I stumbled back into an ax attack. This one broke through my ice but didn't pierce through my skin. Water mana distorted beneath, and an earth spear shot through the cracks, ramming into my body. It felt all too familiar.

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"Finally. It isn't proper to keep a queen wait—"

"I know. I'm sorry." This time, I came prepared to fight. "You've got a lovely place. Did you decorate yourself?"

I summoned my ice dome as the ceiling collapsed. The intense weight strained my mana, forcing me to support my barrier. Spears flew into the side, and the ground beneath disappeared. I pushed ice below me, filling the growing gap. I couldn't keep up with the lady bear's digging speed but had no choice but to turtle in my shell. Earth piled on.

It was a lonely week in my shell. As much as I called for the bear, she refused to hear me out. She kept the ground solid and fortified. My ice pick met solid stone when I tried to dig myself out. All that I could do was cycle and meditate.

I reached out to Tents multiple times, but he continued to slip past my reach. I feared he was doing a number on my mind. There was no way the entity would remain passive.

That line of thought woke a new fear. How did I protect my mind from inside attacks? Was that even possible? In all my cultivating years, I never encountered a mind manipulator. Nor even hear mention of them. There were people with high charisma who nearly convinced me to sell my store to them, but they did it with a smile and assured me they were doing it with the best of intentions. The gains would always be worth it. Mind magic, though, picking at someone's thoughts and changing them seemed all sorts of corrupt. Cal played a dirty game.

I needed to prepare to counter his unseen attacks. Another quest to add to the list and most likely move up in priority.

The end finally came when the air I breathed poisoned my lungs. No matter how much I rasped, I couldn't catch my breath.