Melken ran into the Dungeon with a sigh.

What had once been a simple magic anomaly had now become an unprepared dungeon dive.

Such a thing was suicide to most people who knew what they were doing in the field. A Dungeon could always create monsters perfectly suited to any type of situation, while an adventurer or a soldier meanwhile could at best imitate three different roles.

Each of which was far lower in quality compared to someone who specialized in one.

It was why people traveled in groups when entering a dungeon. It was for their own survivability and safety. Sure they would have to share experience when they killed something but it was a worthwhile sacrifice when compared to the threat of constant death that solo's encountered.

Even if they died, if a person was at a party their body could be recovered and sent back to the family of the deceased. Solo's had only their luck if they died, they had to pray that a roaming group would find their body before the Dungeon claimed it. Then they had to pray further they took the body back with them and didn't just rob the corpse.

Melken, if this dungeon had been any stronger. Then he would've run and reported back, before waiting a day or two before taking a more well-trained group back to it and having them clear it.

But this Dungeon was new? Probably a few weeks old given the strength of the mob. Sure he had been poisoned, but the venom racing through his veins was barely doing anything. The Dungeon had likely just strengthened the poison and not taken into account how different poisons had different effects on different species.

This poison, for example, would only cause an elf to break out in hives if they were of a low enough level, for someone like Melken? His level was high enough that the wound would only look a little bit redder after it was healed. And his cuts were had already scabbed.

Melken rushed into the Dungeon, ready for a fight. And a fight did he get.

Around thirteen bugs hovered right outside the Dungeon entrance, their eyes looking at him with utter hatred. They had seen what he had done to their sisters, and he would pay.

Four immediately broke off and hurled themselves right to his face. With two more groups of four breaking off and heading to his left and right. Melken channeled Meferios. A roar of holy sun-flame coming out of his hands and shooting towards the group of bugs heading straight towards them.

The blast of holy sun-flame enveloped the entire group. Turning the once hate-filled mobs into melting statues. Their exoskeleton cracking and breaking apart, their body collapsing as their outer-skeleton gave out.

Bug blood and tissue were quickly incinerated. When the flame settled, what was left of the group was only a charred exoskeleton slopping off half-incinerated organs.

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Melken had barely any time to admire the quick slaughter of bugs he had just committed when a silver blade came forth. Slashing deep into his shoulder. Melken quickly backed away from his attacker. Holding his knife out, preparing to cut the bug apart.

The bug didn't give him the chance. Magical power rushed out of the silver hook on its face. Pulsing green energy roaring outwards and coating the blade.

The hook shot forward and stabbed deep into Melken's stomach. The magical power inside the blade seeping out and into his muscles and fat.

Melken swung his dagger, activating one of his few skills. {Frost Slice}. His dagger was suddenly enveloped in freezing ice. The blade suddenly growing several inches and ending in a sharp point.

Melken swung his ice-covered dagger, now more like a short sword. The blade cutting deep into the midsection of the bug.

The mob quickly swung its silver hook straight at Melken's face. But ice shards quickly grew out of the bug's stomach. Impaling it inside out. The light and hate in the eyes of the creature gave out and it collapsed.

Melken wasn't given a reprieve when seven more bugs quickly swarmed him. Swinging around the hooks on their face at him with wild abandon.

Melken brought up both his arms in defense, letting out a pained snarl as dozens of stone points and silver hooks stabbed and tore into his arm flesh.

Melken imagined a wave of frost coming out of him, surrounding both his arms in an icy block. Before lacing the image with magical power. Melken's arms immediately began to freeze solid. Trapping two hooks of the attacking mobs.

The bugs that weren't frozen quickly backed up as their trapped sisters were quickly frozen solid. Melken didn't hesitate and swung his encased arms at the wall of the cave. Shattering the icy encasing and the bugs inside.

Melken slowly turned to the bugs hovering just afoot or two away. They looked at his mangled arms, he looked at their low numbers.

Both of them were in a stand-off. Melken needed to get out, this Dungeon was far stronger than anticipated. And it was only a few weeks old! Everyone knows that the first few weeks of a dungeon's life were the slowest. Mainly due to them blacking out most of the time.

But this Dungeon had created mobs that could challenge and probably even kill him if he let them. This Dungeon was definitely fit for being a Training Ground.

Interrupting Melken from his thoughts, two waves of flames smashed into the bugs from behind. Annihilating the entire group in an instant. Melken's thoughts briefly went to that of a good elfitarian. That idea went out the window when an owl shot out of the cooking bugs.

Melken quickly threw himself back, narrowly avoiding a wave of boiling heat that hit where he just was. Turning the once cool stone into a fiery red.

The cave around him was suddenly alit with that of flame, and he smelled cooked meat all around him. As Melkens eyes tried to adjust to the sudden brightness around him. The owl soared forth stabbed its claws deep into Melkens neck. Before ripping its talons out and soaring backward.

Melken's hands immediately went to his punctured throat, blood pouring outward and turning his clothes red. The owl, seeing Melken now wide open. Swung its wings and released a powerful wave of magic. Melkens mind was suddenly filled with screaming pain as his flesh burned and cooked.

That was the worst part about the owl, its flames weren't meant for war, but for cooking. It had served as a helpful companion to a traveling noble cook. Who had used its flames to cook wild game to perfection.

But when used in battle, the flames would cripple those who stood in the owl's way, slowly killing them as their carcasses were turned into food, only the best for her and her children, after all.

The owl showed a sadistic smile as Melken's screams echoed through the Dungeon.