I thought I had died, but as soon as I began to wake up again, I realized that it wasn’t true. It was only natural… still; I didn’t feel much relief or fear since I knew that I was still in a bind. That thing… that monster froze the area in a few seconds and stopped Cassius’ whole plan.

I felt my body hurting like a bitch, and it was cold too… slowly. I opened my eyes and then found myself with my legs stuck in a block of ice and my body bent forward in a weird position thanks to it. I immediately woke up thanks to the shock.

‘What the hell…’

I recalled what had happened and wondered if I was adrift in the sea… but I wasn’t. I was in a dark place and relatively dry. I saw blocks of ice around me, but they were bigger and hadn’t melted at all. Still, I could worry about that later. I had to free myself.

The place was pretty quiet, and I didn’t know what or who was around, so I decided to melt the ice slowly by taking out the Scorching Bow that I made using the materials of the giant fire bat. The ice began to melt and my body warmed up as well. After a couple of minutes, I was completely free, and I frowned since my appearance was the same as before. I was moved to somewhere else, but the bandages around my body hadn’t been taken.

While I was confused, I checked the ice blocks around and then frowned when I saw some people inside… they were the armored guards that worked for Cassius. They looked pretty dead, with some spear wounds on their bodies and nasty burn marks as well. There were some that didn’t have that many wounds in their bodies, and the ice was melting fast around them.

‘The fact that they are alive is the cause of melting the ice, but why and how?’

We wouldn’t be able to live in such a state for several minutes, much less the necessary time for a huge block of ice to melt. It was also the spell that a monster used. A monster of that size should be insanely strong, strong enough to crush us alive with ease.

I wondered if I should finish them off, but it might be too hasty. Even if they were enemies, they might know where I was. In any case, I checked the place and couldn’t but squint my eyes… it looked exactly like a boss chamber, that wasn’t a good sign.

After looking around for a bit, I soon found a corridor that also resembled the most basic levels of a dungeon. That gave me the creeps…

‘Shit, what now?’

I wanted to believe that I wasn’t inside a dungeon, but that would be naïve thinking. In the end, I knew that time was also of the essence, so I couldn’t waste time hesitating. I reloaded my hand crossbow and then got ready to explore the path ahead. For a bit, nothing happened. No monsters showed up either, but that didn’t make me drop my guard.

Eventually, something changed… the path started to go down, and there was also water ahead. Salty water… there were some parts of the corridor that were above the water, but that was only suspicious. I grabbed my swords as well, and then gripped them tightly.

With some light jumps, I moved between the dry spots a bit at a time. Once again, nothing happened for a while, but then all of a sudden, while I was in the middle of a jump, something jumped from below and tried to bite my leg.

‘Fuck, no!’

It was an odd angle to counterattack, but I managed to spin my body a bit and then stab it with my right sword… I easily killed the creature and frowned when I landed.

You received 10 experience points.

I glanced at my sword, only to find a weird fish in it. This fish had a compact, streamlined body, no more than a forearm, but its head dominated the shape. Its oversized, angular head juts forward like a battering ram, its dark scales giving off a dull, metallic sheen that catches the faintest hints of light. Sunken, dark-red eyes peer menacingly from each side of its skull, gleaming with a predator’s cold intelligence.

Its mouth was an overbearing grin filled with rows of jagged, needle-like teeth that protrude unevenly, some almost piercing through its thick lips. A faint, phosphorescent green glow emanated from its mouth and along its fins, casting a ghostly aura that enhanced its ominous appearance. It moved in twitchy, jerky motions for a while, seemingly ready to strike, giving off a primal, feral energy unmistakably different from any ordinary piranha.

‘Just… what, the fuck… I never heard of monsters like this, mainly because Albert never went to dungeons where fishlike monsters existed. Am I underwater or something?’

How was that even possible? Nothing a single logical idea could explain that. Just thinking about it made my head hurt. I decided to check the monster for any parts that I could use, but aside from the fishbones, not even the meat seemed useful. Rather, it looked too disgusting looking to be actually edible.

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In any case, I took out the fishbones, stored them in one of my magic bags, and then proceeded to move forward. I tried to find signs of those monsters underwater, but they stood completely still until the very last moment.

‘Well, it isn’t a real problem… for now.’

While it was a relief, the fact that the monsters that showed up were that weak worried me a bit… having my items with me was already weird enough, after all. Regardless, I kept moving while wondering if I should make a spear and enchant it with the shock effect. That probably would make the monsters die underwater. While those morons were doing a poor job keeping their eyes on me, I got a bunch of potions and cannonballs as well, so I wasn’t lacking with materials and mana potions.

‘Putting that aside… I was betrayed… again. Even though I thought that Cassius truly wanted my skills, given how much he offered me. Investing that much only to throw me away like that seemed stupid, after all.’

Trying to make a rich ally like that had been a bad move as well… maybe I have the hidden trait, friendless as well. Putting that aside, I noticed that I should soon finish exploring the first floor. It didn’t take long for me to see the stairs leading to the next floor… they were going upward, though.

‘A reverse dungeon? Perhaps a reverse labyrinth?’

The number of questions without answers was increasing, but at least some of them weren’t changing that much. As soon as I stepped on the stairs, I confirmed that.

You completed a trial. Please choose between the classes: Pike, Warrior, and Archer (Ranger).

I furrowed my eyebrows… I was really in a dungeon. It was a reverse one at that. I had read that they were extremely rare and extremely difficult as well since they were all of Demonic rank. From Fiendish to Draconic, labyrinths can have up to one floor to fifty floors, but Demonic labyrinths can have between sixty floors and one hundred. I couldn’t help but gulp wondering if I truly could leave one. Still, I had to start somewhere.

You obtained the Ranger class.

You improved the stamina parameter.

You unlocked the Aptitude: Wilderness Survival.

You unlocked the skill: Silent Stalker.

You unlocked the skill: Magic Trap Set.

Wilderness Survival: Gain bonus experience per successful trap activation or attack on a marked target.

Silent Stalker: Enter a state of heightened stealth and concentration, moving silently for 15 seconds. During this time, your dexterity is increased by 15%, and your next shot within the duration will deal extra critical damage if it hits an unaware or distant enemy. If you remain stationary while Silent Stalker is active, the effect lasts an additional 5 seconds. Cost: 30 Stamina

Magic Trap Set: Lay a hidden magic trap on the ground that snares or damages the first enemy that steps on it. The trap's effectiveness increases with your dexterity.

Cost: 50 mana

I frowned a bit… why did my stamina increase when the archer class granted me dexterity? Wouldn’t make more sense for the upgraded class to give me dexterity as well? I felt like my head would start to hurt if I kept thinking about that. Moreover, I didn’t have time for that, so I just moved to the next floor while wondering how I could use my skills to improve my fighting style.

Still, before I could do any real thinking, the labyrinth began to shake. It was the kind of shaking that made me think that the entire place might fall apart… my heart raced considering that. If I had to consider the measurements from Earth, it would be equivalent to a 9.0 earthquake. I had no idea how much was that, though.

‘What happened? Is this because of a boss battle or something?’

Before long, the shaking stopped, and I sighed in relief when I didn’t hear the sound of anything falling nearby. I was supposed to be in the deepest part of a labyrinth and if the foundation was fine, then the other floors were fine as well… maybe that was just me and my wishful thinking, but it was better than worrying endlessly.

When I reached the second floor, I found the water in the corridor pretty soon. It was still moving a bit thanks to the previous tremor. Regardless, the important part was the fact that the water was still there, even though I was going upward. Usually, this kind of change becomes more obvious the deeper a person goes in a labyrinth. Would that mean that the next floors would be underwater?

‘Yikes… an underwater dungeon? Could I be at the bottom of the ocean? As if the idea of swimming with these kinds of monsters isn’t terrifying enough.’

I decided to proceed, but soon stopped… this kind of place usually would have limited oxygen, right? Wouldn’t that mean that I was in a race against time? I heard that in some underwater caves, especially those with light penetration, aquatic plants and algae can thrive. These organisms perform photosynthesis, converting sunlight into energy and releasing oxygen as a byproduct. This process can significantly increase the oxygen levels in the water.

At the same time, certain bacteria and microorganisms can also contribute to oxygen levels. While many bacteria consume oxygen, some anaerobic bacteria may help recycle nutrients in ways that indirectly support oxygen levels through their interactions with other life forms. Still, how was that even possible in a dungeon? This was another world too, not Earth…

‘I have to keep moving. Worrying endlessly won’t help me in any shape or form…’