The stale aroma of dust and ancient walls, a stark backdrop to the meticulously devised plan, and a furious shapeshifter chasing after him, driven by an insatiable rage. His mind was consumed with frenetic calculations, teetering between desperation and survival, as he ran for his life.

Fear had always been a stranger to David, an emotion he had never truly confronted until this moment. As he made his way through the passage, his worst fears materialized, threatening to paralyze him completely.

The intensity of the dread was overwhelming, leaving him uncertain of how to cope. Still, he pressed on, driven by the belief that there is always room for growth.

After all, he knew one couldn’t just give up, not after everything he had endured, and that was enough to keep moving.

Still, fear wasn’t something he could overcome instantly, and thoughts of sheer terror continued to plague his mind.

He vividly recalled how mercilessly it had ripped Henry’s throat from within and how abruptly it had severed Elena’s head from her body.

No matter how empathetically one tried to describe it, the fact remained that they had died a miserable and agonizing death.

"If it catches me, it’s going to rip me apart. I can hear it chasing after me. Why won’t it slow down after all that? Does it feel no pain?"

David's speed had certainly improved slightly since he enhanced his stats a little, just barely enough to keep pace with the shapeshifter. However, he did not rely on it entirely.

One couldn’t simply compare themselves to a shapeshifter in terms of speed in a one-on-one scenario.

And in terms of physical strength, David had no chance. However, by hiding and running here and there while using his environmental insight, he had managed to wound it to some extent and gained the advantage of a head start. Even so, it wasn’t enough.

"I'm not fast enough. I'm not strong enough. I'm going to die here. Why did I ever think I could survive this?" He was also battling a flood of self-doubt.

From time to time, he scanned the corners of walls for potential hiding spots but quickly remembered he no longer had his camouflage.

Abandoning the idea of catching his breath, he reminded himself that one cannot overcome physical weaknesses overnight.

"I can’t keep running. My legs are giving out. My chest feels like it’s on fire. I need to rest… but I can’t."

"If I can just make it to that spot, I might be able to do something about the shapeshifter. There has to be a way out of this. i desperately hope for my plan to work."

David sprinted toward the entrance of the maze, heading for the precise spot where he intended to execute his plan. The sound of the shapeshifter’s relentless pursuit echoed behind him, its monstrous growls fueling his urgency.

As he neared his destination, a sudden silence fell. The shapeshifter’s footsteps vanished, its guttural noises no longer audible. The creature was nowhere in sight.

Despite the eerie stillness, David dared not stop. He refused to risk being caught off guard. His chest heaved with every breath, but he pushed forward until he reached the spot. Finally, he came to a halt, his body trembling as he leaned against the maze wall for support. The exit was near, but he had no intention of leaving—not just yet.

He took a few steps forward, studying the maze walls. Even if someone were watching him, they wouldn’t be able to discern his thoughts.

“This is it,” he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible between gasps for air. “This is where I’ll make my last stand. But before that, I need to ensure my measurements are accurate.”

And since the shapeshifter wasn’t here, he had more time to prepare.

He scanned the maze walls, assessing their distance from one another and recalling how the layout appeared from above in his memory. After careful consideration, he chose a spot farther away for his plan.

"Let's mark it now—just in case I forget in the heat of battle," he thought.

Summoning his Light Blade, he carved a discreet mark into the floor—one only he would recognize.

"My life now hangs on a few mathematical calculations," he thought. "If my calculations are accurate, I may be able to defeat the shapeshifter once and for all, without suffering any further harm."

He waited and waited, each second dragging on, his patience thinning. The shapeshifter remained elusive, its absence stretching the silence into unease.

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David couldn't wait any longer. The silence of the maze was maddening, but he couldn't afford to linger. He had to find the shapeshifter before it found him.

Turning quickly, he retraced his steps, heading back to where he had last seen the creature.

Midway before the first turn, he felt it-an overwhelming sense of dread, creeping up his spine like an invisible hand. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He didn't need to see the shapeshifter to know it was there.

The beast had emerged from the wall above him, moving with eerie grace. It was silent-too silent. All its limbs were pressed against the stone wall, its body crouched in the shadows, waiting. Watching. Calculating.

David hesitated for a split second, his body frozen by the fear of what was coming, but then his instinct kicked in. His survival instinct.

He made a move back to the spot he had selected, but the shapeshifter was faster. With an almost lazy motion, the creature leaped down from the wall, blocking his path.

"Dammit," David muttered under his breath, cursing his decision to return.

He had neither the time nor the energy to deal with this thing again. His only option was to escape.

He veered sharply to the side, attempting to slip past it, but before he could react, a clawed hand shot out, seizing his right arm in an iron grip.

Pain.

Blinding, unbearable pain.

The creature's claws dug into his flesh, sliding through muscle as if his skin were paper. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, it began to squeeze. The pressure built up until-

Crack.

David's scream tore through the air as his bones gave way, breaking apart like shattered glass. The sheer force of the grip made his entire limb feel like it was being crushed out of existence. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe-the pain was all-consuming.

But even through the haze, something deep inside him refused to surrender. His instincts took over, moving before his mind could catch up. His left hand trembled, fingers curling as a pulse of energy ignited in his palm.

A blade of pure light materialized, humming with raw power. Without hesitation, David swung it downward, slicing into the shapeshifter's wrist.

The shapeshifter refused to release him, unaware that this swing carried a power unlike before.

The blade bit through the dark flesh, but before he could sever the limb completely, the creature recoiled, its grip loosening just enough for David to stumble back.

A terrible, inhuman scream echoed through the maze.

They stood facing each other-David, one arm limp at his side, his body shaking with the aftershocks of the pain; the shapeshifter, its own arm a mangled mess from the light blade.

Both of them stood, broken and battered, with only one working arm between them.

David's breathing was ragged, but he didn't stop. He kept his focus. This wasn't over yet. He was close to his plan. He began to throw low-energy orbs toward the shapeshifter, making it look like he was still fighting with all his strength.

He didn't aim to harm; rather, he wanted to keep the creature distracted as he positioned himself exactly where he needed to be.

The shapeshifter snarled, deflecting the energy balls with ease. It saw through his feeble attempts-David had nothing left to fight with.

"You damn creature," David spat, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. "You think you've won?"

But he knew that the shapeshifter would charge again, its fury driving it to attack. And it did. With a primal snarl, the creature surged toward him, faster than he expected. David's heart skipped a beat. This was it. His moment.

David closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, taking a deep breath. He had one shot. His mana flared to life, gathering in his outstretched hand.

He raised it, his eyes still shut, and let out a wave of brilliant light, blinding the shapeshifter. The creature screeched, its body frozen mid-step. It couldn't see. It couldn't move. The light had incapacitated it, just as David had planned.

But even now, his fight wasn't over. He could feel the last of his energy slipping away. There was no time to waste. He would die if this didn't work.

David muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper, "I have to give my all. If I fail, I die here."

He took his final breath, pulling his hand back as far as he could muster. The light around him dimmed as he funneled the last of his mana into the spear. A spear of light. Its form twisted and pulsed with power. He had to give it everything he had left. He had no choice.

With a cry of desperation, he thrust his arm forward, sending the spear hurtling toward the shapeshifter. The creature, still disoriented by the blinding light, tried to move, but its reaction was too slow.

The spear pierced the air, moving with impossible speed.

But just as the spear neared its target, the shapeshifter made a final, desperate movement. It twisted, barely avoiding the attack as the spear grazed it from above.

It turned, its head snapping toward David, the look of hatred in its eyes unmistakable. It knew he was exhausted. It knew it could finish him.

But David wasn't finished yet. He knew his calculations were sound. The next phase of his plan was already in motion.

Slowly, it began to walk toward him, its movements exuding cruel confidence. It no longer rushed. It no longer feared.

David remained still, unmoving. He lowered his head, his breath shallow, exhaustion gripping every fiber of his being.

A sudden, distant sound broke through the silence.

A deep, shattering crack.

The shapeshifter flinched, its head snapping up. Far in the distance, the central wall of the maze-its foundation fractured-began to crumble.

A chain reaction had begun.

"You think I missed?" David muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "The only reality you'll find is behind you."

The shapeshifter turned, its body stiff with dread.

The towering stone wall, the very heart of the maze, was collapsing. Its massive weight crashed into the next structure, which in turn crumbled and fell into the one beyond it.

A domino effect.

Stone upon stone, the maze's very structure was falling apart, the momentum accelerating with terrifying force.

The shapeshifter bolted, realizing its fate too late. It ran for its life, claws digging into the ground as it tried to escape the cascading destruction.

But it had started too late.

The walls consumed everything in their path. The creature's speed meant nothing against the unstoppable collapse.

David remained where he was, his calculations perfect.

The shapeshifter was almost upon him, its glowing eyes burning with desperation, as if it had found a sliver of hope. It smirked-thinking it had outrun the walls.

Then-

Boom.

The final section fell, overtaking the creature in an instant.

The earth trembled, the air filled with dust and debris.

For a long moment, silence.

Then David exhaled.

His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, staring at the destruction before him.

He had won.