...

(Crunch.....)

...

(Riiip-crunch...)

A muffled, tearing sound disturbed the silence, bouncing off the stone walls of a deep, forsaken dungeon.

The noise faded,

(drip... drip... drip)

Replaced by the steady sound of water falling from above, pooling onto the cold, uneven ground.

The dungeon stretched out, dark and musty, thick with the smell of rot and damp earth. The air felt heavy, stale, carrying the faint rustle of scurrying insects and the sharp (hissss....!!!!) of unseen reptiles slithering over moss-covered rocks.

Roots twisted through the stone like tangled veins, gnarled and creeping, while shadows danced along the walls, flickering under cracks of faint sunlight.

At the center of this grim scene stood a massive, ancient tree, tilted precariously above a colossal corpse sprawled beneath it. Its roots dug deep into the dungeon floor, breaking through the stone as if the tree itself had fought to survive in this place.

(whfff... shhhh)

Leaves, brittle and dust-covered, drifted down slowly from its branches, carried by a whisper of wind that somehow penetrated the dungeon's depths. Sunlight cut through cracks in the ceiling above, piercing through the canopy of branches, casting a ghostly glow on the ground below.

(Creak... crackle...)

The ancient tree groaned under its own weight, sending a cascade of leaves tumbling down, their brittle **(crunch)** filling the silence as they landed on the damp floor.

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Beneath this tree lay the remains of a massive beast—a dragon?, or something like it, now little more than a decaying husk. The once-majestic creature had long since succumbed to the dungeon's decay, its scales dull and peeling, its flesh sagging in sickly shades of green and gray. The creature's stomach was swollen and bloated, covered in patches of rotting scales and streaks of dark, congealed blood.

The walls seemed to close in around it, amplifying every faint sound, from the (scuttle) of small creatures feasting on the remains to the (drip-drip) of moisture seeping from the dungeon ceiling.

**(Crack... squelch.)**

The silence shattered again, louder this time, as the dragon's stomach gave a violent shudder. The skin stretched and split, a jagged tear forming along the belly with a sickening...

(schrrip...).

Dark fluid oozed out, thick and foul-smelling, spilling onto the floor in sluggish, heavy drops.

**(Splurt!)**

From within the gash, something round and wet tumbled out, landing on the stone with a (thud..).

It was an unrecognizable, blood-soaked ball of flesh, coated in the dark gore of the corpse around it. It lay there, still for a moment, in a shallow pool of rot and blood.

After taking some moments

Then, it began to twitch.

**(Shrrrip.)**

A tiny claw pushed through the membrane, tearing a small hole. The claw withdrew, only to return, this time with a determined grip, pulling at the sticky flesh until a small, fur-covered form emerged. It dragged itself free, landing heavily in a nearby puddle with a (splosh....).

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(Splaassshhhh.....!)

After taking his comfortable first shower , he jumped out of puddle with energetic swiftness.The cool water washed over the creature's fur, clearing away the blood and grime to reveal a sleek, dark coat.

It trembled...

Shaky and unsteady...

—As it slowly rose to its tiny feet. A faint shaft of sunlight pierced through the branches above, cutting through the dungeon's gloom to cast a gentle glow on the newborn creature.

The creature blinked, its large, bright eyes gleaming like Blood-red pearls, reflecting the light with an innocent, almost curious shine.

「Greeuu...」

As it took in its strange new surroundings, it let out a soft, cautious whine, the noise echoing faintly against the stone.

Its tiny, round ears twitched, alert to every sound—the distant skittering of insects, the whisper of falling leaves, and the faint rustle of something large moving far off in the dungeon's depths. With tiny claws, it rubbed the water from its face, revealing an endearing, almost dog-like face. Two long, sharp fangs peeked out from its mouth, glinting in the dim light, giving a hint of something fierce beneath its innocent appearance.

In the shadows of that cold, rotting dungeon, under the ancient tree and within the remains of a monstrous beast, a new creature had been born—a creature with an old spirit and a warrior's heart, taking its first breath in a world both beautiful and terrifying.

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「Grrr....kuu...」 ~ "what ...the hell is this place?"