The sun blazed high over the forest clearing as the adventuring party faced a towering beast. The chimera's lion head roared, its goat-like body bristling with sharp spikes, and its serpent tail lashed the ground. The creature moved with deadly precision, each attack shaking the earth beneath them.
"Ronan! Hold it back!" the party leader, Kael, yelled, his sword glinting in the sunlight.
"I'm trying! This thing's no ordinary monster!" Ronan shouted, blood dripping from his arm.
Kirie crouched far behind the chaos, clutching the group's supplies. He wasn't a fighter, just a porter, barely trusted with anything more than carrying their gear. Despite his dreams of adventure, this role was all he was deemed good for.
"Kirie!" Kael's voice rang out over the beast's growls. "Drop the bags and run! You're no use to us here!"
The words stung, but Kirie knew better than to argue. He dropped the satchels and bolted into the forest, his legs carrying him as far away as possible. Behind him, the chimera roared again, and the sounds of battle faded.
The mage blinded the beast with light magic and they run away fast.
When the monster regained vision he saw Kirie because he is much slower than the other.
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The Endless Fall
Kirie's breath came in ragged gasps as he tore through the trees, branches scratching at his face and arms. The forest seemed endless, its shadows growing darker. But then, suddenly, the ground ahead vanished.
He skidded to a halt, teetering on the edge of a massive hole-a dark, bottomless abyss. The air around it seemed alive, pulsating with an eerie energy that sent shivers down his spine.
A distant roar jolted him back to reality. The chimera had followed him. Its massive form crashed through the trees, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Kirie's body trembled. He had two choices: face the monster or leap into the unknown. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, "I'd rather die falling than be eaten alive."
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With that, he jumped.
The air rushed past him as he plummeted. The darkness swallowed him whole, and just as unconsciousness threatened to take over, he struck water with a bone-shattering impact.
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Awakening in Darkness
When Kirie opened his eyes, he found himself submerged in a shallow, glowing pond. The water's faint blue light illuminated the cavern around him. Pain wracked his entire body-his arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and blood dripped into the water from multiple wounds.
Gritting his teeth, he crawled out of the pool, every movement sending waves of agony through his broken bones. His breathing was shallow, and his vision blurred, but something caught his eye-a small wooden chest sitting near the pond's edge.
Desperation fueled him. Dragging himself forward inch by inch, he reached the chest and pried it open. Inside was a single vial of red liquid. Kirie's heart skipped a beat.
"A healing potion?" he whispered hoarsely. His trembling hands uncorked the vial, and he drank it without hesitation.
At first, warmth spread through his body as his wounds closed and his broken bones snapped back into place. But then the warmth turned to fire. Kirie screamed, clutching his chest as his veins burned with an unholy energy. His vision darkened, and his body convulsed violently.
The pain lasted for what felt like an eternity. When it finally subsided, he collapsed, gasping for air. A strange, glowing notification appeared in front of him, hovering in midair:
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Congratulations! You have joined the Vampire Family.
Attributes enhanced: Strength, Agility, Senses. Weakness: Sunlight, Holy Magic.
---
Kirie blinked at the message, his mind reeling. "Vampire family? What... what is this?" he whispered, touching his face and chest. He didn't feel different-no fangs, no claws-but his skin was paler, his senses sharper.
Before he could make sense of it, a faint squelching noise echoed through the cavern. Kirie froze, his new senses honing in on the sound. From the shadows, a small, gelatinous creature emerged-a slime.
Ordinarily, such a creature wouldn't pose much of a threat, but Kirie was still weak, his body trembling from the transformation. He clutched at the dagger he'd taken from his pack earlier, its hilt slick with sweat.
"I don't want to die here..." he muttered, fear coursing through him. The slime oozed closer, quivering menacingly. With no escape, Kirie had no choice but to fight.
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A Desperate Battle
The slime lunged, its gelatinous body aiming for Kirie's legs. He barely managed to roll out of the way, landing hard on his side. Gritting his teeth, he swung the dagger, slicing into the slime's body. The creature quivered, splitting apart momentarily before reforming.
Kirie panted, his inexperience showing in every clumsy movement. The slime attacked again, grazing his arm with its acidic touch. Pain flared as his skin burned, but something primal awoke within him-a newfound instinct.
"Blood Absorption," he whispered, the words forming unbidden on his lips. His free hand reached out, and as he grabbed the slime, a surge of energy flowed into him. The creature writhed, its form shrinking as Kirie drained it of its life force.
When it finally dissolved into nothing, Kirie collapsed, his chest heaving. A new notification appeared before him:
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You have defeated [Weak Slime].
Level Up!
Skill Unlocked: Blood Absorption.
---
Kirie stared at the notification, his exhaustion briefly forgotten. His body felt stronger, the aching in his limbs fading slightly. He glanced at his hands, where faint, shadowy tendrils flickered.
"I... leveled up?" he murmured, confused but intrigued. The dungeon was unlike anything he'd ever imagined. It was dangerous, yes, but it offered him something he'd never had before-power.
As he sat there in the dimly lit cavern, Kirie clenched his fists. He didn't know what lay ahead, but
one thing was certain: he wasn't going to die without a fight.
---
End of Chapter 1