The tunnel was as quiet as a church mouse, at least for the moment. I had two choices: one, to toddle back to the earlier ritual site. There had been so many people there—well, not anymore, what with them all ending up as Barn's midday snack.

Still, I was keen to see if they'd left any, er, loot behind. That dodgy bloke who kidnapped me, I was absolutely certain he had a ring with a spatial enchantment.

These lot were filthy rich! But, the trouble was, the monster from earlier had trotted off in that direction, and I didn't fancy discovering another exit from there, especially since the only way out seemed to be those portals, which were, quite inconveniently, on the fritz.

That reminded me—there were more of those masked warriors lurking about, the ones who hadn't legged it through the portal. What if one of them was still alive, skulking about in some corner? The thought made me shiver.

I sincerely hoped not.

And, besides, that place was likely crawling with monsters! No sense in venturing back there. So, I opted for the opposite direction. If this was indeed a dungeon, first order of business was to figure out how deep down we were and what sort of place it was. And, of course, whether there was any hope of escaping it.

But just as I tried to shift from my spot, my eyes widened in surprise. There was a sticky sensation under my paws. I lifted one and inspected it—my claws were covered in white, with these little web-like threads sticking to them.

"Huh?"

"Oh! OH!"

Well, that explained why those spider monsters were sniffing about earlier. But what was this rubbish? It wasn't nearly strong enough to catch a proper monster, so maybe they were just marking their territory? Honestly, I hadn't the faintest idea. And, quite frankly, I didn't think those spiders would be too keen on enlightening me.

Ah, blast it, got distracted again!

Focus, Jade, focus. Now, I couldn't spot any monsters in my line of sight, but I was being exceedingly, thoroughly cautious! Stealth was guiding my every step, placing each foot ever so delicately to make the faintest whisper of a sound. Progress was, well, moderate at best. But I knew that by actively applying this newfound knowledge, I'd soon be upgrading these skills, just as that earlier level-up notification had hinted. Avoiding detection by that roof-dwelling creature was a breeze, and voilà, an easy level up!

The white, web-like stuff was still giving me the absolute creeps, but I pressed on! Hurrah, hurrah! It was I, Jade, on a little hunt! For the escape route, naturally!

Those strange hues were still flickering in my vision—peculiar as always. I could finally see the end of the tunnel now, with the hues far ahead shining rather brightly.

Yet curiously, the ones surrounding me here in the tunnel were growing dimmer by the moment. I hadn't the faintest idea what they signified, but the dimness was rather unmistakable, casting this sense of gloom all around, setting this stark contrast to the vibrancy from before.

I was pausing every now and then, focusing my eyes to gather better information about the tunnel—anything lurking in a particular spot—before letting my vision slip back into that unfocused state. But here, in this murky gloom, it was quite easy on the eyes, so I could maintain my focus indefinitely.

It wasn't until I nearly reached the tunnel's end that I saw those vibrant hues slowly converging on a specific spot.

Huh.

Uhoh.

Quick as a tick, I ducked behind a pile of debris, opting to stealthily suss out whatever on Earth was happening.

Something was, that much I knew. Even my vision was going all wonky around it!

The colors were getting all concentrated, tightening up until they practically felt solid, like someone was squeezing the very air out of the hues!

With each passing moment, it burned my eyes more and more, until I had to shut them tight, just for a tick to escape the pain. When I dared to peek again, the swirling colors had vanished! Back to their usual selves, no longer all gloomy and ominous.

But, surprise of surprises, that wasn't even the half of it. I focused my eyes on the spot where those hues had been congregating, and yeahhhhhh, ofcourse… There was something. A right massive turtle, if you please. It had a shell festooned with pitch-black spikes that gleamed menacingly when those odd hues lit them up. Looked proper deadly, they did.

I crouched down, and I'll just say it, what was running through my mind wasn't the sheer absurdity of this creature just materializing out of thin air. No, no, this mind of mine was more interested in the triple experience and Morphogen reward it seemed to be offering.

Hehe. No, it wasn't funny.

But first things first—observations were in order. I had no idea what to expect from this massive dog sized turtle, or what sort of abilities it might have up its proverbial sleeve, so I slinked closer, all sneaky-like.

One would think something that had just popped into existence would be a tad oblivious, but no—this one was anything but. It had claws, too, and was already digging into the dirt with them, albeit rather slowly and clumsily. First note to self: beware those claws, blimey, they were sharp, though not quite as sharp as mine—made me feel a bit chuffed, I must say.

So, I crept even closer, not making a peep thanks to Stealth, keeping to the shadows as I circled it. The place was littered with enough debris and rocks to make it a doddle. How long I kept it up, I've no idea, but I was banking on it showing more of its tricks before I made my move.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

[Stealth has reached Level 3.]

Ah, no such luck! The blasted creature was still at it, digging away, and by now it had fashioned quite the impressive crater around itself. I did notice, though, that it was becoming far less clumsy in its efforts.

Could it be that it, too, had a digging skill that levelled up? Quite possibly.

But at least my Stealth skill got a level up! Hurrah!

Time was of the essence, so I had to act swiftly. Abandoning my careful circling, I made a beeline for the turtle, which was still preoccupied with its excavation. I let my focus sharpen, like an eagle, a vulture... no, a damned tiger! All I needed was to time the perfect moment to strike.

Then, in a flash, I coiled my hind legs and sprang into action. Its shell was tough, those spikes even tougher, but its head was still exposed. With a swift motion, I raised my front claw, letting the knowledge from Claw Swipe guide me, and slashed at its neck before quickly leaping back!

The turtle let out a pained screech, its beady eyes darting about in search of its assailant. But I was quicker, already climbing a pile of debris. My Stealth may have been compromised, as it locked eyes on me, burning with what I assumed was anger—though who could say for sure?

Its jaws snapped open menacingly, and something told me I wouldn't fancy being caught in that grip. But it didn't give chase as I bounded around. It simply couldn't; its spiked shell looked too heavy to allow for any real mobility! HAHAHAHAHA!

Even so, it tilted its head and snapped its jaws with such force that it practically shredded the air itself. The spikes on its shell quivered, standing tall as it attempted to look more menacing.

But, oh well, it was dreadfully outmatched! This battlefield was entirely unsuitable for it! Piles of debris scattered everywhere, and it would never scramble over them quickly enough. Meanwhile, I had these rather remarkable skills that let me zip in and out like a breeze. The victor would be the one left standing, and that was going to be me! I knew exactly what I was doing!

My limbs were still trembling ever so slightly. Damn it! I was utterly terrified. Perhaps this entire pep talk was just to convince myself of my own prowess. But damn it all, I was scared with a capital S!

My first battle had been driven by sheer desperation to survive. I had the upper hand there, not to mention Stephan's assistance, but here, in this fight I'd chosen against an unknown adversary, my confidence was wobbly at best.

This was my first true battle. My very first… hunt.

And by Jove, I was going to finish it.

Focus!

The turtle monster was already bleeding from its neck, but that wouldn't be enough. This creature was as tough as old boots. So, we carried on with this awkward dance, me dashing about the debris piles, and the turtle stubbornly tracking me, snapping its jaws my way. But its head just wasn't quick enough to match my nimbleness!

A chance!

It was just a smidge too slow in swivelling that noggin of its. I darted forward, jaws wide, and snap! Crunch guided me as my teeth clamped down on its still-turning head. It let out the most pitiful growl as I bit down harder, sinking my fangs in even deeper.

With a flick of my claws, I dug them into the sides of its skull, locking it in place. Then, with a swift roll and flip, I toppled us both over. Poor thing must've been in so much agony that it didn't even resist the tumble. And the moment it flipped, it was all over. It wriggled its clawed feet pathetically, dirt still clinging to them, wailing in the throes of pain from the wounds I'd inflicted. But it couldn't move anymore—couldn't claw, couldn't even thrash its head about.

I... well, I paused, just for a moment. My heart gave a little pang at the sight. It was a monster, born from this wretched dungeon, but seeing it fight so desperately for its life… something about it tugged at my heartstrings.

...NO!

I shook my head—no time for that sentimental nonsense. I had to finish the job before another beast decided to drop in uninvited. So, I readied my claws, and slash! Slash! Slash!

[Claw Swipe has reached level 2]

Huh, that was quick. Perhaps skills do level up faster with another monster in the mix. But why wasn't it dying?! I was trying to end its misery, but the blasted thing's hide was so tough it took three Claw Swipes just to break through!

But finally, it was done. I brought my jaws closer and clamped down on the wound, tightening my grip, enhancing it with Crunch, and tore open its entire neck, putting an end to its suffering.

[You have slain a Level 1 Testudo aculeata juvenilis.]

[Experience Points acquired.]

[Additional Experience Points acquired.]

[Level increased.]

[Skill point obtained: +1.]

But alas, even then it wasn't quite finished. To properly tear open more of its body and finish my… business, I'd need to use Crunch. Multiple times.

So, I got to work.

[Crunch has reached level 2]

Taking a life felt rather rotten. But seeing all this progress… was it worth it?

ABSOLUTELY!