Chapter 9: Dungeon II

Author: SURPRISE!!!!!

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Cael turned the glowing magic stones over in his hand for a moment. They pulsed faintly, still warm and alive from the goblins they came from. He reached to tuck them into the pouch at his side—

But froze.

A sharp, searing pain surged through his chest.

Crimson Rebirth Activated

His knees buckled.

The pouch slipped from his hand as he collapsed to the ground, gasping. It felt like fire was racing through his veins—no, like something inside him was tearing apart and reknitting itself all at once. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, his bones creaked and shifted under his skin.

His vision blurred.

Every heartbeat was a hammer.

"Gghhh—!"

He bit down on his leather armour to muffle the scream. His fingers dug into the stone floor, his back arched as his body convulsed in pure, unrelenting agony.

And then—stillness.

He lay there, drenched in sweat, chest heaving, his skin clammy and hot. The pain faded, but something lingered behind it. A strange, weighty stillness in his limbs.

Power.

His arms felt stronger. His stance more grounded. As if his body had reforged itself under pressure. And it had.

Crimson Rebirth.

His strength blooms in agony—like a rose that only grows from bleeding hands.

Cael stayed there a moment longer, letting his breathing slow. Then, wincing slightly, he pushed himself to his feet and retrieved the scattered magic stones.

"…Not bad for a first run," he muttered with a dry, bitter smile.

The sound of footsteps echoed faintly from behind.

He turned his head just slightly, eyes narrowing.

From one of the side tunnels, a group of three adventurers stepped into view. Two were armed with short swords and light armor, while the third carried a spear and a small bag that clinked softly with every step.

They were around his age—maybe a little older. Judging by their formation and gear, they weren't rookies… but not veterans either. Mid-level beginners, probably.

The one in front, a guy with spiky brown hair and a confident smirk, gave Cael a casual nod as they approached.

"Yo. You alone?" he asked, eyes flicking to the blood on Cael's boots and the fading black mist in the air. "Saw the haze. Just wiped a pack?"

Cael nodded once. "Three goblins."

"Huh… soloing right from the start?" The guy tilted his head, half-impressed. "Either gutsy or dumb. But hey, not bad."

The girl behind him looked Cael up and down. "You new? Haven't seen you around."

"Just registered," Cael replied.

"Welcome to the Dungeon," the brown-haired guy said with a grin. "Name's Gero. That's Nina and Bruk."

The girl gave a small wave. The tall spear guy just nodded silently.

"You might wanna be careful," Gero continued. "There've been some bigger groups of monsters lately—too many for one person to handle."

"I'll keep that in mind," Cael said simply.

Gero looked like he was about to say more, but something about Cael's calm tone and the way he carried himself made him pause. He gave a half-shrug. "Well, we're heading to the second floor. You?"

Cael glanced down the corridor.

"I'm going too."

Gero raised an eyebrow. "Ambitious. Alright. Try not to die, rookie."

With that, their party moved ahead, taking a different branch of the path. Cael waited a few moments to give them space, then started walking again.

Deeper into the Dungeon…

The atmosphere shifted as he descended to the second floor.

The corridors grew darker, tighter. The air was heavier, and the sounds of movement more erratic. Cracks in the walls pulsed with a deeper blue glow, and the occasional rumble of the Dungeon's shifting layers echoed like distant thunder.

Cael moved carefully, blade ready.

Suddenly, a growl from the side.

A kobold—larger than a goblin, with matted fur and jagged claws—lunged from behind a broken pillar, teeth bared.

Cael reacted instantly.

He stepped inside its reach, ducked under the first swipe, and drove his elbow into the creature's ribs. It staggered, snarling.

Cael grabbed its wrist, twisted it hard, then swept its legs from under it. The moment it hit the ground, he drove his knee into its chest and plunged his sword into its throat.

The monster choked, twitched—and vanished into mist.

Another one growled nearby.

Cael turned just in time to see a second kobold charging him. This one didn't hesitate—it leapt straight at his face, claws extended.

Cael raised his arm to block the blow and took the hit, pain stinging as the claws scraped against the leather. But he didn't let it stop him.

He countered with a right hook directly into the kobold's jaw—just like in the ring.

The monster's head snapped to the side.

He followed it up with a throw, grabbing the creature midair and slamming it into the ground with brutal force. It let out a final snarl before Cael ended it with a clean stab.

The second kobold vanished too.

Cael breathed slowly, lowering his sword.

Sweat clung to his brow. His muscles ached—not from injury, but effort.

But then it began.

A pulse deep within his chest. His heartbeat skipped—then thundered.

The excelia earned from the battles surged through his body like fire in his veins. Crimson Rebirth stirred.

His legs buckled slightly as searing pain knifed through his bones. His muscles clenched, cramped, and trembled violently. It felt like something inside him was breaking—reshaping.

His cells screamed. His organs shifted. Skin prickled like thousands of blades piercing him from the inside.

Cael gritted his teeth and fell to one knee, hand pressed to the cold stone floor as his body underwent the cursed metamorphosis.

Veins lit faintly red beneath his skin.

His body evolved—forcefully—in response to the new excelia.

And with it, came agony. Mind-splitting, body-breaking agony.

A rose blooming in blood.

His strength bloomed in agony — like a rose that only grows from bleeding hands.

Then… it stopped.

Cael gasped and straightened slowly, chest rising and falling with shallow, ragged breaths. His muscles burned, but they felt stronger. Denser. Faster to respond. His grip on the sword felt more precise, more natural.

He clenched his fist once.

Pain and power—tied together.

"…Tch," he hissed, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Still worth it."

Then he moved forward—deeper into the dark.

The Dungeon had only just begun to test him.