Chapter 21: The Encounter
Ethan's boots landed softly against the stone floor of the first floor. It had become routine by now, the path etched into his memory. The air was still musty, the light dim, and the tension ever-present—but it didn't shake him like before.
The first three floors passed quickly.
His movements were sharper, his dodges cleaner, and every strike of his blade was precise. The goblins fell with ease, the kobolds couldn't keep up, and even the needle rabbits couldn't surprise him anymore.[System Notification: "Dungeon Adaptability" has increased to Rank C.]
[Agility slightly increased.]Ethan smirked. So this is what real progress feels like.
He pressed deeper into the dungeon, past the third floor and into the fourth, then the fifth. He moved with confidence now, relying on his instincts and experience. The monsters were growing tougher, but he was growing with them.
In one chamber, he came face-to-face with a small pack of war shadows. They flickered into being from the walls themselves, soundless, cold, and fast.
But Ethan was faster.
He danced between their strikes, his dagger flashing in clean arcs. Within seconds, they vanished into particles of light.
"Too slow," he muttered, wiping his blade.
Just then, the ground beneath him trembled.
Thud.