Daisuke swiftly moved behind a thicket of shrubs and crouched down. He reached for a handful of dried leaves, crumpled them, and nodded when he verified that the direction of the wind wouldn’t have given away his scent, compromising his location.

In a clearing to the left of his hiding spot, a small mound of Celestia Flowers beckoned. The «Monster Guide» had noted them as a longtime favorite of Horned Rabbits.

The flowers were also listed as a gathering quest on the bulletin board, an assignment for which he had already prepared a batch to bring back to town.

His patience bore fruit when a pair of Horned Rabbits emerged, lured by the tempting scent of their preferred meal. Their small pink noses flared as they sniffed the suspicious heap, their whiskers twitching as they contemplated what to do.

They were not used to their hard-earned food being neatly prepared in a convenient bundle, but it wasn’t long before hunger gave way to their better judgment. As they began to feast, the ground beneath them gave way, causing the balls of fluff to tumble into a deep pit.

Before the creatures could contemplate bouncing off the walls to escape their tomb, Daisuke was upon them like a starved barbarian, dropping a heavy boulder to swiftly end the life of one.

Ignoring the creature’s fleeting shriek, he reached for a crudely made bow on his back, notched an arrow from his quiver, and ended the life of the other.

Daisuke looked on without a shred of remorse as blood pooled at the bottom of the hole. It was his very first victory against a monster since entering the game, but instead of feeling a sense of triumph and celebration, he yearned to further the slaughter.

SWOOSH-SWOOSH.

Daisuke’s head snapped around, his visage dark and expressionless. From a rustling bush, he could see a pair of menacing red eyes, and he didn’t hesitate to put an arrow between them.

CLANK!

But instead of the pained shriek of a dying creature, the sound of the stone-tipped arrow colliding with a hard surface echoed through the forest. Daisuke quickly notched another arrow, pulled it until it was taut, and held his breath. His pulse hammered in his ears as he waited for any sign of movement.

RUSTLE-RUSTLE.

The bushes shifted once more, and then a beast sprang out with the velocity of a bullet. Daisuke released his arrow, but it was effortlessly deflected by a dagger made of bone. Time seemed to slow as the crude blade carved a long red line across Daisuke’s cheek, the creature passing over his shoulder in a burst of speed.

Ignoring the wound, Daisuke turned on his heels to capture the creature in his gaze.

A Bullet Hare, he muttered, his frown deepening.

No sooner had the thought formed in his mind than the monster, roughly twice the size of a Horned Rabbit, vanished into the trees once more. Daisuke broke into a sweat as it darted from the canopy of one tree to the next.

Bullet Hares were notorious for their swiftness. Wielding weapons made of bone, they used tree trunks as platforms to bounce around at incredible speeds, carving into their enemies until there was nothing left.

Daisuke grunted as the cold caress of the blade touched his arm, forming the second wound. Then came the third, fourth, fifth, sixth—all within a few seconds. As the beast slingshot from one tree to the next, its silver form traced a zigzag trajectory that whispered of death.

The wounds were shallow, suggesting either the weapon wasn’t particularly sharp or the monster was merely toying with him. Regardless, Daisuke recognized that he couldn’t prevail in a battle of speed or strength.

With this realization weighing heavily on him, he quickly surveyed his surroundings before dashing towards the sound of gushing water.

Perched high in the tree’s canopy, the Bullet Hare observed the scene below with satisfaction, its veins pulsating with anticipation and its predatory instincts stirred to life. Its crimson eyes shimmered with primal greed as it leaped into action, propelled by an insatiable desire to hunt and slaughter its prey.

Daisuke’s breath grew ragged as he sprinted along a familiar path. Running had been a constant in his life, a necessity for survival. One misstep could mean the end, so he needed to be carefully observant—and a background in computer programming meant that skill was honed like a blade.

In Dusthaven, understanding the behavioral patterns of shopkeepers was crucial for executing the perfect escape. Similarly, the monsters in the wilderness weren’t vastly different—sure, they were endowed with artificial intelligence and were far more autonomous and adaptable compared to the predictable mobs in your average RPG.

But, even within that intricate web of automation, there existed a pattern within its complexity, a repetitive sequence ripe for observation and exploitation.

Environmental factors and Daisuke’s own behavior could tip the scales, offering windows of opportunity. With focus, keen observation, and well-timed responses, victory remained within reach.

At that undeniable truth, a sliver of light beamed at the end of the forested tunnel. But at the same time, the Bullet Hare, hopelessly drunk on the intoxicating wine of the hunt, closed in, its blade poised dangerously close to Daisuke’s neck.

Amidst the intricate workings of the human mind and the lethal fangs of the wild, which force will emerge victorious?

SHINGG!

By a few inches, Daisuke narrowly evaded the blade’s icy touch by dropping and sliding into an open glade. Meanwhile, the Bullet Hare, blinded by the sudden burst of light as it emerged from the undergrowth, was unsuspectingly ensnared in a web of strings Daisuke had laid beforehand.

The sudden halt caused the creature to lose its grip on its weapon, sending it hurtling into the lake ahead.

As the creature struggled to break free, it was met with the intimidating roar of the human, causing its eyes to bulge with fear. In a sudden reversal of roles, it found itself transformed from hunter to prey. With a pained shriek, the creature felt the sharp sting of an arrow as its stone tip plunged into its neck.

***

 

After bundling together a generous cluster of Dewdrop Willows using a sturdy vine, Daisuke tied it off a tree trunk and cast it into a lake before retreating from the water’s edge.

He lamented missing the chance to secure the Bullet Hare’s weapon but wisely refrained from venturing into the lake to retrieve it. As he observed the water, the wisdom of his decision quickly became evident.

Before long, a pair of humanoid frog monsters, known as Malevocroak, surfaced from the water. They were clad in shoddy leather armor and brandished crude clubs, their faces twisted in anger as they approached the shore.

These amphibious creatures took the presence of the Dewdrop Willows as a personal insult. The willows emitted a pungent essence akin to vinegar, which the Malevocroak found incredibly repulsive. And it didn’t take much for them to designate Daisuke as the source of their turmoil upon spotting him in the distance.

Daisuke’s breaths came in ragged bursts as he fled from the enraged monsters, their wild swings and guttural battle cries echoing in his ears. Yet, as soon as they began their cries, they swiftly transformed into high-pitched yelps that dissolved into an abrupt, eerie silence.

Slowing to a stop, Daisuke retraced his steps, gazing down upon the gruesome scene: the once-ferocious beasts had unwittingly plummeted into a concealed pitfall, their forms impaled upon spikes made of bamboo.

***

 

Daisuke proceeded to lay down traps designed to ensnare Imps and feral boars alike. Once caught, he would then engage these creatures with a sharpened bamboo spear, dispatching them without an ounce of remorse.

In between setting snares and pitfalls, he would use the same spears to dispatch Slimes, the easiest of the three species he had trapped and slain thus far.

And, of course, with each successful kill, he would salvage what he could from the vanquished monsters. His approach to hunting, although crude and ruthless, was a necessary sacrifice if he wanted to survive.

***

 

For the first time since his killing spree began, Daisuke’s expression softened. He was standing before what was once a glistening Crystal Field, memories of Zephyr flickering through his mind. But only for a moment.

In the next instant, the blissful memories vanished, replaced by the seething anger that had become his constant companion. His thoughts shifted to the loss of his friend, the echoes of Zephyr’s last moments ringing in his ears.

All the progress he had fought so hard to achieve had been wrenched away from him. This thought became an inferno of fury, stoking his rage until he couldn’t contain it.

He snatched up a stone, his muscles tensing as he hurled it with all the force of his frustration. The stone collided with a concave section of the outcrop before him, the once-imposing surface crumbled to reveal the dark maw of a hidden cave.

Daisuke gasped in astonishment, his eyes widening. “T-This is…” That’s right—Crystal Fields only appear close to the entrances of a Dungeon. The fact that the Mana Crystals were of a higher purity, does that mean this is a… Hidden Dungeon?

There are two known types of dungeons in the world: normal dungeons and Hidden or «Irregular Dungeons». A normal Dungeon is stationary and can have any number of floors. Players can form parties and explore them.

Hidden Dungeons, however, are vastly different. They feature anywhere between two to five floors and can only be cleared solo. If a party enters the Dungeon, they will automatically be separated and organized into «Instant Dungeons» to challenge it individually.

The monsters in these dungeons are unbelievably overpowered and only those challengers who are very exceptional in skill can succeed. The «Boss Monster» is no different—it’s a unique species of monster that boasts incredible power and intelligence.

There are multiple Hidden Dungeons in each region that reflect the level of the general monster population. Once a Hidden Dungeon is cleared or failed, it vanishes and randomly respawns elsewhere, and everything about it changes. Even if one was lucky enough to encounter the same monsters, their temperament and battle characteristics would be different.

Finding a Hidden Dungeon was the ultimate desire of every player and adventurer, for if one was able to challenge and clear it, great treasure and other rewards awaited.

Despite his eagerness to explore and conquer, Daisuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Fully aware that he lacked the proper gear for venturing into the unknown depths, he held back his curiosity and decided to postpone exploration. Instead, he set to work obscuring the cave entrance with a clever arrangement of plants and undergrowth.

However, fate had other plans.

Without warning, the earth gave way beneath his feet, leaving him with no chance to react. Daisuke screamed as he plummeted into the abyss below, his surroundings swallowed by darkness as he fell into the unknown depths of the cave. The back of his head collided with falling rock before he was promptly swallowed by a column of light.