The footsteps of eight black-robed figures echoed against the stone walls. Inside the cave, darkness reigned, yet none of them lit a torch or cast a light spell. It was as though the dark held no obstacle for them.

Minutes later, at the front of the group, Lakus suddenly halted.

Under the shadow of his hood, his nose twitched. Beneath the tang of blood, another scent lingered in the air—the musk of a beast.

A moment later, Lakus chuckled softly.

So, the prey thought he could be clever. He saw through the trick instantly, yet it didn’t trouble him.

“Clever, but this isn’t a true wasteland. What sort of monster could possibly—”

As he muttered, Lakus turned the last corner—

And came face-to-face with a towering bear, two stories tall, eyes narrowed to slits as it slowly rose to its feet.

“L-Lakus… my lord?” a voice stammered from behind.

Lakus’s mind raced.

The beast looked familiar, but he couldn’t place the exact breed. Its sheer size, however, spoke of danger.

The Sacred Tome had to be recovered. Without it, he’d not only lose his chance at ascension, but face brutal punishment as well.

This cave had no branches. The thief could only be hiding inside.

And this was still near human lands—not the true wilds or dungeon depths. Monsters here shouldn’t be too strong.

He was level 40, with seven subordinates. They could manage.

But before he could finish weighing the odds, the bear moved.

Normally it might hesitate before so many foes. But now, seething with nameless fury at having its slumber disturbed, it wanted only one thing: to crush the intruders.

With a thunderous roar, the bear raised its paws and slammed them down.

【Gravity Field LV6】

In an instant, twice their body weight bore down on every black-robed figure. Off guard, they staggered under the pressure.

The sight made Lakus cry out, “A Tyrant Bear!?”

But he quickly regained composure.

If it were a full-grown Tyrant Bear, they’d have been flattened instantly.

Which meant this two-story monster was only a cub.

He barked out, steadying the wavering morale. One man was already edging to flee—he’d deal with him later.

“Don’t panic! It’s only a cub, or a variant. If we fight with our full strength, we can kill it! Don’t forget—if we return empty-handed, none of us will survive!”

His words rallied them. The black-robed figures braced to counterattack.

Smack—

The nearest one, a mage who had just raised his staff, was swatted flat in an instant.

The gravity field didn’t crush them outright, but it sapped their agility. Warriors could still stagger forward. Mages, pinned under the pressure, could barely stand—much less dodge.

The death reignited chaos. Some charged recklessly, others fell back. The one who had been wavering before bolted outright.

“Useless trash!”

Cursing, Lakus dissolved into a cloud of black mist, taking the form of a bat.

He swooped over the deserter, reverted to human form, and clamped a hand over the man’s skull—sinking his fangs deep into his neck.

The man clawed helplessly, but the strength gap was absolute. Soon his struggles faded to a drowning gurgle.

Lakus dropped the drained corpse, blood smeared across his mouth.

“Forward! If anyone retreats, I’ll kill them myself!”

The command crushed the last of their hesitation.

Even as another unlucky soul was slapped against the wall, reduced to a mangled heap, the rest grit their teeth and pressed on.

Lakus raised his hand. Blood burst from the fallen corpses, coalescing into crimson spheres, which sharpened into spikes and lanced into the bear.

Each impact tore open its flesh, spraying gore—but for a creature so massive, they were mere scratches.

The battle raged, subordinates dropping one by one. In the end, only Lakus and Aivina remained.

Forced to adapt, Lakus relied on bat form again and again, darting around the wounded beast.

At last, gathering every drop of blood he had, he forged a spear. With a roar, he dove from the air, driving it straight into the bear’s eye.

“Die, beast!”

“My lord, look out!” Aivina’s cry went unheeded.

The grievously wounded Tyrant Bear unleashed a burst of speed, its final strike smashing into Lakus before he could react.

He crashed into the wall like a cannonball.

Moments later, with a pained groan, the bear toppled, lifeless.

“My lord, are you alright?”

Aivina rushed to him in panic. If their commander died, her fate would be sealed.

But before she reached him, a hand burst from the rubble, spearing through her chest.

“Kh—!”

Lakus, half-transformed into a monstrous bat, pinned her beneath him, fangs sinking deep.

His injuries were too grave. Without fresh, vital blood, he would perish.

As his subordinate, it was her duty to give her life.

Only after draining her dry did his shattered spine knit itself back together, his strength crawling back to barely a fifth of its peak.

Breathing raggedly, Lakus dragged himself upright.

The cave stank of blood. Corpses lay everywhere. Yet still no sign of the human thief.

Fury twisted his face. He drew the Tyrant Bear’s blood into fine blades and blasted them across the cavern walls.

The cave walls rang with sharp impacts, etched with thousands of tiny cuts.

But nothing stirred.

He wasn’t skilled at tracking. Devouring Aivina had been a desperate choice.

That damned human must have slipped away in the chaos.

After one last search, he howled in frustration and took bat form again, fleeing into the sky.

He needed more living prey—more blood—to heal.

Silence fell once more.

Only when the sun rose did something stir.

From a crack between wall and ground, a rock-colored form shifted.

Its color faded, revealing Dilan. Half-dead, he dragged himself free.

“I… I survived…”

He had avoided the direct fighting, but the gravity field nearly broke his frail body.

Thank the gods for Mimicry LV3—it fit a weakling like him perfectly.

[See? I told you. Listen to me and you’ll live.]

The little yellow book on the ground almost seemed smug.

Dilan stared at it, dazed.

Those black-robed figures—no, demons led by a vampire.

They had fought a Tyrant Bear, just to find him?

Why…?

His gaze grew unfocused. Maybe… maybe it really was for him.

But he was alive—because of this book.

[Hold me up. I can help you more.]

This time, Dilan didn’t hesitate. He lifted the yellow book in his hands.

The cave filled with faint whispers and sighs, though he felt nothing but sound.

Then—power surged from the book into him.

A jolt raced through his body. His fatigue vanished.

No—more than that. His attributes had increased.

“Unbelievable…”

[Of course. With me, you’ll only grow stronger.]

“Stronger…”

[Yes. All we need is a secluded place, somewhere deaths won’t be noticed. For example—]

“The dungeon!”

[…]

[…Yes.]

[The dungeon will do.]

Bathed in sunlight, Dilan strode from the cave with renewed vigor.

After orienting himself, he tucked the yellow book safely against his chest—his loyal companion—

And began walking toward the dungeon.