CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 108

Satou took a moment to catch his breath, to eat another food pill and drink some water. He checked his supplies, he had plenty left, but he’d need to be careful. One hundred floors was a long way to go.

He descended the stairs toward Floor Three, wondering what fresh hell awaited him.

Behind him, the doorway sealed itself, preventing any return.

The dungeon had ninety-eight more tests prepared.

Floor Three was a series of narrow bridges over a bottomless chasm, with flying creatures called Void Shriekers attacking constantly. Satou had to fight while maintaining perfect balance, one misstep meaning death by falling. He killed twenty-three Shriekers and devoured them all, gaining Limited Flight (Weak) and Enhanced Balance (Moderate).

Floor Four was a flooded chamber with amphibious monsters called Drowned Ones that dragged him underwater and tried to drown him. He learned to hold his breath for extended periods and fight while submerged. The constant near-death experiences pushed his Regeneration ability to its limits, strengthening it. He devoured fourteen Drowned Ones and gained Water Breathing (Limited) and Enhanced Swimming.

Floor Five threw him into a burning maze where Fire Wraiths hunted him through corridors filled with flames. He had to learn to manage heat exhaustion while fighting incorporeal enemies that his sword could barely touch. He devoured nine Fire Wraiths and gained Heat Resistance (Moderate) and Fire Manipulation (Weak)—though the fire control was so minor it barely counted.

Floor Six was absolute darkness—no blue flames, no light of any kind. He had to rely entirely on Enhanced Hearing, Echolocation, and his new Tremor Sense to fight enemies he couldn’t see. The Shadow Beasts on this floor were fast and silent, the hardest enemies yet. He nearly died twice, saved only by his growing combat instincts. He devoured twelve Shadow Beasts and gained Dark Vision and Shadow Step (Weak)—the ability to move short distances through shadows.

Floor Seven tested his endurance with a seemingly endless corridor where Corrupted Soldiers attacked in waves. Normal human soldiers twisted by dark magic, wielding actual weapons and armor. They had formations. Tactics. Shields. This was the first floor where his sword work was truly tested against opponents who could actually defend themselves. He killed thirty-seven Corrupted Soldiers over what felt like hours of continuous combat. The devouring gave him Shield Techniques (Basic), Tactical Thinking (Minor), and Enhanced Stamina (Moderate)

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Floor Eight was a vertical climb up a massive shaft with Crystal Spiders attacking from all sides. He had to climb while fighting, using his new Enhanced Balance and growing wall-climbing skills. The spiders’ venom was potent, and he burned through three healing potions on this floor. He devoured nineteen Crystal Spiders and gained Wall Crawling, Venom Resistance (Moderate), and Crystal Manipulation (Weak).

Floor Nine threw him into a gladiatorial arena against increasingly powerful single opponents. First, an Iron Golem that his sword barely scratched. Then, a Berserker Troll that nearly tore him apart with raw strength. Finally, a Spectral Knight with centuries of combat experience who almost killed him three times before Satou managed to find a weakness. Each fight pushed him to his absolute limits. The devouring gave him Enhanced Strength (Moderate), Berserker Rage (Controlled), and Master Swordsmanship (Basic)—the Spectral Knight’s centuries of skill condensed into a foundation Satou could build upon.

Floor Ten was labeled "The Gauntlet" and lived up to the name. A long corridor with traps, puzzles, and enemies all combined. Pressure plates that triggered spikes. Illusory walls hiding ambushes. Riddles that had to be solved or the room filled with poison gas. And throughout it all, Dungeon Wraiths that phased through walls and struck when he was most vulnerable. This floor took longer than any previous—at least a full day of constant vigilance. By the end, Satou was exhausted mentally and physically despite the level-up healing. He devoured twenty-one Dungeon Wraiths and gained Trap Detection (Moderate), Enhanced Intelligence (Minor), and Phase Step (Weak)—a limited ability to become partially intangible for brief moments.

When he finally cleared Floor Ten and saw the notification, Satou collapsed against the wall in relief.

[Floor Ten Complete]

[+2000 Bonus EXP]

[Level Up! Level 19 → Level 20 → Level 21]

[Checkpoint Reached: Rest Period Extended to 24 Hours]

The doorway that appeared was different this time. Instead of stairs leading immediately down, it opened into a small chamber with a bedroll, fresh water, and what looked like actual cooked food on a stone table.

A message appeared in his vision:

[Tutorial Complete. You have proven basic competency. The true trials begin with Floor Eleven. Rest well, challenger. You will need your strength.]

Satou stumbled into the rest chamber and collapsed onto the bedroll without even eating first. His body ached everywhere despite the healing. His mind was exhausted from constant vigilance.

He’d been in the dungeon for approximately ten days based on his food pill consumption. One day had passed outside.

Ninety more days inside. Ninety more floors.

And this had just been the tutorial.

Before Satou let himself sleep, he took stock of his progress:

Level: 21 (started at 17)

New Abilities Acquired: 23 different skills ranging from weak to moderate strength

Combat Experience: Hundreds of kills, dozens of different enemy types

Mental State: Exhausted but determined

He’d also learned something important: the dungeon was teaching him. Each floor built on previous lessons. Flight came before underwater combat because he needed to trust his ability to move in three dimensions. Darkness came after he’d developed enhanced senses. The gladiatorial arena came after he’d learned tactics from the soldiers.

The dungeon wasn’t just testing him. It was training him.

And his Devouring ability was proving to be even more powerful than he’d realized. Each consumed enemy added to his arsenal. Some abilities were weak individually, but they were starting to synergize his Enhanced Hearing combined with Echolocation and Tremor Sense gave him situational awareness far beyond normal perception. His Stone Skin combined with Enhanced Reflexes and Enhanced Stamina made him much harder to hurt in prolonged fights.

By Floor One Hundred, if he survived, he’d have consumed hundreds of creatures. The accumulated abilities would make him...

Stronger, Satou thought as sleep finally claimed him. Strong enough to beat Richard Clay. Strong enough to protect everyone. That’s all that matters.

He slept for twelve hours straight, too exhausted even to dream.

When he woke, he ate the provided food (real meat and bread, luxurious after days of food pills), drank deeply, and performed maintenance on his gear. His sword was holding up well—the mithril-steel alloy showing minimal wear despite the constant use. His clothes were in worse shape, torn and stained from dozens of fights.

He spent the remaining hours of his rest period meditating, organizing his growing collection of abilities, practicing the new sword techniques he’d gained from the Spectral Knight.

When the 24-hours were up, a notification appeared:

[Rest Period Complete. Floor Eleven awaits. The difficulty will now increase significantly. Be prepared.]

Satou stood, strapped on his sword, checked his supplies (he’d used four healing potions so far and had sixteen left), and approached the doorway.

He took a deep breath.

"Ninety floors to go," he said aloud. "Sixty days left. I can do this."

He stepped through the doorway.

The stairs descended into deeper darkness, and Satou felt the temperature drop sharply. Whatever waited on Floor Eleven, it was going to be worse than anything he’d faced so far.

The dungeon had promised the real trials were beginning.

Satou descended, ready to face them.

The temperature on Floor Eleven was wrong. Not cold—wrong. Satou’s breath came out in visible puffs, but his skin felt like it was burning and freezing simultaneously.

The chamber was enormous, easily the size of a cathedral. And floating throughout it were translucent figures—ghosts of warriors, mages, creatures he couldn’t identify. Each one glowed with a sickly green light.

[Vengeful Spirits - Level 25] x47

Level 25. Satou was level 21. And there were forty-seven of them.

"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me." Said Satou

The nearest spirit turned toward him, its face twisting into a mask of rage. Then it shrieked—a sound that bypassed his ears entirely and struck directly at his mind.

Pain exploded through Satou’s skull. He dropped to one knee, clutching his head. The other spirits were converging, their ghostly weapons raised.

Move or die!

Satou forced himself up and activated Shadow Step, disappearing into a shadow just as a dozen ethereal blades struck where he’d been standing. He reappeared twenty feet away, his head still pounding.

His sword was useless, it passed through the spirits without resistance. Stone Spit didn’t work. Earth Manipulation couldn’t touch them.

They’re incorporeal. I need magic, not physical attacks.

He activated Fire Manipulation, channeling the weak flames into his blade. The fire was pitiful—barely more than candlelight coating the steel—but when he struck the nearest spirit, it recoiled, shrieking.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

What followed was the most desperate fight of Satou’s life. Forty-seven enemies that could attack him while he could barely hurt them. He had to use Shadow Step constantly, burning through his stamina to stay ahead of their attacks. Each spirit he managed to destroy took dozens of fire-coated strikes.