CHAPTER 69: DAGGERS AND A RUNE

Derek reappeared on the opposite side of the rift. This time, he found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest.

"What’s it gonna be this time?" he muttered under his breath, scanning the surroundings.

Apart from the occasional chirping of birds, there was nothing, no wind, no movement, no sign of life. After waiting for a while and seeing nothing unusual, Derek decided to move forward.

But just as he took a few steps, an overwhelming pressure suddenly surged from behind.

He spun around, only to see a massive serpent lunging straight at him, its jaws wide open.

Derek reacted instantly, leaping sideways at the last moment. He narrowly avoided being devoured, but the creature’s body still brushed against him, the impact so strong that it sent him flying through the air.

He crashed into a thick tree, snapping it in half before sliding down and coughing up blood.

"What the hell! I’m a hundred percent sure now that this damn tower is intentionally screwing with me!" Derek shouted in frustration. "This is only the third floor! Why the hell are the opponents getting this strong already?"

He wanted to vent more, but there was no time — the colossal serpent, nearly forty meters long and three meters wide, slithered toward him with a thunderous hiss.

Even injured, Derek knew he couldn’t afford to rest. He kicked off the ground, launching himself into the air, flipping mid-flight, and slashing down at the beast.

Clang!

A deafening metallic sound echoed through the forest. The serpent’s scales were as hard as steel. Derek’s sword barely left a scratch.

He landed on the serpent’s back and swung again, putting every bit of his strength into each strike.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks scattered like fiery dust, but the serpent remained unharmed. It twisted its massive body violently, changing direction in sharp, unpredictable motions. Derek struggled to maintain his balance on top of it.

After several more futile attempts, his footing finally gave way, and he fell from the serpent’s back.

Derek hit the ground hard, rolling several times before forcing himself up, blood dripping from the corner of his lips. The serpent hissed furiously, its crimson eyes locking onto him again.

The next moment, it lunged.

Derek sprang to the side, narrowly dodging as the monster’s massive head slammed into the ground where he had just stood. The impact created a crater, sending waves of dust and debris flying in all directions.

He didn’t stop moving. Each time the serpent struck, Derek rolled, leaped, or dashed aside, but with every dodge, his movements grew slower. His breath became heavier, his limbs weaker. The battle continued to drain more out of him than he could realize.

Time passed by as Derek was engaged with the creature.

"Tch... damn it..." he muttered, gritting his teeth as he stumbled backward. His muscles screamed in pain, and his sword arm trembled.

The serpent hissed again, and this time, it struck faster than before. Derek tried to evade, but its fangs grazed his arm, slicing through flesh.

"Argh.....!" he cried out, clutching his bleeding arm as he leaped aside, creating distance between them.

He glanced at the wound — deep, but not deadly. He noticed something else.

Strangely, there was no sign of poison.

"No venom?" Derek muttered, eyes narrowing. Then a thought flashed through his mind — dangerous, reckless, but possibly his only chance.

He tightened his grip on the sword. "Alright, you overgrown worm... let’s end this."

The serpent reared its head high, its throat expanding as it prepared to devour him whole. Its hiss turned into a guttural roar that shook the trees.

Derek didn’t back away this time. Instead, as the creature lunged, he ran straight toward it.

And just before those massive fangs could pierce him....

He jumped.

Straight into its mouth.

The serpent’s eyes widened as its jaws closed with a deafening crunch! It thrashed violently, twisting its enormous body around the forest, smashing trees and boulders in its frenzy. The earth trembled under its weight.

Then...

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Sickening sounds came from within. The serpent’s roars turned to shrill cries, its movements slowing... weakening... until finally, with one final shudder, it collapsed to the ground.

Its enormous body went limp.

Silence fell over the forest.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Banging sounds came from within, and then the giant’s fangs shattered.

From between its shattered fangs, a faint glow of sword light flickered. Then, with a burst of strength, Derek tore his way out, breaking through the serpent’s jaw.

He stumbled out, drenched in blood — half of it not his own. His body ached, his vision blurred. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

"Haah... haah... I actually did it..." he whispered weakly.

Ding!

[Floor Cleared: 03]

The sound echoed, but Derek was too exhausted to even react. His eyelids drooped, and he nearly fell face-first into the dirt when....

A faint, translucent glow appeared before him.

From within that light, a figure slowly took form — hazy, almost ethereal, as if made of smoke and air.

"What’s your name, kid?" a calm, deep voice asked.

Derek jerked his head up in alarm, eyes widening at the sight. "W... Who are you?"

The figure smiled faintly, its outline flickering.

"Who I am isn’t important. But you did really well — clearing three floors one after another, and in record time at that. Congratulations. Before I give you a reward, I want to hear your name," the figure said.

"I’ll be getting a reward? Just for clearing three floors?" Derek asked, astonished.

"You really don’t know what you’ve done, do you?" the figure chuckled, a glimmer of amusement flickering in his translucent eyes.

"What have I done besides clearing three floors?" Derek replied, puzzled.

"Interesting." The figure couldn’t help but laugh. "Well, if someone did that willingly, I shouldn’t be the one to break it to you. But I want to give you your reward before I leave. Are you really not going to tell me your name first?"

"Derek. Derek Hale," Derek said, still baffled.

"Good. Here is your reward."

The serpent’s corpse dissolved into shimmering particles, reforming into two beautifully forged daggers. At the same time, a glowing rune appeared in midair.