Placing the sack of Mana core down, Damien muttered,
"Centipedes should be easier to deal with."
As he walked toward the denser part of the dungeon forest, he called out,
"Hey, System, why didn't you mention that awesome ability of these gloves?"
> [The effect you used was the result of stacking the glove's ability.]
"Huh? But still.., It should've been listed in the description. Why isn't it?"
> [Stacking is part of the main ability and cannot be predetermined. It only becomes apparent through practical use.]
"So basically, you're telling me I need to trial and error to find out the cool stuff?"
His tone dropped, frustration creeping in.
"…Still, you could've at least hinted at it."
He glanced at the system window, sighing in mock annoyance.
"Is there anything else I should know? Like any other secret conditions you 'forgot' to tell me?"
> [There are a few things you should keep in mind:]
[Your power is complex—not just to figure out, but also to use effectively.]
[Each gear has its own traits and activation methods.]
[Some gears allow multi-skill activation; others do not.]
[Some have cooldowns; others don't.]
[Certain buffs stay even after unequipping, while others vanish unless the item is equipped.]
[Some abilities can stack; some can't.]
[It's your ability. Figure it out yourself.]
Damien blinked at the screen, caught off guard by the way system told him those things. It seems it was angry at him.
"Did… did the system just sass me?"
He smirked. "Okay, okay, I get it."
With a small shrug and a mischievous grin, he muttered,
"This guy's power is so complex it's even pissing off the system."
He chuckled. "No idea how he ever managed to awaken this."
The system didn't respond.
He sighed and refocused.
"Alright, enough banter. Back to the mission."
---
He headed toward the forest center, the spot where Ren and his team had once encountered giant centipedes. As predicted in the probability indicator, their population was low, but still present.
Centipedes were easier than rats in many ways: they are long, thin, slower, and not very agile. Their exoskeleton wasn't tough either—just enough to protect them from small animals. The real threat was their venom. Highly toxic, it was potent enough for hunters to extract and use against higher-tier monsters.
Standing behind a tree, Damien waited quietly. He created a disturbance—tossing branches and stones—hoping to lure one out.
Soon, movement.
A long antenna twitched from a burrow.
The hungry predator, deprived of food for days, emerged with a slow, creeping motion.
Damien was ready. He switched to slicing and chef knives.
As the centipede's full body emerged, he activated [Precision] and flung his chef knife.
The blade whirled and sliced the creature clean in half. Its body writhed in two separate parts, limbs twitching like a lizard's tail before both halves gradually stilled.
Damien tried again, throwing branches to bait more—but none came.
Frowning, he approached the corpse.
He sliced through the mouth section, revealing a small, faint red mana crystal nestled inside. It shimmered slightly, the same as the higher-tiered mini rats'.
He pocketed it.
"Now… where else can I find them?"
> [Try under rocks, fallen logs, and in crevices.]
"Ughh… what a hassle. If I had my wristwatch, I could've just scanned the place."
With a resigned sigh, he broke off a long branch and began scouring the area, poking under foliage, turning over stones.
Each time a centipede appeared, Damien dispatched it with a precise throw or a clean stab when caught unaware.
In total, he killed twelve centipedes—three regular-sized, three cobra-length, and the rest medium-sized. Satisfied, he finally let his body collapse onto the forest floor.
Sleep overtook him quickly.
---
Outside, the night deepened. But inside the dungeon, time felt still. Though cleared, the dungeon didn't collapse—its entrance remained intact. As long as ambient mana continued feeding it, the sub-space remained active.
Dungeons with stable mana flow were left alone unless in populated areas. Some were even turned into tourist zones by licensed companies.
---
Damien woke with a groggy groan, unsure how long he'd slept. His stomach grumbled; his throat dry.
Exiting the dungeon, he squinted against the morning sun. He unequiping like hoodie jacket and gloves. He walked towards the road.
He was sure he wouldn't encounter any mutated animal since they are very few and live way deeper into the forest.
While walking along the road. He didn't have energy to activate [sprint] to run on this seem to be endless road.
Eventually, a truck appeared on the road in the distance. Damien lit up and began waving frantically.
The truck slowed.
A light-brown, bald man peeked out the window, eyes wary.
"What're you doing here, kid? How'd you end up on this deserted road?"
He paused. "City's still 5 km out."
"I'm from Abyssal Hunters Academy," Damien said, voice strained.
"I've been walking a while. Could you… maybe give me a lift?"
The man frowned.
"Alone? Where're your teammates?"
"I came alone."
The man glanced at Damien's pale face, the exhaustion written in every line of his body, and sighed.
"…Hop in."
Inside, Damien's eyes locked onto a water bottle.
"C-Can I have some water?"
The driver gave a half-shrug.
"Kid, you look like death. You sure you're okay?"
He handed the bottle over.
Damien drank half in one go, gasping after. Just as he recapped the bottle, the driver reached toward the dash and pulled out a packet of cookies.
"Here."
Without hesitation, Damien snatched them up, scarfing half the pack before realizing it. Embarrassed, he placed the rest on the dash.
The driver said nothing.
Glancing at the driver who was focused in driving, a weird sensation came across through his mind.
'Damn?! Why the hell this man is kind to me?'
Suppressing his goosebumps by rubbing his arm he thougt, 'It almost creepy.'
Damien glanced at the rear-view mirror—and froze.
Staring back at him: a mess of tangled hair, pale face, smudged dirt on cheeks and under his eyes.
"…What the—"
He hadn't realized how pitiful he looked.
He side-eyed the driver.
'Does he think I am victim of intense bullying that my companion left me here?'
A smirk crept onto his face.
'Well… doesn't matter. As long as I reach the city.'