I ran for a long time after that.
My lungs burned with every breath and my legs screamed in pain, but I didn't dare stop.
Not until I finally gathered the courage to look back again.
The forest behind me was empty.
No glowing red eyes.
No pounding paws.
No monsters.
I think…
I think I lost them.
Relief washed over me, but it didn't last long.
Even if I escaped that pack, I was still trapped inside a dungeon.
And that meant danger could appear anywhere.
Nevertheless, I continued moving forward.
Staying in one place felt like waiting to die.
My mind raced as I tried to think of a way to survive.
A dungeon had opened, which meant hunters would eventually enter to clear it.
That's how the system worked.
Once a gate appeared, the Hunter Association would detect it sooner or later. They would send hunters inside to deal with the situation.
Hunters would come.
They would kill the monsters.
They would defeat the boss of the dungeon.
And when that happened, the dungeon would collapse and everyone trapped inside would finally be able to leave.
At least…
That's how it was supposed to work.
But the real problem was time.
How long would it take for hunters to arrive?
Hours?
A whole day?
Maybe even longer?
My chest tightened at the thought.
Could I even survive that long?
I clenched my fists.
The only thing I could do now was survive.
Stay alive long enough for the hunters to arrive.
Long enough for them to kill the monsters.
Long enough for them to defeat the boss of this dungeon.
Only then could I get out of this nightmare.
So until that moment—
I just had to keep breathing.
And keep moving.
Because if I stopped now…
I would end up just like the bodies behind me.
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
I slowed my pace and began looking around carefully.
If monsters relied on their sense of smell, then running around while covered in sweat probably wasn't helping my situation at all.
I needed to hide my scent.
My eyes scanned the ground as I searched for anything useful.
Mud.
If I could find mud, maybe I could smear it on my body.
It might not completely hide my scent, but it could at least camouflage me a little.
It was a desperate idea.
But desperate was all I had right now.
After walking for a while, I finally spotted a small muddy patch near the roots of a tree. The soil there was wet and dark, probably from underground moisture.
I crouched down immediately.
The mud was cold and sticky as I scooped it up with my hands.
For a moment, I hesitated.
Back in my normal life, the thought of covering myself in dirt like this would have been disgusting.
Now?
I didn't give a damn.
Survival was more important than dignity.
So I did it.
I rubbed the mud across my arms first, smearing the cold sludge across my skin. Then I covered my clothes, my neck, even parts of my face.
The smell was awful.
Wet soil mixed with rot and something sour.
But if it helped keep monsters away from me, then it was worth it.
By the time I finished, I looked like I had crawled straight out of a swamp.
I wiped the mud off my hands as best as I could and slowly stood up.
Then I looked around the silent forest again.
Every shadow between the trees suddenly felt like something watching me.
My heart started beating faster.
Alright.
That should help… at least a little.
Hopefully.
Taking a slow breath, I carefully started moving again.
One cautious step at a time.
Trying to stay quiet.
Trying not to attract attention.
Trying not to die.
I think hours had passed since I had been wandering around endlessly, trying to avoid monsters.
My legs were numb at this point, and every step felt heavier than the last.
Then—
Rustle… rustle…
Something moved in the bushes nearby.
My heartbeat instantly started pounding uncontrollably again.
My body froze.
Is it the wolves?
Slowly, I turned my head toward the sound, my breathing becoming shallow.
The bushes shook again.
Rustle… rustle…
Something was definitely there.
My mind screamed at me to run, but my legs refused to move. If I ran blindly again, I might run straight into another pack of monsters.
Instead, I hurriedly grabbed the thickest branch I could find lying on the ground. It was rough and heavy, but it would have to do.
I gripped it tightly with both hands.
If something jumped out—
I would swing first.
My heart pounded so loudly I was afraid whatever was hiding there could hear it.
The bushes moved again.
Slowly.
Closer.
My entire body tensed as I raised the branch above my shoulder, ready to strike.
Just a little closer…
Come out already…
And then—
Something suddenly burst out of the bushes.
"SMACK!"
The branch slammed down with all the strength I had left.
A cry of pain echoed through the forest.
"AHHH! WAIT! WAIT!"
My eyes widened in shock.
That voice—
It was human.
It was none other than my stupid boss.
He collapsed to the ground the moment the branch hit his shoulder, clutching it in pain while rolling on the dirt.
"Ahhh! What the hell was that for, you bastard?!" he shouted, his face twisted in anger.
For a moment, I just stood there, staring at him in disbelief.
Of all the people I could run into inside this damn dungeon…
It had to be him.
My boss.
The same bald bastard who led those wolves straight to us earlier.
How did he even manage to survive running away from those wolves with his giant, unathletic body?
My grip on the branch tightened.
A dangerous thought crossed my mind.
If I swung again…
Right now…
No one would know.
The forest was silent.
No witnesses.
No cameras.
Just me.
And him.
The man who almost got everyone killed.
I already hated him before, but what he did earlier made my hatred boil even more.
He slowly looked up at me, finally realizing who I was.
"Y-you?!"
His expression quickly changed.
The anger disappeared and was replaced with something else.
Fear.
Good.
He should be afraid.
"You idiot! Why did you hit me?!" he whispered harshly, trying to keep his voice down. "Do you want to attract monsters?!"
I stared at him for a long moment before lowering the branch slightly.
"You're the one who brought those damn wolves to us earlier," I said coldly.
His face stiffened.
"I—I didn't know they were following me!" he snapped defensively. "How the hell was I supposed to know?!"
Bullshit.
That bastard had been screaming and running like a headless chicken.
Of course he dragged them straight back to the group.
My jaw tightened as anger bubbled up inside my chest again.
But now wasn't the time.
As much as I hated the guy…
Another human was still better than being alone in a dungeon.
Unfortunately.
Before I could say anything else—
Rustle.
Both of us froze.
The sound came from the forest behind him.
Something was moving again.
And this time…
It didn't sound small.