Moving through the dense bushes made me slow down considerably, but it was worth it, as [Danger Sense] did flare up a few times, but nothing attacked.
I moved one careful step at a time, using [Mana Sense] to feel for presences ahead.
The terrain grew steeper. I grabbed at roots and rocks to pull myself upward, my injured arm protesting with every movement. The forest thinned slightly as I climbed higher, the trees giving way to jagged stone and sparse vegetation.
Then my [Danger Sense] erupted. A full alarm screaming in the back of my skull.
I dropped flat behind a boulder. Heavy footsteps such that ground vibrated with each one.
I peeked between gaps of trees, and saw it.
A massive shape moving through the forest. Easily three meters tall, covered in dark fur. Its claws scraped against stone as it walked, leaving deep gouges.
[Ironhide Bear - Rank: C]
My stomach dropped.
C-rank. That thing could tear me apart without even trying.
I pressed myself harder against the rock, not daring to breathe. The bear stopped, lifting its head to sniff the air. For a moment, I thought it had caught my scent.
It turned its massive head in my direction.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Please don't. Please don't.
But it resumed its journey, moving away from me, slowly fading into the distance.
I let out a sigh of relief.
That's what a real monster looks like. Not an E rank dog
Just as I was about to stand, a notification flickered in the corner of my vision.
[Fanged Hare defeated by blood loss]
[+15 EXP]
I blinked. The hare from earlier, the one that had mauled my arm and run off bleeding, had finally died somewhere in the forest.
At least something went right today.
I pushed myself up and kept moving.
An hour later, I finally stepped out onto a rocky ledge, staring up at the cliff face that stretched above me. It was nearly vertical with barely any handholds visible from where I stood.
The peak was far above, shrouded in the mist.
Reaching the peak wasn't possible, not for him at least, who was struggling against an E rank monster.
But I didn't need to reach the peak.
In the novel, the peak was just a decoy. The artifact was sealed behind a massive door at the summit, protected by ancient runes and magic that required a specific key, something the protagonist stumbled upon by accident dozens of chapters later, after she was already strong enough to brute-force her way through.
But I was the author. I knew the shortcut.
I activated [Mana Sense], letting the passive skill sharpen into focus. The cliff face lit up in my perception, faint traces of mana clinging to the stone, the natural energy that existed in all things.
Except for one spot.
About ten meters up, slightly to the left, there was nothing. A perfect void where no mana existed at all.
There.
I approached the base of the cliff and looked up at the section. From here, it looked like solid rock, indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. But I knew better.
Illusion magic.
The climb was going to suck.
I started up slowly, testing each handhold before putting my weight on it. My injured arm was a liability, hindering my movement and causing constant pain that took away my attention.
Just a little higher. Just a little more.
Five meters. Seven. Nine.
My fingers found the edge of the void section. I pressed my palm flat against what looked like solid stone.
And my hand passed through.
Cold air rushed over my skin. The illusion rippled like water where I touched it, revealing a narrow opening carved into the cliff face.
"Got it," I whispered, pulling myself through.
The passage beyond was dark and cramped. I had to turn sideways to fit, the walls pressing in on both sides. The air was stale.
But ahead, faintly glowing on the stone walls, I could see runes that pulsed with a soft blue light.
The path led upward. Steep, almost vertical.
I looked up into the darkness and grinned despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, despite everything.
This is the exit. The emergency escape route. In the novel, after claiming the artifact, the dungeon's defense system activates and ejects the protagonist through this shaft to prevent her from being trapped inside.
But I'm going to use it backwards.
I'm going to enter through the exit.
I tightened the strap on my backpack, gripped the first handhold, and started climbing.