Dustin spun on his heel and ran. His bare feet pounded the damp earth as the Sweating Dog lunged after him with a low, wet snarl. He risked a single glance back and pulled up the system window in his mind.
[Sweating Dog]
[Lvl 16]
[Sweating Dog is a lower middle grade beast. It does not have a very strong body but its sweat, which keeps pouring off it constantly, more than compensates. Its sweat is highly corrosive and poisonous in nature.]
"I am in serious trouble," Dustin gasped between ragged breaths. "That thing is more than ten levels higher than me. I do not stand a chance against it in a one-on-one fight."
The dog's heavy paws thundered closer. Corrosive sweat flew from its fur in fine droplets, filling the air with a sharp chemical stench that stung his nostrils. Dustin activated Silent Steps. The cold rush slid down his legs and his perception bubble vanished completely. He veered sharply left into a thick patch of brush, hoping the skill would erase every trace of his movement.
The dog changed direction instantly, matching his turn without hesitation.
''Even Silent Steps is not working on it,'' Dustin thought. He dropped the skill at once. The extra stamina drain would finish him faster than the dog could. His lungs already felt raw and the bar in the corner of his vision flashed a warning. If he ran it dry he was dead, no question.
At this moment the truth crashed over him. Just lazily laying around in that tree cave would have gotten him killed for sure. If he somehow escaped this monster he would have to grow stronger. He had to. He sent up a silent desperate prayer to whatever system or god might be listening. Nothing answered. The dog kept chasing, its growl steady and unrelenting.
''Why are none of my skills working? Why did the perception bubble fail to warn me? Why did Silent Steps do nothing?'' Those questions burned in his mind with every desperate step. ''Is it possible this dog has some kind of special skill?'' He changed direction again, veering toward a narrower path between two thick roots in hopes of slowing the beast. ''But those kinds of skills should belong to higher-level creatures, and this dog is only level sixteen.'' He discarded the idea almost immediately. This was not a game anymore. This was his reality.
A few moments later another conclusion settled in. His own level and stats were simply far too low compared to the beast. In a game or in this brutal new world, strength ruled above everything else. The foxes he had killed earlier never sensed him because they were weaker. That was the only difference.
"Yeah," he muttered through gritted teeth. "This must be the reason."
His chest heaved harder now. Stamina warnings pulsed brighter. At this point he found himself hoping, against every instinct he had carried since the white room, that he would run into other participants. The very people he had deliberately avoided. He needed someone, anyone, with a sword or a spell or even just a distraction. He could not fight this monster alone. But life never went as he intended. The forest stayed empty.
Several long minutes dragged by. His legs felt like stone. Then he spotted it on his right, a small cave entrance half-hidden by hanging vines. He changed direction instinctively and sprinted straight for it.
The Sweating Dog was almost on top of him when he dove through the opening. Its jaws snapped shut with a loud clack, missing his heel by inches. Dustin scrambled deeper into the tunnel. The dog did not stop. Its low intelligence kept it charging forward until its broad shoulders slammed into the rock walls. It wedged tight at the entrance, head and front legs inside, the rest of its bulk jammed solid.
Dustin's heart nearly burst from his chest when the dog's foaming mouth lunged one last time, teeth clicking on empty air before the creature finally realized it was stuck. It thrashed and growled, the sound echoing like wet gravel grinding together.
He collapsed onto the cave floor, back against the cold stone, chest rising and falling in huge gasps. "Hah… huff… hah… huff." The laugh came out shaky and thin. He stared at the trapped beast. "I almost died."
The dog kept growling, yellow eyes locked on him, fresh corrosive sweat dripping onto the stone with soft hisses. The cave was dark but not pitch black. Dustin could still make out the long tunnel stretching ahead. With the entrance now blocked, only one path remained. He pushed himself up on trembling legs and started to move deeper.
Then he stopped.
"To survive," he said quietly, voice steadying, "I must get strong enough to protect myself." He turned back toward the trapped dog.
He studied the beast. He had read the description clearly. Its sweat was highly poisonous and corrosive. Touching it would be suicide, and he had no way to cure poison. After several long minutes of careful thought he bent down, picked up a fist-sized rock, and stepped behind a large boulder for cover. He hurled the rock with everything he had left.
It struck the dog square in the face, right beside its eye.
Woff… Woff…
The dog screamed, a high, pained sound that bounced off the walls. It thrashed harder, trying to break free, but the rock had done its job. Dustin stayed hidden and threw another, then another. Each impact landed with a dull thud, splitting skin and matting fur with blood. The dog's growls turned into desperate yelps. Its left side face swelled shut, one eye already useless.
"You were going to eat me alive," Dustin called out, voice low and even. "And now you want me to spare you?"
He kept throwing. The dog's struggles grew weaker. Its head drooped, tongue lolling, breath coming in wet rasps. When it finally sagged against the rock, barely conscious, Dustin drew one of his steel daggers. He stepped out from behind the boulder, aimed carefully, and threw with every ounce of his level-four strength.
The blade flashed once and sank deep into the center of the dog's skull.
DING.
[You have slain a Lvl 16 Sweating Dog.]
Dustin stood there, chest still heaving, staring at the dead beast wedged in the cave mouth. The notification glowed soft green in front of him.