The tunnel fell silent.Then the eyes blinked.
Two enormous golden pupils stared directly at Maira from the darkness ahead. A deep scraping sound followed, stone grinding against stone, something massive shifted its weight.
Maira's body went rigid.
"…Arcanis."
"Yes, Master."
"…Tell me that's just another rat."
The grimoire's pages turned slowly.
"I regret to inform you…" He said in Ernest.
"…it is significantly larger than a rat."
The creature stepped forward. The blue dungeon moss illuminated its body.
Maira's breath caught. It was a giant reptilian beast. Its scales looked like rough stone plates layered across its body. Its tail dragged across the ground like a massive club. Sharp claws scraped against the rock floor as it moved. The creature stood nearly three times her height.
Arcanis spoke calmly. "Monster identified."
'Stonefang Lizard.'
Maira stared at it. "…You said the early floors had small monsters."
"That is small." Arcanis said bluntly.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
The creature let out a low rumbling growl. The sound vibrated through the tunnel walls.
Then suddenly, It lunged forward.
Fast. Much faster than something that size should move.
"MASTER MOVE!"
Maira reacted instantly.
"FEATHER STEP!"
Her body moved just as the creature's claws slammed into the ground where she had been standing. The impact cracked the stone floor. Debris flew everywhere.
Maira stumbled backward.Her heart pounded violently.
"That thing will kill me!" She said breathing heavily.
"Correct," Arcanis replied calmly.
"Not helping Arcanis" she exasperated.
"So just avoid that outcome."
"Easier said than done"
The lizard whipped its massive tail toward her. She jumped back again. The tail
smashed into the wall with explosive force,
chunks of rock rained down.Maira's breathing became frantic,her wind spells were too weak.She could barely push rats around.This monster was like a moving boulder.
"I can't beat this!" She said breathing heavily.
Arcanis remained calm. "You cannot overpower it."
"Then what do I do?!"
"Observe."
The monster roared again, this time it opened its mouth wide. Sharp stone-like teeth glistened in the dim light, but Maira noticed something. The scales on its body were thick.
Solid.
Impenetrable, except for one place, Its eyes
and the soft flesh beneath its jaw.
"Arcanis…"
"Yes?"
"…I see it."
The monster charged again. Maira stood her ground this time. Wind gathered around her hands.
"GUST!"
The blast struck the monster's face. The wind did almost no damage. But it forced the creature to close its eyes.
"FEATHER STEP!"
Maira dashed to the side, she grabbed a jagged stone from the ground. The monster roared and swung its tail. The air pressure alone nearly knocked her over, but she moved under the swing. She jumped and drove the stone upward with all her strength.
Straight into the creature's eye. The monster screamed. A terrible, echoing roar filled the tunnel.
It thrashed violently. Maira was thrown across the ground then she rolled hard across the stone floor pain exploding across her back.
"MASTER!"
"I'm okay—!"
The lizard staggered wildly now, one eye destroyed, blood dripping down its stone scales. But it was far from dead.
In fact…It looked even angrier.
"MASTER," Arcanis warned. "It is entering a berserk state."
The creature slammed its claws into the ground repeatedly, the entire tunnel shook, while Maira struggled to stand and her body ached. Her mana was nearly gone but the monster charged again. She raised her shaking hand, wind gathered weakly around her fingers.
"…One more time."
The creature lunged, Its jaws opened wide, a perfect chance.
"GUST!"
This time she aimed inside its mouth. The wind blasted straight down its throat, the creature choked Its charge faltered. Maira ran forward with Feather Step. She jumped onto its head grabbing another jagged rock from the floor.
"FOR MY MOTHER!"
She drove the stone downward into the monster's remaining eye.
"I'M GOING TO SURVIVE!"
The Stonefang Lizard let out one final roar then its massive body collapsed. The ground shook when it hit the floor then silence followed.
Maira dropped to her knees her chest heaved violently.
"…Did I win?"
Arcanis floated beside her.
"…Yes." He sounded impressed. "Against all probability."
Maira stared at the dead monster then suddenly, a much larger stream of glowing energy rose from its body, far more than before. It flowed straight into her chest. Her eyes widened.
The mana flooding into her body felt… warm.
Powerful. The wind around her stirred
stronger and Sharper.
"Arcanis…"
"Yes?"
"…I feel different."
"Of course you do." His pages turned slowly.
"You just defeated your first dungeon elite monster."
Maira slowly stood up. Her body was exhausted but the wind around her obeyed her more easily now. She looked deeper into the dark tunnel ahead, the dungeon stretched endlessly downward.
More monsters.
More trials.
More power.
Arcanis spoke quietly. "Master."
"Yes?"
"You have taken your first true step into this dungeon." He paused. "And it has begun to notice you."
The tunnel was quiet again. Too quiet.
The massive body of the Stonefang Lizard lay across the stone floor, its scales dull now that life had left them, Maira stared at it for a long time, her breathing slowly returned to normal.
Her body ached everywhere scratches burned across her arms. Her legs trembled from exhaustion. But something else was bothering her. Her stomach growled loudly.
She blinked. "…Arcanis."
"Yes, Master?"
"…I'm hungry."
The grimoire floated silently for a moment.
"Well," he replied thoughtfully, "that is an expected biological response after intense combat."
Maira slowly turned her head toward the giant lizard corpse.
"…There's nothing else down here to eat."
Arcanis followed her gaze.
"…Ah." Said Arcanis with intrigue in his voice
The two of them stared at the monster. Then at each other.
"…You're not suggesting—"
"I am absolutely suggesting that," Arcanis said immediately.
Maira made a face. "That thing tried to eat me."
"And now you may return the favor."
She groaned quietly. "This is awful…"
Arcanis cleared his throat dramatically.
"Allow me to remind you of a few important facts." He began listing them like a teacher.
"Fact one: you are trapped in a dungeon."
"Fact two: you require food to survive."
"Fact three: there are currently no markets available and even if there was you're flat broke right now."
Maira sighed. "…You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Immensely." Arcanis responded with a smug.
"Aren't you supposed to be the all powerful sovereign god of magic, can't you make a simple fire?" Maira questioned.
"Fallen god I'll remember you, and plus it's not my fault your first affinity was wind not fire, just blow away the terrible taste that should work" Arcanis responded sounding slightly offended.
"Blow away the awful taste instead of cook it, real funny" Maira added sarcastically.
She stood slowly and approached the corpse.Up close, the Stonefang Lizard looked even larger. Its scales were rough and thick like armor. She poked it cautiously.
"Like for real,How do I even cook this?"
Arcanis tilted slightly.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"Do you know how to start a fire?"
"…No."
"Well, that is unfortunate."
"That's it?"
"I don't know? Eat it raw I guess?"
Maira rubbed her forehead. "Wait."
She looked around the tunnel. Scattered stones. Dry moss. Loose pieces of broken wood from ancient dungeon debris.
"…Maybe…"
She knelt down and gathered some of the dry moss and wood fragments.
"Humans cooked before magic," she muttered. "I can do this."
She took two stones and began striking them together. At first, nothing happened. Then a tiny spark appeared. She tried again and again.
After several attempts, the moss caught a small ember. Maira leaned down and gently blew on it. The ember grew and a tiny flame appeared.
She blinked in surprise.
"…It worked."
Arcanis sounded impressed. "Well done, Master."
Soon a small fire burned in the tunnel.
Maira used a sharp rock to cut a piece of meat from the monster.
The smell was… not great.
"Are you sure this is safe?" she asked.
Arcanis scanned the meat. "Stonefang Lizard meat is edible." He paused. "…Mostly."
"Mostly?" She said sounding worried.
"It may cause well.....mild stomach discomfort." Arcanis said sounding uncertain
She stared at him.
"…Great."
Still, she placed the meat over the fire using a stick.
Minutes passed.
The smell slowly changed. From
unpleasant…to surprisingly decent. Her stomach growled again. Finally she pulled the cooked meat away.
"…Here goes nothing."
She took a small bite. At first she looked unsure then her eyes widened slightly.
"…It's not bad."
Arcanis chuckled. "Dungeon monsters often contain high mana density."
"Which means?"
"Nutritious."
Maira continued eating slowly. Warm food spread through her body, for the first time since entering the dungeon....she felt a little less cold, a little less weak. When she finished, she leaned back against the wall the fire crackled quietly beside her.
"…Thank you," she said suddenly.
Arcanis tilted. "For what?"
"For helping me."
The grimoire was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke softly.
"…It is mutually beneficial. You free me I keep you alive."
She smiled faintly. "Fair enough."
The fire slowly burned lower. Maira stared into the darkness of the dungeon ahead her expression slowly hardened again.
"…I'm not dying here."
Arcanis floated beside her. "No you will not."
He turned toward the tunnel deeper inside the dungeon.
"Because the deeper we go…" he paused facing ahead. "…the stronger you will become."
Maira stood up.
The wind around her fingers moved slightly more obedient than before. She glanced back at the corpse of the Stonefang Lizard then toward the endless tunnels ahead.
"Let's move."