A beautiful vampire with long, silky white hair sprinted into an open field—only for his foot to catch on something.
In the next instant, the ground swallowed him whole.
"Damn it... he trapped me. Shit."
A man stepped into view, silver armor gleaming beneath the dim sky, a black cape whispering behind him. He drew a golden sword without hesitation.
"W–wait! Don't kill me! I can give you anything—beautiful women? Endless gold? The secret to immortality?"
"There's nothing you could offer me worth more than your head."
The blade flashed.
The vampire's body hit the ground, headless.
—
He jolted awake, chest heaving. His breath slowed. A moment passed.
"…Just a dream," he muttered, rubbing his face.
—
The man in silver armor moved cautiously through a dense, ancient forest. The air was thick and brittle, as though light hadn't touched it in centuries.
Above, two creatures glided silently. Their limbs were warped, their heads twisted unnaturally with eyes on their backs, claws curved like sickles. Rows of jagged teeth grinned from their bellies.
He crept forward, every step measured.
There it was—a stone gateway, standing alone in a clearing. The flying beasts circled above.
He didn't hesitate. He stripped off his armor, revealing black garments beneath—tight and silent, perfect for concealment. Low to the ground, he moved in.
One of the creatures snapped its head toward the earth and dove.
He drew a silver dagger, waited—then lunged. The blade sliced through its throat cleanly.
The second swooped in immediately. He struck again—too slow. It ducked and slashed a narrow blade across his shoulder.
Agony burst through him—but he didn't falter.
Before the creature could pull its blade free, he twisted in and drove the dagger up beneath its jaw. It twitched. Then fell.
He stepped over the bodies and approached the gate—then stopped.
Symbols were carved across the surface, a strange puzzle etched in stone.
Before he could examine it, a loud crack echoed out. Thin fractures split across the stone like lightning bolts.
From the wall, two massive figures stepped forward—armor formed from jagged rock, limbs thick and ancient. Their footsteps thundered.
He braced—but one of them lunged first, smashing a stone fist into his chest.
The blow shattered both arms instantly. Bones snapped like twigs.
He collapsed. His skull struck the ground with a hollow thud.
The giants advanced.
Before they could strike again, he slammed his head against the earth—once, hard.
The ground split open beneath him.
He fell.
Twisting mid-air, he landed on his legs. They cracked on impact, but he stayed conscious.
Darkness closed in.
With a trembling hand, he pulled a potion to his lips.
—
His eyes opened slowly.
The pain hadn't vanished, but his limbs moved. He forced himself to his feet.
Ahead, a soft glow flickered.
He limped toward it.
The tunnel opened into a cave. The walls shimmered with faintly glowing blue stones. From a hole in the wall, water trickled gently.
He crouched, dipped his fingers in, and drank two drops. Then another.
Time passed.
Later, he boiled a full mug of water and drank.
Then—movement.
From the hole, a serpent emerged. At least fifteen meters long, it had no eyes—just a stone plate covering its face. Its brown body glistened with red markings, skin shining faintly.
Its fangs gleamed like curved daggers.
Without warning, it breathed fire.
He ducked behind rocks, shielding himself from the blast.
He checked his dagger. It was useless here.
He grabbed a stone and hurled it. The snake lunged immediately—its senses locked on the sound.
While it struck, he slipped quietly toward the tunnel.
But the beast had already turned. It sensed the vibrations. It was behind him.
He didn't stop.
He ran toward the faint light ahead and burst through the next gap.
—
Four tunnels branched before him.
One echoed with a low hiss—the snake's path. He avoided it.
Instead, he chose the narrowest one, too tight for the beast to follow.
He crawled, slid, and dropped down into a deeper space.
A jungle spread before him—massive and strange.
But it was silent. No insects. No birds. No movement.
Then, from the earth, rabbits emerged—small, gray, twitching.
A majestic deer followed—green, with five tails and a single horn, glowing faintly.
It grazed calmly.
Then the rabbits lunged.
In seconds, the deer vanished beneath a frenzy of teeth. Flesh, bone—gone.
He climbed a tree. Waited.
The rabbits dove back underground.
The next day, the same thing happened. Same deer. Same savage end.
He tried to catch them—too fast.
He set a trap the day after. Still failed.
On the third day, he modified it.
Finally, he caught a few.
Too weak to light a fire, he ate them raw.
But something was wrong.
The meat dried his throat like dust. It absorbed every drop of moisture inside him. His skin pulled tight. His limbs hollowed.
His strength vanished.
He drank their blood. It was warm. Bitter. But it helped.
He lay on the ground, body drained, eyes fluttering shut.
Sleep took him.