He checked his shoulder—only faint scars remained from the wolf fight. The arm moved freely and painlessly. Then he peeled back a bandage from his leg. Not fully healed, but much improved. The bleeding had stopped, the wound closed and scabbed. A few careful rotations of his foot confirmed he could walk again.

  What an incredible perk. If you can hear me, Mesa… thank you.

  He didn’t expect an answer, and none came.

  But it did make him think of the initial reward: his first perk, granted for being the first to kill an Energy-born creature on Earth. Boldness clearly paid off.

  He stood and looked back toward the dungeon portal. Then, toward the path deeper into the forest.

  I’ve already lost hours. Mom and the others are probably back at home by now—hopefully safe inside.

  He glanced down at the panther.

  If this is the level of challenge in this dungeon, and if I act smarter than I have so far… it should be doable. Has to be.

  Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get another reward for being the first to complete a dungeon.

  That would be a huge advantage in keeping himself—and his loved ones—safe. He wasn’t sure if it was the right decision.

  But it was his decision.

  He was going to attempt to clear his first dungeon.

  Before wandering deeper into the dungeon, Ben looked at the panther he had just defeated and decided to search for another core. He took his axe and dug a hole in the beast’s chest. However, this time he wasn’t lucky. Even after digging deeper and using his pocketknife to widen the hole, he didn’t find the small pearl-like object he had extracted from the first animal he had killed.

  He wondered whether that was due to this being a dungeon or perhaps because the cat was too small.

  Anyway, I’ll find out one way or another. Let’s get going, he thought.

  He shouldered his backpack and took a few careful steps, testing the reliability of his recently wounded leg. After being satisfied, he set off to follow the path deeper into the dungeon.

  Initially, not much changed.

  The colors of the forest, with its dark greens and light browns, gave the environment an almost monochrome feeling.

  After about 20 minutes, the path curved sharply to the right. That seemed in line with what he had experienced so far, but when he looked straight ahead—the direction the path was now veering away from—he caught a glimpse of color, maybe a hundred meters in the distance.

  He considered his options and decided to leave the path and explore what lay ahead.

  Carefully, he made his way through the light underbrush, axe at the ready and head constantly on a swivel.

  Despite his vigilance, he didn’t sense any danger. After a few dozen meters toward his goal, it became clear what he had seen from afar: a clearing, with sunlight shining on a small pond surrounded by flowers bearing deep blue blossoms.

  Despite having spent most of his life in the outdoors, Ben had never seen plants quite like these—a strange mix of lily and orchid.

  Before stepping into the clearing, Ben checked all around to make sure he was safe.

  Slowly, Ben made his way forward into the clearing. He stepped toward the pond and peered into its depths, but saw nothing—just crystal-clear water. Kneeling down, he brought a few drops to his mouth to test it.

  Tastes like regular water.

  He finished the last few gulps from his water bottle and refilled it from the pond.

  Then he took a closer look at the blue flowers on the other side of the pond. Almost of its own volition—much easier than when he had first tried to use the [Analyze] perk—

  text appeared above the patch of flowers:

  Sapphire Blossoms. Energy-infused plant. Tier 1. Common crafting ingredient.

  Oh, this is interesting. Dungeons will offer resources.

  He didn’t know what those flowers would be ingredients for, but he figured it could be relevant—just like the core he had harvested from the wolf not so long ago. Pulling out his pocket knife, he made his way over to the flower patch.

  He intended to harvest at least a few of the specimens. As he was kneeling down to cut one of the flower stems, he noticed a few red spots between the green leaves and blue blossoms. Having learned his lesson, he took a step back and readied his axe.

  He shifted a couple steps to the side for a better view—and saw three frogs nestled in the patch. Two were around 25 centimeters long. One, nearly as big as a large house cat.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  All of them had light brown skin with prominent red spots, especially around the head. Ben focused on the largest one and instinctively took another step back. Without conscious effort, text appeared above the animal:

  Red Arrow Frog. Energy-born. Tier 1. Common Challenge & Resource Protector.

  I don't know whether they're poisonous, but I certainly don't want to be bitten. I also don’t know if I have to defeat them to complete the dungeon—or if I can just walk away.

  He decided not to take the risk and go on the attack.

  Before he could make a proper plan, one of the smaller frogs started moving toward him. When it got within a meter, it leapt into the air, opened its large mouth, and unrolled its deep red tongue—almost 50 centimeters long.

  Ben was ready.

  He shifted slightly to the side and, instead of taking a full swing, simply guided the axe head into the frog’s path, cutting the tongue and biting deep into the creature’s mouth. He twisted the axe—blue blood sprayed from the wound. The frog was dead.

  A loud croak echoed from the direction of the remaining two, clearly unhappy about the death of their nest mate.

  Ben flicked the blood off his axe and braced himself. Both of the remaining frogs were coming his way.

  They seem to be quite squishy. Let’s take out the small one before I get pincered.

  Ben lunged forward as far as his exoskeleton allowed and, with a one-handed motion, swatted the smaller of the two frogs out of the air—not with the edge, but with the side of the axe head. It probably wasn’t lethal, but it gave him space to breathe and deal with the larger foe.

  That large Energy-born creature seemed less willing to leap, but eager to lash at him from afar with its even longer tongue. Ben barely dodged the first strike by dropping to the ground and rolling to the side.

  He scrambled back, thinking fast.

  What are my options? Run at it? Cut off the tongue? Or maybe gamble... and see how flexible this [Axe Handling] perk really is?

  He took another step back and a deep breath.

  Let’s gamble.

  He raised the axe high over his head, leveraged his considerable upper-body strength, and hurled it with all his might.

  With an unpleasant squishing sound, the axe buried itself in the large frog’s body—certainly dead. Ben quickly walked over, yanked the axe free, and turned to finish off the final smaller frog. It was croaking helplessly on the side—heavily injured but not quite dead. The [Analyze] perk confirmed what he suspected, showing the same "young" tag as with the panther he’d defeated earlier.

  Not wanting to risk poisoning after defeating the three animals, he carefully searched for cores using his axe and pocket knife, doing his best to avoid touching the frogs’ skin or blood. The two smaller ones had no core, but inside the chest cavity of the larger frog, he once again found a small, golden pearl—what Mesa had called a core. He carefully extracted it, cleaned it with a tissue, and stored it in his backpack.

  With the frogs taken care of, he reconsidered his approach to the flowers. Instead of cutting several of them, he decided to extract just one—roots and all—thinking he might be able to replant it later. Besides, he didn’t know whether the valuable part was above or below ground.

  Afterward, he cleaned his pocket knife, axe, and hands in the pond, then made his way back to the path deeper into the dungeon.

  As he carefully made his way forward, Ben reflected on his experience in the dungeon so far. The last encounter had been relatively easy—though it could’ve gone very wrong if he hadn’t noticed the frogs early. Still, he wouldn’t have made it this far without his rare perk [Resilient Body].

  He wouldn’t have stood a chance against the panther if his wounds from the wolf encounter hadn’t already healed. And after that brutal fight, without his ability to recover within a couple of hours, he would’ve been forced to turn back. On the other hand, someone entering the dungeon well-prepared and aware of what to expect might be able to handle it even without [Resilient Body] or his uncommon [Axe Handling] perk. He nodded to himself.

  Let’s stay alert. Let’s stay careful. Let’s learn from our mistakes—and we can do this.

  The path stretched on, seemingly endless, its monotony making it difficult to remain focused. Whenever he felt his mind start to drift, Ben would stop, stretch, take a deep breath, and push on. During one of these breaks, he took a few practice swings with his axe, noting the smoothness of his movements.

  I didn’t appreciate this at first, but this perk is clearly more than just a reflection of my current ability. It’s enhanced my instincts, my understanding, my body’s coordination in a fight.

  He still needed training—being a good fighter took more than technique alone—but he was grateful. [Axe Handling] was reinforcing his decision to continue deeper into the dungeon.

  Nearly an hour must have passed when he paused again. The underbrush had grown denser over the last stretch, and a few sharp movements in the foliage—likely squirrels or other small forest animals—had spiked his adrenaline more than once.

  He was mid-stretch, both arms above his head and axe in hand, when he heard a sudden squeal. A rodent’s panicked shriek, abruptly cut off.

  Ben instinctively raised his axe and shifted toward a nearby tree, placing his back to it for cover.

  Moments later, a massive snake emerged from the underbrush. It had likely been chasing the rodent but immediately turned toward Ben. Its head was a vicious triangle the size of a spread adult hand. Its deep green body, crisscrossed with lighter green patterns, stretched at least five meters in length.

  The snake slithered forward, closing the distance. Ben held his ground, taking slow, measured steps backward, keeping the axe between him and the beast.

  It lifted its head a meter off the ground, poised to strike. It didn’t lunge—just observed. Careful. Cautious.

  Ben mirrored the snake’s patience. He studied its movements, trying to spot a pattern, a weakness. After what felt like an eternity—but was likely no more than a minute and a half—he started feinting, probing its reactions. The dance continued, each testing the other.

  Then Ben made a decision.

  He took a step back and, with a smooth motion, pulled his water bottle from the side of his pack. Now holding his axe in his right hand and the bottle in his left, he prepared to take a risk.

  This thing is at least as fast as I am. It’s got reach, power, speed. Time to get tricky.

  The snake sensed a shift in tempo and reared higher, preparing to strike or dodge. Ben hurled the water bottle past it, aiming for its midsection. As it tracked the motion, he lunged forward, slashing toward the neck.

  But the snake was too fast. It recoiled and countered instantly.

  Ben twisted mid-motion, managing to wedge the axe between himself and the beast. The snake’s jaws clamped down on the axe head, venomous fangs glistening inches from his face.

  It pushed forward. He braced. Muscles strained. Sweat poured down his face as he fought to hold the weapon steady. Then, abruptly, the snake pulled back, preparing to strike again.

  Ben nearly stumbled but caught himself just in time.