I stepped through the door and into another huge room. At first glance, the space looked empty — too empty — and I knew better than to trust that.

  A few cautious steps carried me farther inside. Then I heard it.

  Wet snarls. Low growls. Thick, hungry sounds that echoed off stone.

  They weren’t close yet, but they were moving. And they were definitely getting closer.

  I needed to prepare — and fast. There was more than one of them, that much was clear.

  Shit.

  The problem was that preparation only worked when you knew what you were preparing for. Without seeing them, every spell choice felt like a gamble. Too defensive, and I’d get overwhelmed. Too aggressive, and I’d leave myself exposed.

  I slowed, staff raised, mana gathering as I listened to the sounds closing in — trying to buy myself just a few more seconds to make the right call.

  Three shapes emerged from the shadows — and my stomach dropped.

  They stood taller and broader than most humanoids, hulking forms built for tearing things apart. Powerful jaws hung open as they snarled, strings of saliva stretching between uneven teeth. Their shoulders sloped forward, thick with muscle, giving them a perpetual hunch that made them look ready to spring at any second.

  Digitigrade legs bent the wrong way beneath them, built for speed and explosive lunges. Coarse, mangy fur covered their bodies, mottled in sickly browns and yellows, patchy in places where raw skin showed through. Their eyes fixed on me with a predatory focus that had nothing hesitant about it.

  They never stopped moving, coming closer with each step.

  My mind raced, thoughts tumbling over one another, but in those few frantic seconds one thing became clear — these were different from the night monsters.

  They weren’t half-there shadows or things that bent the air around them. These creatures were solid. Flesh and blood. Muscle, teeth, and weight.

  There was also three of them…

  I needed to act and I began with arch lash. I wanted them to scatter or at least stop acting like a pack.

  The lightning streaked through the first one and split to light up the other two. I was surprised that the lightning was doing more damage than with the other monsters. They were either very susceptible to electricity, or the System was lowering their abilities to match my level. two

  I was just thankful to have some edge. I followed up with Mana Slash, three slashes targeting the closest two. One went down and the second was badly wounded, but the third one became enraged.

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  I now had to content with a furious bundle of fur and fangs wanting to eat me. My spells were still on cooldown so in desperation I cast Mana Bolt, and it went down… and stayed down.

  How?

  I was just flabbergasted. I had no idea how that happened. That thing should not have gotten down with just a Mana Bolt.

  The Bolt took out its eye.

  What are the chances?

  With a shrug I decided not to question it and just move on. I still had some dungeon to complete.

  I took a deep breath and opened the door.

  This room looked a lot like the one I found the goblins in, so maybe they are making a comeback. I then saw the monsters and they were not goblins.

  They looked like the angrier and stronger older brothers of a goblin. I quickly cast Identify on them as they had not yet noticed me.

  There were two of them and they looked vicious. I was honestly a bit tired of fighting. I was learning a bit about the monsters we would be facing but the continues combat was just wearing on me.

  I decided to just do what I did before but to be careful. Dying and beginning from the first floor was not something I wanted.

  I used the same sequence as before, and for the most part it worked. There was a close call when one of the hobgoblins got too close for comfort, but Mana Shield flared into place just in time, buying me the space I needed to finish the fight.

  I sat down, letting the tension drain from my body. One whole floor still waited above me, and I had a sinking feeling the System was saving something special for the end — a grand finale of its own design.

  A few minutes passed, and I had no reason anymore to linger, so I reluctantly got up and moved to the stairs. I climbed them slowly and came to a stop in front of the door.

  For a brief moment, I was tempted to choose old-world game monsters — or even mutated beasts. Something familiar. Something safer.

  But that would be stupid.

  I already knew what lurked in the night, and I now had at least an idea of what kinds of monsters were coming next. Avoiding them wouldn’t help me survive them later.

  I let out a slow breath.

  “I choose current-world monsters.”

  I stepped up to the door and opened it

  I entered a huge stadium. The door opened directly into the inner fighting area, its scale immediately apparent. The System clearly didn’t follow normal laws of physics, but that was something I’d already come to expect.

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  first Royal Road chapter of each pair. The second one won’t have pictures. If you want to see all the art together (or earlier), it’s on Patreon with the combined chapters!