In a dense jungle, a pack of wolves howled madly as they tore through everything, attacking humans from all sides.
In one corner, a black wolf stood out, its strike sharp enough to sever a foaming golden monkey’s head in a single, clean motion.
Hugo cried out, voice cracking as he watched the monkey he’d journeyed with fall lifeless.
He wanted to rush over to help, but it was impossible as the number of wolves surrounding him was overwhelming.
"Damn you, Lucien. You set me up on purpose. I will kill you."
When he saw that his pet was already dead, his eyes flamed with intense hatred.
Before entering the Genesis Rift Dungeon, he had already suspected that something was wrong with his monkey.
Only when he arrived here did he realize that Bongo seemed to be poisoned.
Otherwise, how could a D-rank monster be killed so easily?
Hugo recalled the only unusual thing that happened before entering the dungeon: that pouch of gold his monkey had devoured.
He had already guessed the truth; Bongo might have been poisoned then.
"Damn it! You bastard, if I find you, you’re dead."
His dream of becoming a Beast Tamer was over. How could he not be furious?
He even forgot that it was his monkey who had snatched the coins, and the pouch had been in Glen’s hands, not Lucien’s.
But in his rage, he didn’t care what really happened. He just needed to vent.
With a roar, he waved his hand and summoned a shimmering sword from his mana ring.
Then, he effortlessly dodged the attack from a wolf behind him and brandished his sword, severing its head like slicing through butter.
"I can’t fall behind. Even if I can’t awaken as a Beast Tamer, I can still become a Warrior. I just need to reach the center before nightfall."
Though Hugo was heartbroken, he knew his priority.
To awaken a class in the Genesis Rift Dungeon, one had to reach the center before nightfall.
Otherwise, they’d be immediately disqualified.
To get there, any method could be used: fighting, trickery, even stealth.
But when the awakening began, the dungeon would evaluate each participant’s record and assign a class accordingly.
That was why Hugo had been given a D-rank pet. All he had to do was fight in sync with it, proving to the dungeon that taming was his true path.
But now, all of it had come to naught with Bongo’s death.
"Don’t worry, Bongo. I’ll definitely avenge you."
With gritted teeth, Hugo raised his sword and maneuvered out of the encirclement, slowly making his way toward the center of the forest.
He wasn’t alone as many other young contestants were doing the same, fighting monsters in their own ways, all headed for the same destination.
Only one person was missing from this silent race—
A poor soul who had no idea what he was even supposed to do.
"Damn, how long is this tunnel?"
Lucien couldn’t help but grumble as he trudged through the narrow, dimly lit tunnel, the walls slick with damp moss and the air thick with the stench of earth and old decay.
Nearly an hour had passed, and still, there was no end in sight.
With him at the front and a string of waddling rodents trailing behind, he couldn’t help but feel like some twisted version of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Just as he was having a weird thought, the little guy standing on his shoulder suddenly moved.
Its long ears suddenly stood up, and its face became alert. Then it quickly pointed its finger at the faint light up ahead in the dimly lit tunnel.
"Did you feel something? Is it that monster?"
Seeing such a reaction, Lucien’s face lit up as he asked.
The little guy seemed to understand his thoughts, as it suddenly nodded its head with seriousness.
Lucien had already noticed that after eating a large number of gold coins, the little guy had suddenly become strangely more alert and focused than before, almost as if something inside it had awakened.
Not only he, but the other Glimmergnaws were also .
Although due to his extraction, their agility decreased, they weren’t immobile and even seemed to be heading towards some kind of promotion.
"You. Go and see what is there."
Lucien didn’t pay attention to their sudden change and ordered one of the Glimmergnaw behind him that was relatively fast.
After all, there was no way he was going to check himself. If the situation got worse, he was ready to run.
However, although he ordered, the Glimmergnaw did not immediately follow.
Instead, it suddenly looked at his hand and then his face, his demand was loud and clear.
’Damn! What kind of surrender is this?’
Lucien saw its look and immediately knew what it wanted. Although frustrated, he still took out a shining gold coin and threw it to the little guy, who caught it with extreme precision.
Then, without him saying another word, it immediately went forward toward the place the little guy had pointed to earlier.
"Their greed is so strong that I can’t control them even after their surrender."
Lucien saw the wild, naked desire on every Glimmergnaw’s face as the coin left his hand.
Even though they were full, having already eaten so many, they still couldn’t hide that glint in their eyes.
Only because they were under his control did they not attack the little guy just now.
It was just too weird.
Just when Lucien was noticing the oddness, the ground beneath him suddenly began to vibrate at a rapid pace.
A burst of air exploded outward, knocking all of them back slightly, while the deafening roar of a monster echoed through the tunnel, its aura crashing down like a tidal wave, making the very air feel heavy and suffocating.
It was the same roar he had heard when he first arrived at the tunnel.
Only, this time, it was far too close, and the sheer pressure behind it made him finally realize just how strong the creature truly was.
"Did it discover us?"