The pressure deeper in the dungeon no longer came from individual enemies, but from the way the space itself forced engagement.
The corridor narrowed gradually, the walls pressing closer as the ground leveled into something more uniform. Movement here allowed less adjustment, less room to recover from mistakes. Every step forward committed him more than the last.
Jack slowed slightly as Blood Sense extended ahead.
Three signals.
Close.
One stronger than the others.
All moving.
Toward him.
He exhaled slowly, letting the information settle before shifting his stance. The narrowing space worked both ways. It restricted him—but it also restricted them.
He stepped forward.
The creatures committed immediately.
The first lunged straight in, its movement fast and direct. The second followed slightly off-angle, while the third held just long enough to enter after the first exchange.
Jack activated Sanguine Surge at full output.
The shift hit harder this time. His reactions tightened, his perception aligning with the movement in front of him, but the strain followed just as quickly, pressing against his body with a sharp, insistent weight.
He didn’t pull back.
The scythe moved.
First strike—
Low.
The blade cut through the rear joint of the leading creature, disabling it mid-lunge. Its forward momentum collapsed as its structure failed beneath it.
Jack stepped through it.
Second strike—
He redirected immediately, cutting into the second creature before it could fully adjust. The hit landed across its front limb, slowing it, but not stopping it.
It pushed through.
The impact carried into him, forcing him back a step.
The third closed in.
Pressure built instantly.
Jack adjusted his footing, forcing all three into the narrowest angle possible so they interfered with each other rather than surrounding him.
No distance.
No wasted movement.
Only control.
He activated Blood Draw as the bleed from the first two creatures took hold, the effect reinforcing him as the strain from Sanguine Surge began to rise.
That balance—
That timing—
Held.
He moved again.
Short, controlled strikes.
Not aiming to kill.
Breaking structure.
The second creature faltered first, its movement losing cohesion as the bleed reduced its ability to maintain pressure.
Jack ended it cleanly.
[You have defeated: Burrow Striker (Lv.9)]
[Experience Gained]
The third surged forward immediately, filling the space.
Jack stepped in instead of retreating.
The scythe cut across its side, initiating the bleed before it could fully commit.
It struck back.
This time, the hit connected more cleanly.
Pain flared along his side.
Not disabling.
But sharp.
Too slow.
He adjusted.
Sanguine Surge pushed harder.
The strain spiked.
His body resisted.
He ignored it.
Second strike—
Low.
Deeper.
The structure failed.
The creature dropped.
He finished it.
[You have defeated: Burrow Striker (Lv.9)]
[Experience Gained]
The first creature still moved.
Barely.
Jack stepped forward and ended it without hesitation.
[You have defeated: Burrow Striker (Lv.9)]
[Experience Gained]
[Level Up]
He stepped back immediately, letting Sanguine Surge drop.
The strain hit fully this time.
His breathing deepened, muscles tightening as the aftereffect settled in.
Too much.
He had pushed it close to the limit.
He remained still, forcing his breathing to stabilize instead of moving immediately.
Then—
The system responded.
[Skill Upgraded]
Sanguine Surge
Inferior → Common
Effects Improved:
Reduced strain
Increased efficiency
Improved control
Jack exhaled slowly.
“…Better.”
He rolled his shoulders slightly, testing the difference. The tension eased faster, the residual strain fading instead of lingering.
That alone made the risk worth it.
He opened his status.
[STATUS]
Name: Jack Reed
Level: 14 → 15
Race: Human (F-Grade)
Class: Bloodborne Warrior (F-Grade)
Profession: First Principle City Lord (F-Grade)
Free Attribute Points: +3
The next notification followed immediately.
[Class Milestone Reached — Level 15]
[New Skill Selection Available]
Jack focused.
Three options appeared.
[Select One Skill]
Blood Shield
→ Forms a blood-constructed barrier using energy
→ Scales with Vitality and Endurance
Crimson Extension
→ Extends weapon reach using blood energy
→ Increased range, higher energy cost
Predatory Flow
→ Improves movement efficiency during combat
→ Reduces stamina cost over time
Jack read through them carefully.
Extension increased reach.
Flow improved efficiency.
Both useful.
But neither solved the problem he had just encountered.
He glanced down briefly at the side where the earlier hit had landed.
He could handle damage.
That didn’t mean he should take it.
He needed something that allowed him to control those moments instead of absorbing them.
His focus returned to the first option.
Blood Shield.
Defense.
Not passive.
Active.
Energy-based.
That mattered.
It meant control.
He confirmed the selection.
[Skill Acquired: Blood Shield]
The effect settled into him immediately, not as a physical change, but as understanding. The mechanism was clear—energy shaped into form, directed outward, not sustained indefinitely but applied when needed.
Efficient.
Situational.
Exactly what he needed.
Jack exhaled slowly, then allocated his remaining points.
The last fight had made it clear.
Endurance needed to keep up.
Vitality still mattered.
He assigned:
+2 Endurance
+1 Vitality
The change settled in cleanly, reducing the lingering strain further.
Jack stood there for a moment, letting everything stabilize.
Then—
He tested it.
He focused, drawing energy forward.
Blood Shield activated.
A thin layer formed in front of him, not large, not heavy, but defined. It did not feel like armor.
It felt like resistance.
Something that would take the hit instead of him.
Jack let it fade after a moment, conserving energy.
“…Yeah.”
That would change things.
He looked ahead.
The dungeon continued.
Deeper.
Stronger.
But now—
He had something new.
Not more damage.
Not more speed.
Control.
He adjusted his grip on the scythe slightly.