Jack didn’t stop moving immediately after the fight.
That was becoming a habit.
Kill. Confirm. Move.
Only after putting distance between himself and the last engagement did he slow, stepping into a narrower section of the tunnel where the walls pressed closer together and limited approach angles.
Better position.
Then he pulled up his status.
The interface appeared instantly.
[STATUS]
Name: Jack Reed
Level: 3
Race: Human (F-Grade)
Class: Bloodborne Warrior (F-Grade)
Profession: None
Titles: None
Health (HP): 120 / 120
Stamina (SP): 120 / 120
Energy (MP): 12 / 12
Attributes:
Strength: 13
Agility: 12
Vitality: 12
Endurance: 12
Perception: 11
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 10
Free Attribute Points: 6
Jack read through it once, slower than before.
The changes were consistent.
Not random.
Health and stamina had increased with Vitality and Endurance. Energy had shifted slightly with overall growth. Nothing inflated. Nothing wasted.
Then his attention moved to the free points.
Six.
That meant three per level.
He considered it for a moment.
Strength had already shown value—cleaner kills, more control over engagements. Agility affected reaction time, positioning, recovery. Vitality and Endurance kept him alive when things didn’t go clean.
Everything mattered.
But not equally.
He exhaled once and made the decision.
Three points into Strength.
Two into Agility.
One into Vitality.
The interface updated immediately.
Strength: 16
Agility: 14
Vitality: 13
The shift was subtle, but immediate.
His grip tightened slightly around the blade. Movement felt sharper. Not faster in a dramatic way, but more responsive. Less delay between intent and action.
That was enough.
He closed the interface.
No hesitation. No second-guessing.
Points spent.
Now they had to justify themselves.
He moved again.
Deeper.
The dungeon didn’t change visually, but Blood Sense picked up more signals now, clearer than before. The range had improved, or his ability to interpret it had.
Either way, it worked.
Two ahead.
One further behind them.
Spread out.
Not clustered.
Jack slowed slightly, adjusting his path to approach at an angle rather than head-on.
The first Burrow Hound noticed him too late.
He closed the distance before it could commit to a full charge, the blade driving cleanly into the neck joint he had identified earlier. The added strength showed immediately—the resistance was still there, but it gave faster.
The creature dropped before it could properly react.
Cleaner.
Better.
The second one adjusted.
It circled instead of lunging, testing distance.
Jack didn’t chase it directly. He shifted his position instead, cutting off its path and forcing it into a narrower angle of attack.
It lunged.
He stepped in.
The exchange was faster this time.
One strike to disrupt, second to end.
Less wasted movement.
Less risk.
The creature collapsed.
[You have defeated: Burrow Hound (Lv.3)]
[Experience Gained]
[You have defeated: Burrow Hound (Lv.3)]
[Experience Gained]
Jack dismissed the notifications without focus.
The third signal moved.
Not toward him.
Away.
He didn’t follow.
Not worth it.
Not yet.
He continued forward.
The tunnel widened gradually, the ground leveling out into a flatter section that felt less like a corridor and more like an open space constrained by walls.
Blood Sense picked up something different.
Not just stronger.
Denser.
More defined.
Jack slowed.
Focused.
“Identify.”
The response came immediately.
[Burrow Stalker — Lv.5]
Type: Ambush Predator
Traits: Reinforced structure, aggressive burst movement
Weakness: Rear joints, throat
Level five.
Higher than anything he had fought so far.
Jack adjusted his grip slightly.
This wouldn’t be clean.
The Stalker moved first.
No testing.
No hesitation.
It closed the distance fast, its movement heavier than the previous one, but more controlled.
Jack activated Sanguine Surge as it committed.
The world didn’t slow, but his response sharpened again.
He stepped into the attack at an angle, avoiding the full force while driving the blade toward the rear joint he had identified.
The strike landed.
Not deep enough.
The creature twisted, its mass carrying through into him.
The impact hit harder than before.
Jack absorbed part of it, but it still forced him back, his footing slipping slightly on the uneven ground.
Stronger.
He adjusted immediately.
No direct trades.
He shifted right, forcing the Stalker to turn instead of charging straight again. That slowed it—just enough.
He went low.
Second strike to the same joint.
Deeper this time.
The leg gave slightly.
That was the opening.
Jack pressed in, staying close where its full strength couldn’t be used cleanly. Short strikes. Controlled pressure. No wasted motion.
The fight dragged longer than the others.
More resistance.
More correction.
One mistake would have cost him.
But eventually—
The structure broke.
The Stalker collapsed.
Jack stepped back immediately, breathing heavier now.
Still controlled.
But pushed.
The notification appeared.
[You have defeated: Burrow Stalker (Lv.5)]
[Experience Gained]
[Level Up]
Level 4.
Jack exhaled once, steadying his breathing as the strain from Sanguine Surge faded.
Then he opened his status again.
Not out of curiosity.
Out of necessity.
Growth only mattered if it was used correctly.