Jack didn’t keep pushing deeper.
Not immediately.
After the last fight, continuing forward without resetting would have been a mistake. The pressure deeper in the dungeon was increasing too consistently to ignore, and the last Stalker had already forced him into a position he wouldn’t survive twice.
He turned instead.
Not retreating blindly—just moving back along the path he had come from, keeping his pace controlled until the pressure from Blood Sense began to thin out.
One signal.
Then none.
That was enough.
He stopped near a wider section close to where the dungeon had first pulled him in. The air still carried the same metallic scent, but it felt… quieter. Not safe, but stable enough.
Good enough.
Jack leaned slightly against the wall, then slid down into a seated position.
No rush.
First—
Fix the damage.
He pulled up his status.
[STATUS]
Name: Jack Reed
Level: 5
Race: Human (F-Grade)
Class: Bloodborne Warrior (F-Grade)
Profession: None
Titles: None
Health (HP): 84 / 160
Stamina (SP): 138 / 160
Energy (MP): 16 / 16
Attributes:
Strength: 16
Agility: 15
Vitality: 15
Endurance: 12
Perception: 11
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 10
Free Attribute Points: 3
Jack looked over the numbers briefly, then dismissed the interface.
The health value told him enough.
He didn’t have another potion.
Which meant—
Manual.
He shifted slightly, pulling back the damaged section of his armor. The cuts were worse than they had felt during the fight. Blood had slowed, but the damage was still there, edges raw and not fully closed.
He tore a strip from his undershirt and wrapped it tightly across the worst of the wound along his side, securing pressure where it mattered most.
Not clean.
Not ideal.
But it would hold.
He repeated the process for his leg, tightening the makeshift bandage until the bleeding fully stopped.
Then he sat still for a moment.
Breathing steady.
Letting his body settle.
Vitality was doing its work—slow stabilization, reduced strain—but it wasn’t instant. It didn’t replace caution.
Good.
That meant it mattered.
After a minute, he pushed himself back to his feet.
No dizziness.
No instability.
Functional.
That was enough.
The system notification appeared without warning.
[Level 5 Reached]
[Skill Selection Available]
Jack exhaled once.
“About time.”
He focused.
The interface expanded immediately.
[Select One Skill]
Hemorrhage Strike
A focused attack that increases bleed damage on impact. Effect scales with Strength and target vitality.
Blood Draw
Recover a small portion of health when damaging bleeding targets. Efficiency scales with Vitality.
Accelerated Circulation
Passive enhancement. Increases stamina recovery and reduces strain effects from physical exertion.
Jack read through all three once.
Then again.
No rush.
Each one had value.
Hemorrhage Strike increased damage output. More pressure, faster kills, better scaling in longer fights.
Blood Draw added sustain. Not enough to replace potions, but enough to reduce reliance on them.
Accelerated Circulation improved recovery. Longer fights, less fatigue, more consistent output.
He leaned slightly against the wall again, considering.
The last fight replayed in his head.
The moment he was knocked down.
The blood loss.
The strain from Sanguine Surge.
That was the deciding factor.
Damage wasn’t the problem.
Sustain was.
He selected Blood Draw.
The interface confirmed immediately.
[Skill Acquired: Blood Draw]
A faint shift passed through him. Not a surge, not a transformation—just a subtle alignment, like something had been added to a system that was already functioning.
Jack rolled his shoulders once, testing the feeling.
No noticeable change yet.
That would come in combat.
He closed the interface.
Decision made.
No second thoughts.
He stood still for another moment, letting Blood Sense expand outward.
The dungeon hadn’t changed.
But his position within it had.
Deeper signals now felt clearer.
More defined.
One stood out.
Not just stronger.
Anchored.
Jack focused.
“Identify.”
[Dungeon Sub-Core Guardian — Lv.7]
Type: Bound Entity
Traits: High durability, territorial aggression
Weakness: Variable
He stared at the line for a second.
Sub-core.
Not final.
Which meant—
There was more beyond it.
He adjusted his grip on the blade.
“Alright.”
Not excitement.
Not hesitation.
Just acknowledgment.
He stepped away from the wall and moved forward again.
This time—
Not exploring.
Not reacting.
Advancing.
The tunnel ahead narrowed, then gradually opened into a larger chamber. The air shifted again, heavier, more defined. The faint metallic scent was stronger here, layered with something else—something older.
The pressure returned.
Stronger than before.
Jack didn’t slow.
He adjusted his stance slightly as he crossed into the chamber, eyes scanning the space immediately.
This wasn’t another patrol.
This was a position.
A line.
And something was waiting beyond it.