Challenger's Zone (Room 2)

After defeating the skeleton warrior, the stone walls that had previously blocked Cyrus's path suddenly disappeared, allowing him to leave the room. As this happened, a bright light appeared on the three walls surrounding him, forming a unique pattern that he hadn't seen before. After a short time, the light dimmed down, revealing a set of illustrations that were different from the ones he had seen previously.

On the left wall, Cyrus saw a skull with horns, which was different from the original image he had seen earlier. On the front wall, there were various tools drawn together such as a treasure chest, three sets of arrowheads, and a bear trap. However, what caught his attention the most was the design on the right wall that showed a single interrogation icon.

After observing the walls, Cyrus deduced that the left wall might have a stronger version of the monster he had just defeated. The front wall seemed to depict a treasure chest guarded by numerous types of traps. As for the right wall, Cyrus wasn't sure what to expect.

He reflected on how the sense of adventure and mystery was a popular theme in video games. Many players would take the opportunity to explore the unknown, in the hopes of finding unique weapons, skill books, or magic stones that would give them power beyond their current level. However, this was real life, and death wasn't an option for hunters. Unlike video games, they didn't have the ability to save their progress or reload a saved game if they died.

Cyrus was considering his options in a situation where he was facing a D-ranked gate, which is more dangerous than an E-ranked gate. He initially decide to avoid the right side of the gate because it poses too great a risk. He then weighted his remaining options and conclude that he should take either the front or left side. After considering his options, he finally made a decision to take the left side.

Cyrus had a decision to make - which path to take? He weighed the options in his head and decided that the left path was the safer choice for him. The other path was riddled with traps, and since he didn't possess any trap detection or movement skills to avoid them, he was certain he would meet his demise if he tried to go that way. Killing a monster seemed like a better option than being impaled by traps.

He wasted no time and quickly headed down the left path. As he progressed, he realized that he couldn't go back the way he came - a wall had emerged and blocked his path. He was now stuck in the area with no other option but to move forward.

The room he entered was similar to the previous ones he had encountered. In the center of the room stood a monster, but this one was different from the skeleton warrior he had defeated earlier. This monster had a blue name tag that read [Lv.20 - Ghoul(Elite)].

The creature that stood before Cyrus was thin, with a body that appeared to be decomposing. It stood on all fours and emitted a putrid smell that filled the room. Fortunately, the ant mask that Cyrus was wearing had a filter attached to it that purified the air and prevented him from inhaling the foul odor.

This enemy was different from the previous one. It was clear that the ghoul was much faster and more agile. The dark and corrupting aura that surrounded it also seemed to give it strength and ferocity. Like skeletons, ghouls had unlimited stamina and had a tough defense due to their thick bones and layers of meat. Additionally, they were able to endure a significant amount of damage as they did not feel pain. This made them formidable opponents, capable of taking numerous punishing blows.

Cyrus was confused as he faced a ghoul instead of a skeleton as indicated by the drawing on the gate. He realized that the design on the gate did not necessarily represent the specific type of monster he would encounter, but rather the level of difficulty he would face. Thus, the ghoul he was currently facing was of a higher difficulty than a mere skeleton.

Cyrus entered the area where the ghoul could detect his presence and immediately, the creature pounced towards him using all four of its limbs. Although the ghoul's sudden and rapid attack limited Cyrus's reaction time, he was still able to activate his ability before the monster could attack his arm.

[You have dealt 35 damage]

[You have lost 2.5 health]

[You have regenerated 1.25 health]

"35 damage?! Oh, could it be because of its decomposed body? It seems that monsters vulnerable to specific elements end up taking additional damage from them. Aghr-"

[You have been dealt 84 damage]

Despite injuring his enemy, Cyrus's attack had no effect on the ghoul's movement since ghouls do not feel pain. The ghoul was still able to reach Cyrus and bite his arm, causing damage equivalent to that of a level 20 elite monster.

[You have been poisoned; you will lose 1% of your maximum health every second.]

[You have lost 2.5 health]

The ghoul was a formidable foe that was difficult to fight. Once it latched onto its prey, it was almost impossible to break its strong grip. It would then use its main weapon, its bite, to devour its victim's flesh and corrupt their tissue and skin, causing even more damage. Immediate medical attention was required for most who fell victim to its attack, but Cyrus was different. If he managed to defeat the ghoul before his life was depleted, he could regenerate his health back to full and heal his wounds.

"So you want to play this game, huh! So be it!"

Cyrus struggled to push the ghoul's head away from him, but eventually succeeded. He had noticed that the ghoul's only tactic was to attach itself to its prey and bite at its skin. Cyrus made a calculated decision to allow the ghoul to attach to him, but prevented it from biting him too easily. This way, he could gradually inflict damage over time while ensuring that the ghoul could not fully consume him.

The ghoul realized its life force was diminishing and tried to retreat, but Cyrus didn't let it get away. He grabbed the ghoul from behind, wrapping his arms tightly around its chest and kicking its knee to make it lose balance. They both fell to the ground, and Cyrus loosened his grip on the ghoul's chest. He then wrapped his arms around the ghoul's shoulder joint to restrict its arm movements, locked his hands together around the ghoul's back neck to jam its head in place, and swirled his legs around the ghoul's lower limb to keep it in check. This completely blocked any possible way for the ghoul to move.

In this position, typically, neither person would be able to inflict any damage on the other. However, Cyrus was an exception. Although he appeared to be simply holding the ghoul in place, his awakened ability enabled him to inflict significant damage without any effort.

"GHAAA!"

"You're already locked in place! It's too late for you! Just accept your fate and die quietly."

Soon after, the ghoul's life force was completely drained and it vanished into millions of shimmering particles of light.

[In this location, enemies do not drop any items upon defeat due to its special restriction.]

[You have slain; Lv.20 - Ghoul! You have earned 300 experience points]

[Level: 04 ->05]

[Experience: 100/600]

[You have earned 5 attribute points!]

[You have recovered from the poison due to a combination of your body's high temperature and tissue regeneration. The poison's effect has been neutralized, and you are no longer poisoned.]

[Congratulations! You have completed the second challenge, please proceed to the next challengers room.]

"Wow, I just gained 300 experience points! If I keep this up, I could level up a lot before leaving this place."

"Now... which room should I choose this time?"