Vale moved with slow, calculated steps, careful not to make a sound as he approached the source of light.
The closer he got, the more details emerged from the darkness near him—the polished stone beneath his feet, the intricate carvings lining the cave walls. Then, at last, he saw it.
Mounted on the wall ahead of him, was a torch, though instead of a flame, a glowing white stone sat on top of it, pulsing with an unsteady flicker. Yet, despite its wavering glow, the light never faded.
Curious, Vale reached out, his hand moved toward the stone, but as his fingers were just a moment away from its surface, heat radiated from the stone. He quickly pulled back, surprise flashing across his face before shifting into a small, satisfied grin.
A light source—and a heat source. It was indeed a great luck. Assuming the stone will continue to glow, he wouldn't have to worry about finding a heat or light source anytime soon.
After taking a moment to soak in the newfound source of light, he carefully pried the torch from its rusted holder. The metal resisted at first, forcing him to wiggle it free, scraping against the bracket with a dull screech. The sound echoed through the cave.
He froze.
The pulse pounding in his ears was almost deafening.
Then—just barely, he heard a noise.
A single tap.
Far into the eerie darkness of the cave, something shifted.
Cold fear crawled up his spine.
He held his breath, his body tense, eyes darting left and right. Seconds stretched into minutes as time dragged. He stood motionless, waiting and listening—but nothing came.
"Did I imagine it?" he thought.
But before doubt could take root, something slammed into his leg.
Vale staggered under the heavy impact, barely catching himself on the empty holder where the torch was mounted. His fingers clenched around it, holding on for dear life as his mind raced.
"What the hell?!"
He spun on his heels, searching for the source of the attack—but he didn't have to look for long.
In the far darkness, a pair of crimson-red eyes stared back at him.
The creature lurked just beyond the light's reach. Low to the ground, its silhouette wavered, shifting as if trying to blend with the shadows. It was roughly the size of a hunting dog, but its shape was closer to that of a rat.
"How am I supposed to fight that thing?"
Vale was completely alone, and his Unique Ability—the very thing meant to help him succeed in the First Trial—appeared useless. He didn't even have a weapon to defend himself.
He tightened his grip on the torch. He didn't want to risk losing his only source of light, but at this moment, it was all he had. He will have to fight that thing with the torch.
Vale took a battle stance, locking eyes with the crimson gaze in the dark. He didn't have to wait long for the monster to come.
Just as he was forming a plan of attack in his mind, the creature dashed forward—faster than he had anticipated. Vale shifted, trying to pull himself out of harm's way, but he was too late.
The creature slammed into his shoulder, sending him into a half-spin before he crashed onto the ground. Gritting his teeth, he lifted his head, locking eyes with the sneaky bastard barely a meter away.
Vale jumped to his feet, but the enormous rat lunged again.
This time, he was ready. Anticipating the attack correctly, he swung the torch in a diagonal arc, smashing it into the creature's lower jaw. A sickening crack echoed through the cave. Vale felt it too—bones shattering under the force of his strike.
Seizing the moment, he dashed forward, ready to continue his assault. But the rat, now in a frenzy from its broken jaw, lunged at him in fury. The two met in the middle.
With no time to think, Vale thrust the torch straight into the creature's loose and mangled jaw.
A sizzling sound filled the air. Smoke curled from the wound, and the stench of burning flesh surrounded him. The heat from the glowing stone melted into the creature's flesh, searing it away.
Vale ignored the revolting stench, pushing the torch deeper.
Before he even realized it, the enormous rat had stopped moving. Its lifeless body laid on the ground beneath him.
And then—a faintly familiar voice echoed in his head.
[ You have slain a D-Rank, Dormant Monster, Cave Rat ]
[ You have received an Artifact... ]
Vale froze, his eyes wide open.
An Artifact was a magical item that a person could receive after slaying an enemy. Artifacts could be anything, from armour or weapons to enchanted items or even knowledge scrolls. Although an artifact received from a dormant, D-rank monster wouldn't be too powerful, it would definitely be useful. Unlike ordinary items or weapons, artifacts were bound to one's core, allowing a person to summon them at any time and in any place, meaning he could bring it back with him to the living world—if he survives, that is.
[ ...Artifact: Ordinary Katana ]
His expression turned joyful. Although it was bound to be weak, any weapon would be of great use, receiving any artifact after slaying just one enemy was a great luck.
Vale wasted no more time and summoned the Status window.
*****
Name: Vale
Core: Dormant
Core Rank: [ E, 1/250 ]
Artifacts: [ Ordinary Katana ]
Relics:—
Abilities:—
Unique Ability: [ Ravenous Spark ]
*****
His focus shifted toward the Ordinary Katana.
Ordinary Katana Description: [ An ordinary katana for the ordinary achievement ]
"Well, at least it's a weapon..."
"Wait, Core Rank E? What the hell does that mean?"
Vale lingered for a moment, trying to understand the text in front of him. For monsters, core ranks were classified based on how many layers their core had. E-Rank meant a single layer, D-Rank meant 2 layers, all the way up to S-Rank which meant 6 layers.
For humans, however, this was different. A person's number of layers depended purely on their core, meaning a Dormant core would have a single layer, an Awakened one would have 2 layers and a Divine one would have 6 layers. A human's progression was more balanced, whereas a monster's progression was chaotic and out of order.
"1 out of 250…"
Vale's eyes widened, realising what that meant.
He could rank up his core.