Luke stood beneath a tree, resting as he gathered his thoughts.

His gaze remained fixed on the ground while he reviewed his inventory.

[Inventory:

Tissue Paper Box: 3

Electric Fence: 1

Mosquito Repellent: 3

Snack Bar: 10

Metal Ladder: 1

Pepper Spray: 1

Rope: 20 meters

Wired Spikes: 1

Gray Shell: 1

Magma Tooth: 1

Steel Claws: 1

Camouflaging Cloak: 1

War Drums: 1

Mid-Rank Healing Potions: 3

Low-Rank Healing Potions: 10]

He was prepared, for the most part. The healing potions were ready, and the mid-rank variants were potent enough to regrow a severed arm. Their regenerative power far surpassed that of the low-rank versions.

The latest addition to his arsenal also left him feeling considerably more confident.

Drawing in a slow breath, he turned his thoughts toward the system.

’Am I rushing this? Maybe I should give it more time?’

[Host, the system may sound rude at times, but that is merely the host’s paranoia speaking. The system does not blame the host. What happened previously was a rare error on the management’s part. As for the host’s capabilities, the host appears more than prepared to challenge the second level.]

Luke found himself strangely relieved after hearing that.

Perhaps the system was right. He had been overthinking things.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded.

"Alright. Transfer."

....

"Tell me something. Is it truly necessary for you to keep getting in my way?" Roxanne asked, her voice far too calm for someone whose prized pot had just been shattered.

Standing beyond the scattered fragments was the culprit herself.

Thea.

Crossing her arms, the woman replied, "Maybe it’s your fault for wandering around with that thing everywhere just so people can admire your creation." A sneer tugged at her lips. "What? Since you couldn’t get his attention, you’re trying different methods now?"

Roxanne rolled her eyes.

"Do you genuinely believe I’m that desperate for attention, Thea?"

Thea let out a quiet snicker.

"Why would you be?" she asked before lowering her voice. "After all, aren’t you already getting plenty of attention from a certain young man these days?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Roxanne’s expression changed.

The usual indifference vanished.

Coldness settled into her eyes.

A sharp, suffocating chill radiated from her gaze, causing even Thea’s confidence to waver. The shorter woman’s posture stiffened instinctively.

In a flat, emotionless voice, Roxanne spoke.

"What I do is none of your concern. So be very mindful of your boundaries."

She took a step forward.

"Until now, I haven’t bothered retaliating."

Another step.

"But if I ever decide to, you will lose something very precious to you."

Bare feet pressed against the shattered clay. Sharp fragments bit into her soles, yet she paid them no attention.

Stopping directly before Thea, Roxanne leaned closer and whispered into her ear. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"And that would be your pride."

Her lips curved ever so slightly.

"So be very careful about what you say, okay?"

With those words, Roxanne walked past her.

Blood stained her footsteps, leaving crimson imprints across the ground with every step she took.

Thea remained where she stood, fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her teeth grinding together.

’She didn’t react when it was about our Lord... but the moment I mentioned Luke...’

A cold, malicious glint flickered within her eyes.

Thea wasn’t petty enough to run to their Lord and complain about Roxanne’s behavior or her growing closeness with Luke. No, that would be dull. More importantly, it wouldn’t produce the result she wanted.

If she truly wished to break this woman, to shatter that irritating pride and unwavering confidence, then there was only one path forward.

Take away what she treasured.

A quiet snicker escaped her lips.

"Maybe I’ve been a little too harsh on you, boy," she murmured under her breath.

The smile on her face widened, carrying a distinctly sinister edge.

"The next time we meet, I might let you play around a little more~"

.....

"Haah, here I am," Luke muttered as he stood inside the protective enclosure that separated him from the dungeon itself.

He had been transported to the exact same spot where his previous attempt had begun.

Even now, he could still make out the faint claw marks left by the giant bear on a tree across from him.

Fortunately, there was no sign of the enormous creature.

For once, he could relax.

Luke sat down and decided to formulate a plan before making any moves.

"Alright. Draw a map."

[Analyzing the area...]

Luke had completely forgotten that the system had never prohibited him from using the Map feature.

The ability allowed him to survey an area spanning nearly thirty kilometers around his location.

With it, navigating the dungeon would become far easier. He would know where he was going, where resources could be found, and which regions were worth avoiding.

Unless he cleared the first floor, every visit would return him to this same forest.

The only thing that changed between levels was the difficulty of the creatures inhabiting it.

A few moments later, a translucent map unfolded before his eyes.

His position was marked at the center.

Around him were six notable landmarks.

The first thing he noticed was a cave icon to the west.

The same cave where he had died.

"Yeah. Definitely not going there."

His gaze shifted elsewhere.

To the northwest lay a region marked as deep forest. The entire northern section was similarly labeled as dense woodland.

Three dangerous directions already.

"Great."

Moving on, he examined the eastern side.

A large body of water appeared there.

Near it, toward the south, another marker caught his attention.

Settlements.

Luke blinked.

Then blinked again.

"What the fuck? Am I actually going to find humans here?"

[Not the kind the host is imagining.]

The system’s response came immediately.

[The host should exercise extreme caution around them. For safety reasons, the system will designate a boundary zone. Crossing beyond it may cause the host to encounter entities far beyond what should exist on the second level.]

As the words appeared, a wide circle slowly materialized on the map.

Luke stared at it.

Then his eyes narrowed.

If even the system felt the need to warn him this seriously, then whatever lived beyond that boundary was something he absolutely did not want to meet.

At least not yet.

Alright, he wouldn’t venture too far.

With the boundary marked, he could limit his movements accordingly and avoid unnecessary risks.

Since the circle only extended partially into the northern region, and the western cave was firmly off his list, the northwestern area seemed like the most reasonable hunting ground available.

Luke rubbed his chin.

’What was the requirement for this level again?’

[Level 2]

[Objective:

1. Kill Level One Beasts: 0/50

2. Kill Level Two Beasts: 0/3]

[Time Limit: 6 Hours]

Luke nodded.

Six hours.

That wasn’t exactly a lot of time.

He couldn’t afford to spend the entire duration creeping around and second-guessing every step.

A little caution was good.

Too much caution would simply waste precious time.

Once the protective barrier came down, he would head northwest and start hunting whatever crossed his path.

Grrr...

A low, rumbling growl suddenly echoed through the forest.

Luke froze.

Slowly, almost mechanically, he turned his head toward the sound.

Near the same tree.

The exact same tree where his previous death had rested.

A massive silhouette emerged from the shadows.

A bear.

Another gigantic bear.

For a few seconds, Luke simply stared at it.

Then he stared at the sky.

Then back at the bear.

’Fuck my life.