As his commander ant lunged into action, Ordis made a mental note. Trap reset function... manual for now. That would be something to refine in the future.

  The 10.8 cm Dungeon Ant nded with a solid thud on the Sun Skink’s back, its Hardened Carapace absorbing the force of the impact. The lizard screeched, its body twisting and thrashing, but D. Ant had already sunk its serrated mandibles deep into its flesh. A sizzling hiss filled the air as corrosive acid seeped into the wound, burning through the lizard’s thick scales like molten fire.

  Panic set in. The Sun Skink whipped its tail violently, trying to shake off its attacker, but D. Ant’s grip was ironcd. Its carapace absorbed the shock, allowing it to press its mandibles even deeper into the wound. The lizard’s instincts fred, and in desperation, it rolled onto its back, attempting to crush the Dungeon Ant against the hard ground.

  A dull crack echoed as the impact reverberated through D. Ant’s body. A direct hit. For a moment, its world spun—the force was enough to stun it slightly. But thanks to its reinforced armor, it endured.

  The Sun Skink took this brief opening to scramble away, its back bleeding profusely. But D. Ant was not one to let its prey escape.

  With a burst of speed, D. Ant lunged forward, its mandibles cmping onto the lizard’s exposed throat. Acid surged, seeping into the weaker flesh with ruthless efficiency. The Sun Skink let out a final, strained hiss, its body convulsing before falling limp.

  Its once-pristine scales were now corroded and melted, the fatal wound marking the end of its struggle.

  Victory belonged to D. Ant. It wasn’t the clean, decisive win Ordis had hoped for… but a win was a win. The lizard had struggled, fought back, and even attempted to escape, yet in the end, the dungeon’s strategy had prevailed.

  Just as Ordis was reflecting on the battle, a new notification popped up.

  [Achievement Unlocked: The First Step to Master Trapper!]

  Congratutions! You have successfully defeated an enemy by the help a trap for the first time. A true hunter knows that brute force isn’t always the answer—sometimes, cunning and preparation pave the road to victory.

  Effects:

  +20 Mana gained as a reward for your ingenuity.

  New Ability Unlocked: Trap Insight (Lesser) – You gain a clearer understanding of your traps, allowing you to detect weak points, optimize pcements, and improve efficiency with minor adjustments.

  Trap Efficiency Boost (Passive) – Your small traps now cost 5% less mana to create and have a 10% increased trigger speed, making them more reliable in combat.

  Hidden Threat (Passive) – Traps set within your dungeon are slightly harder to detect, giving enemies a 5% reduced chance of spotting or avoiding them.

  So the system really did recognize his efforts. A small sense of satisfaction welled up within him. This wasn’t just about brute strength—it was proof that traps could become a crucial weapon in his arsenal.

  Skimming through the effects, Ordis noted the mana reward and the new Trap Insight (Lesser) ability, which promised to improve his understanding of traps. That alone was useful, but the Trap Efficiency Boost caught his attention. Even if it only applied to small traps, a 5% mana reduction and a 10% trigger speed boost were nothing to scoff at. And Hidden Threat? That could be a game-changer against smarter prey.

  “A small haul, but still a worthwhile one,” Ordis mused. His dungeon was evolving, and this was only the beginning. With better traps and better pnning, future battles would be even more efficient.

  “Okay, so we can reset it, right?” Ordis muttered, confirming the trap’s functionality as he paid 1 mana to reset the used pitfall. Immediately, the ground shifted, reconstructing itself as if the trap had never been triggered. Satisfied, he watched as D. Ant casually walked across it without issue. It seemed the system had some built-in friendly fire prevention—an incredibly useful feature.

  “I wonder… will this trap trigger on something as small as an ant? That wouldn’t be worth it,” Ordis mused, checking the system for settings. If tiny creatures kept activating it, it would just be a waste of mana. “Can I set this trap to only activate for creatures bigger than 50 centimeters?”

  [Affirmative.]

  “Huh, I’ll take that as a yes.” A grin formed on his metaphorical face. With this control, he could optimize trap usage and prevent unnecessary activations. Now, he just needed to make sure something actually fell into it. “Maybe I should position D. Mantis and D. Spider nearby. If something gets caught, they can have a feast waiting.”

  He gave the command, sending the three hunting minions into their respective areas while ensuring they all had the trap as their meeting point. With luck, something would wander in soon. But a lingering thought struck him—would just waiting be enough?

  “Do I need bait?” He pondered aloud. Luring in prey would be much more efficient than waiting for something to stumble in by chance. The problem was, what could he use? He had no meat, no strong scents… Then, his eyes nded on a specific creature in his system. “Oh… this could work.”

  His gaze settled on P. Caterpilr, a sluggish, unimpressive creature under D. Parasite Wasp’s command. It had no special combat abilities, nor did it contribute much to dungeon efficiency. However, it was durable. Despite being slow and seemingly defenseless, even spider attacks had trouble killing it.

  That durability was likely due to its diet—fed consistently by the ant colony and bolstered by the dungeon’s blessings, it had grown into a massive 6-centimeter caterpilr. Larger than its natural counterparts, it now looked plump and juicy—a tempting treat for hungry frogs or lizards.

  “Yeah… this might actually work.” Ordis chuckled to himself. A live, wriggling bait would be far more effective than any random scraps. All he had to do was set it up, sit back, and let nature take its course.

  “Either ways, this D. Spider status already amazing.”

  Name: Dungeon Spider Level: 5 Rank: LesserMana Cost: 10 Mana Reserve per summonLifespan: 30 Days (unless sustained by the dungeon)Size: 45cm (including Legs)

  Attributes:

  Strength: 22

  Speed: 12

  Defense: 18

  Magic: 14

  Intelligence: 16

  Abilities:

  Web Creation (Enhanced): Produces stronger, more durable silk that is harder to break and now slightly slows enemies who step on it, even without being fully trapped.

  Venomous Bite (Upgraded): The paralytic venom now sts longer and has a slightly increased potency, causing minor numbness even in rger creatures.

  Wall Climber: Can move easily across vertical surfaces and ceilings without effort.

  Ambush Instinct (Refined): Gains a greater speed boost when attacking from stealth and is now slightly harder to detect when staying still in dark environments.

  New Ability Unlocked – Silk Shot: Can unch a short burst of webbing to restrain or entangle an enemy from a distance.

  Ordis grinned as he watched D. Spider effortlessly take down rge insects like mantises and stick bugs. With a precise Silk Shot, the enhanced webbing—bolstered by magic—completely immobilized its prey, rendering them defenseless. Within seconds, D. Spider would strike with its venomous bite, paralyzing its victims before finishing them off with swift, calcuted attacks.

  “Well, thanks to Silk Shot, hunting has become much easier and faster,” Ordis mused, observing how the Dungeon Spider fired its web through its spinnerets, located at the rear end of its abdomen. “Its stats are also amazing… It’s almost comparable to the Common-rank Dungeon Ant at this point.”

  He couldn't help but feel excited about its potential. With every successful hunt, his minions grew stronger, and his dungeon ecosystem flourished.

  Meanwhile, D. Mantis silently lurked, its sharp gaze scanning the area for prey. Above the trap, P. Caterpilr continued munching on leaves. When it wasn’t eating, it aimlessly wandered in circles near the trap’s edge, its sluggish movements mimicking an easy meal for predators. Eventually, when exhausted, it would simply lie down and wiggle slightly—just enough to attract attention.

  And soon, a predator came.

  A Sun Skink Lizard, the same species as before, noticed the unprotected caterpilr. Drawn by what appeared to be an effortless meal, it cautiously approached. The moment its tongue flicked out, testing the air, its instincts didn’t warn it of any danger.

  With a quick step forward, the lizard lunged—only for the ground beneath it to suddenly colpse.

  Snap! The trap activated instantly, and the lizard tumbled into the one-meter-deep pit, its cws scraping against the dirt as it tried to stop its fall.

  Ordis smirked. “Hook, line, and sinker.”

  “Oh? There’s a difference with this trap…” Ordis muttered, watching the scene unfold.

  Unlike the previous encounter, where the Sun Skink Lizard immediately reacted and tried to escape, this time, it seemed… stunned. It sted only three seconds, but even that brief dey was enough. Those three seconds gave his minions the extra time needed to arrive at the edge of the trap.

  The lizard twitched, shaking off the stun before attempting to scramble up the dirt walls. But something was off—it couldn’t climb out.

  Ordis narrowed his gaze, noticing how the lizard’s cws failed to find proper traction. “Ah, I see… the trap walls must be too smooth or loose for it to grip.” Twenty seconds passed, and the lizard still struggled to escape, slipping back down every time it tried to climb.

  An easy prey.

  Level 5 D. Spider was the first to act, unching a Silk Shot straight at the lizard. Strands of enhanced webbing wrapped tightly around its limbs, further restricting its movements. Then, Level 3 D. Spider and D. Mantis descended into the pit.

  More Silk Shots fired. One, two, three… five in total. The lizard’s frantic movements grew sluggish under the continuous bombardment, yers of silk trapping its limbs and snout.

  The five Silk Shots were more than enough. The Sun Skink Lizard was completely immobilized, wrapped in yer upon yer of sticky webbing. D. Spider (Level 3) seized the opportunity, scuttling forward and delivering a venomous bite. The lizard twitched, its body slowly succumbing to paralysis.

  D. Mantis followed immediately, its scythe-like forelimbs striking down. Unlike the spiders, the mantis had no venom—but its attacks were brutal. Each ssh not only inflicted deep wounds but also triggered its Bleeding debuff, making the lizard’s condition even worse.

  Ordis smirked as he watched the execution unfold. This is going smoother than expected.

  It was an effortless kill. More importantly, this test proved something: the trap wasn’t just a simple pitfall.

  For a few seconds, it actually stunned its victims. And beyond that, there seemed to be an unseen time limit—even if the prey struggled, it simply couldn’t escape before that timer expired.

  "...Isn’t this kind of broken?" Ordis muttered. A trap that stunned enemies and prevented escape? That was practically a cheat ability.

  Not that he was compining. If anything, this was an amazing feature.

  He never realized just how effective traps could be. Maybe he needed to start using them more—who knew what other achievements he could unlock?

  Unfortunately, no new Achievement popped up for this kill.

  “Tch. That’s too bad…” Ordis grumbled.

  Still, his eighth day as a dungeon ended on a productive note. As usual, he spent 15 Mana to bestow his daily Dungeon Blessing as a new day came. Thanks to his previous achievement, he also received +5 Mana per day, leaving him at 143 Mana Reserve.

  Not a bad way to end the day and welcome another new days.

  Age : 9 Day

  Mana Reserves : 128 / ??? (Capacity Expanding)