If your here and reading thanks. I'm not good at writing. But I want to make a good story. I have plenty of ideas.

  Frank’s breath came in hard, uneven gasps as his legs carried him forward, stumbling through the doorway. His body buzzed with the echoes of something deeply wrong, something that twisted every nerve into alert. His senses screamed—his heartbeat was a dull thump in his ears, a constant reminder that, just a second ago, he'd been running for his life.

  A massive, terrible presence had been chasing him. It felt like a shadow, oppressive and suffocating. He could practically feel the weight of its hunger pressing against him, clawing at his very essence. His back had ached from the anticipation of the monster’s claws slashing through him. His muscles screamed from the effort of running, his mind consumed by the need to get away.

  And then, just like that…

  It stopped.

  The overwhelming chase had ended, as quickly as it had started. Frank found himself standing in the midst of... nothing.

  No snarl. No footsteps. No death looming just behind him.

  Just an eerie, profound silence that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It was too quiet. Too still.

  Frank froze, his muscles still locked in survival mode. His fists were clenched at his sides, not out of aggression, but pure reflex. He felt exposed, yet nothing came. His body was coiled tight, waiting for a fight, but there was no enemy.

  He slowly turned his head.

  The doorway he had sprinted through—through which that oppressive force had chased him—was gone.

  In its place stood a solid wall of smooth, polished stone. It shimmered slightly, the surface etched with glowing veins of light that ran in strange, unnatural patterns. The soft, almost mechanical hum of energy pulsed through the stone, but beyond that, there was no sign of the tunnel he had just sprinted through.

  Frank swallowed, trying to calm his breathing, his pulse still a rapid tattoo against his ribs. He moved closer to the stone, instinctively reaching out to touch it, but stopped just shy. Something about it felt… off. It was too smooth. Too clean. Like something artificial.

  He stared at it for a moment, blinking as his mind tried to process the impossible.

  “Did I just—?” he muttered under his breath, his voice sounding hollow in the silence. “What the hell just happened?”

  Then, as if on cue, the system made itself known.

  Frank’s stomach dropped. He blinked again, his fingers curling into fists at his sides as the full weight of the situation began to sink in. He had barely processed what the hell was happening when the system message appeared, confirming the most absurd thing he’d ever read.

  “What the hell does that mean?” he whispered, mostly to himself, as he tried to make sense of the situation.

  As expected, the system didn’t answer him.

  Another notification blinked into existence, only adding more confusion to the already unsettling environment.

  “Okay, so what I’m hearing is...” Frank exhaled sharply, trying to slow his racing pulse. “...you panicked and teleported the big, scary thing somewhere else. And I’m just supposed to pretend that’s reassuring?”

  The system, predictably, remained silent.

  Frank glanced around, his instincts screaming. Something was wrong here. The air itself felt wrong. It wasn’t just the stillness, it was the fact that everything around him seemed... hollow. The walls, the floor, the entire environment—there was a wrongness to it that he couldn’t shake. It wasn’t just the silence, it was the way the silence itself felt like a void. A place that wasn’t meant to be.

  His boots scraped against the smooth stone floor as he cautiously moved forward. The walls, unlike the rough-hewn stone of the dungeon tunnels he had come to know, were too polished. Too clean. Like they had been manufactured, assembled, rather than carved and shaped over centuries.

  His eyes narrowed, scanning the glowing geometric lines running through the stone. They pulsed faintly in a bluish hue, almost like circuit boards, or some kind of system pulse, but the more he looked at them, the more unsettling they became. It was almost like... something was incomplete here. Something unfinished.

  And that was when the first hint of danger reared its ugly head. The system spoke once again.

  Frank’s blood ran cold. He stopped, his gaze snapping back to the smooth stone wall in front of him.

  “Wait. Repair what?” he muttered, the tension in his body mounting. The silence grew unbearable.

  Before he could even process that thought, more messages flashed before him.

  No monsters. No exits.

  And the system, the damn system, was attempting to “repair” itself, as though it had created this mess in the first place.

  Frank’s pulse quickened, a cold shiver creeping down his spine as he stared at the messages. No monsters. No exits. A broken sector. And the system was trying to fix it.

  Think, Frank. Think.

  If this place wasn’t finished, that meant it had no rules. No boundaries.

  And if there were no boundaries—

  Maybe he could break them.

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, forcing his racing heart to steady. The system messages continued to linger in his vision like an oppressive presence, almost mocking him. He didn’t like the sense of powerlessness, of being at the mercy of some algorithm that clearly wasn’t functioning properly.

  His eyes darted across the space, taking in the sterile environment. The walls. The floor. The whole place—it was pristine, but off. Like an unfinished level in a video game, the kind that’s half-loaded and still glitching.

  It shouldn’t exist like this.

  And if it didn’t, then that meant...

  “Workaround?” Frank said, his spine stiffening at the strange word. He stepped back instinctively as a mechanical grinding sound reverberated through the cavern.

  The walls shuddered beneath him, the faint light in the stone flickering erratically. The geometric lines shifted, as though they were rendering in real-time. The floor hummed, a low vibration pulsing through the ground and up his legs.

  Something was coming.

  The low hum of the floor beneath Frank’s feet continued to vibrate through his legs, a persistent reminder that something was changing. Something was coming. The walls, once pristine and sterile, seemed to shudder with life, their once-static geometric patterns shifting, fluctuating, as if something—or someone—was trying to force itself into existence.

  Frank took a careful step forward, his eyes scanning the empty space around him. Every fiber of his being screamed that something wasn’t right, and the longer he stood in this eerie, unfinished sector, the more his unease grew. The silence pressed in around him like a living thing, choking him, suffocating him with its weight. He felt as though he was being watched, though he couldn’t see a single sign of life.

  Suddenly, a crack echoed through the air, sharp and unnerving. The ground trembled again, more violently this time, and Frank instinctively dropped to one knee, bracing himself against the shaking floor. Something big was coming, and it was coming fast.

  Then, the first sound—a low, mechanical grinding—split the silence.

  Frank’s eyes snapped toward the source of the noise. The smooth stone ahead of him fractured. A jagged, unnatural crack appeared in the center of the space, splitting wide open. A shape began to form, rising from the ground like a malformed shadow being brought to life.

  The ground beneath Frank’s feet trembled as the figure in front of him flickered in and out of existence. At first, it was nothing but a jagged blur, shifting violently as though it couldn’t decide what it was supposed to be. He could see the distortion in its form, a glitching, corrupted shape that barely resembled anything organic.

  Frank’s stomach twisted. This wasn’t like the monsters he had encountered before. This was... wrong. The system was forcing it into existence, and it was failing spectacularly.

  Another shape flickered into view next to the first, then another. Three entities in total, all glitching and twisting in ways that defied logic. They weren’t alive. Not truly. They were failures, products of something broken, something unfinished.

  The creatures twitched and spasmed, their forms stuttering between solid and ghostly. Frank could barely make them out. One moment they were humanoid, the next, they were masses of jagged limbs, crawling over each other like twisted shadows. The flickering continued, as though they weren’t meant to be here at all.

  His gut told him everything he needed to know.

  Frank’s muscles tensed as the creatures jerked into motion. It wasn’t toward him—at least, not yet. But they were moving, their movements erratic, disjointed, as if they were struggling to find their place in reality. He felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. These weren’t monsters. They were glitches, errors in the system’s creation. And yet, despite the failings of their form, there was still a deep, unnerving danger in their presence.

  One of the creatures suddenly stopped flickering. Its form solidified, snapping into place like a corrupted file finally loading. It no longer looked like a glitch; it looked like something real. Dangerous. And it was staring straight at Frank.

  Frank’s blood ran cold. The system wasn’t fixing them for his benefit. It was making them stronger. Whatever these creatures were, they weren’t just corrupted errors. They were evolving, adapting. And the system—his only guide through this nightmare—was complicit.

  The creatures moved again, their forms now stabilized, their shapes more defined, more solid. The stuttering and glitching had stopped. They were real. And they were deadly.

  Frank’s breath caught in his throat as the closest one advanced toward him, its body moving with terrifying precision. The others followed suit, their movements synchronized, calculated.

  Every second that passed, the system was making them more efficient, more deadly. It was as if the system had abandoned the idea of balance altogether and had decided that these creatures, these errors, were now the ultimate test for him.

  The first creature lunged, its long, jagged claws swiping through the air. Frank barely managed to duck, feeling the air rush past him as the claws missed by inches. The second creature wasn’t far behind, its long limbs moving with uncanny speed, its claws aimed for his chest.

  Frank’s heart pounded in his chest as the creatures closed in. They were faster now. The system wasn’t just making them stronger—it was making them smarter. They weren’t moving randomly anymore. They were calculating. They knew where he was. They knew what they were doing.

  He was outmatched. Outclassed. And the system seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.

  Frank gritted his teeth and moved. He had no choice. He couldn’t afford to think about what the system was doing, or how outclassed he was. He had to survive.

  The creatures advanced, and Frank was forced to dodge again, narrowly avoiding a fatal swipe from one of the creatures’ claws. The sound of their movements filled the air, a low, guttural growl that sent a shiver down his spine. They were getting faster. Sharper. More dangerous.

  He could feel the creature’s breath on his skin as it swiped at him once more. He dove to the side, barely avoiding the strike, but the second creature was already there, its claws slashing at his side.

  Frank let out a ragged breath as the pain seared through him. Blood spurted across the floor, but his regeneration kicked in almost immediately, though not fast enough to stop the damage. His left arm hung useless at his side as he staggered back.

  Frank’s mind raced. These creatures were adapting too quickly. Every move they made was calculated. Every strike was designed to wear him down. The system wasn’t even trying to balance the encounter anymore. It was pushing him to his limit.

  The creatures circled him, moving in unison, their glowing eyes fixed on him as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

  Frank had to find a way out.

  The creatures circled Frank like vultures, their movements calculated, methodical. Their once glitchy forms were now stable, too stable. And that made them all the more dangerous. They were no longer mistakes, no longer corrupted data—now they were monsters, and the system had made them stronger.

  Frank’s blood pounded in his ears, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. He could feel the weight of his injuries, his body fighting against him. His left arm hung useless at his side, the deep gash in his ribs throbbed, and his legs felt like lead. But he was still alive. And for the moment, that was enough.

  He needed to think. He needed to figure out how to survive this. The system had pushed him into a corner, and now it was up to him to find a way out.

  The creatures closed in. One of them lunged forward, its claws slashing through the air with terrifying speed. Frank barely managed to duck, the claws missing by inches. But it wasn’t just the speed of the attacks that made them so dangerous—it was their precision. Every move was a calculated strike, every attack designed to cripple him.

  He couldn’t keep dodging forever.

  Frank’s vision blurred with pain as the second creature advanced, its long limbs moving with mechanical grace. It reached for him with one of its jagged claws, and he barely had time to react.

  He moved to the side, but the creature was faster, its claws grazing the side of his face. Blood spurted from the wound, and Frank stumbled back, his legs shaking beneath him.

  Frank gritted his teeth against the pain, forcing himself to stay on his feet. He couldn’t let up now. These creatures weren’t like anything he had ever faced before. They weren’t just mindless monsters. They were smart. They were evolving. And the system wasn’t helping him.

  The third creature, the largest of the three, moved in, its glowing blue eyes locked onto him. It had been standing still, watching, but now it was making its move. Frank could see the change in its posture, the way its body seemed to pulse with unnatural energy.

  He didn’t wait for it to make the first move.

  The creature moved in a blur, its limbs stretching unnaturally, its claws reaching for Frank. He barely had time to react, twisting his body to avoid the swipe. But the creature was fast—too fast. It was right on him in an instant, its claws sinking into his side.

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  Frank gasped, the pain almost overwhelming. Blood poured from the wound, staining the stone beneath him. He tried to move, to push the creature off, but it was too strong. Its claws dug deeper, and Frank’s vision swam with the intensity of the pain.

  Frank’s mind raced. There was no way to run. The creatures were closing in from all sides, their movements synchronized, their precision frightening. He was trapped. No exits. No way to escape.

  Then, something clicked.

  Frank’s breath came in short, desperate gasps, but his mind was clear. If there were no exits, if the system wasn’t going to provide him an out, then he’d have to create his own.

  He had one option left. One risky, dangerous play.

  Frank pushed the creature’s claws away, ignoring the way they scraped across his skin. With his good arm, he grabbed the nearest rock formation and shoved himself into a crouching position.

  The system had given him no room to breathe. But it had also given him a weakness. These monsters were evolving. Adapting. But they were still limited by the rules of the system. And if the system couldn’t fix them, if it couldn’t balance them, then Frank might be able to exploit that.

  His eyes locked on the three creatures, each one circling him, waiting for the moment they could strike. Frank forced himself to stand. He staggered to his feet, his body protesting every movement, but he didn’t stop.

  He wouldn’t stop.

  Frank’s heart hammered in his chest as he lunged forward. The first creature snapped into motion, its claws swiping at him with deadly accuracy. Frank twisted, dodging just in time, but the second creature was already there, its jaws snapping shut just inches from his throat.

  He ducked, rolling out of the way, but he could feel the rush of air as the creature missed. Then, the third creature made its move, its claws slashing downward.

  Frank rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the creature was fast, and it was relentless. It didn’t stop.

  Frank barely had time to think. He was running out of options. Out of time. He couldn’t keep this up for much longer. His body was beginning to fail him, his injuries piling up, and the creatures were getting stronger by the second.

  The system was trying to balance the fight. It was trying to give the monsters an edge.

  But Frank wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.

  Frank’s eyes narrowed. He knew what the system was doing. He could feel it. It wasn’t just making the creatures stronger. It was giving them an edge, making them faster, sharper, smarter.

  And that’s when Frank realized something.

  The system wasn’t just throwing monsters at him. It was throwing obstacles at him. Challenges. It wanted him to fail.

  But Frank wasn’t going to let the system decide how this played out.

  He gathered every last ounce of strength, every last bit of willpower. He wouldn’t be controlled. He wouldn’t be outmatched. Not by these creatures. Not by this system.

  He charged.

  Frank’s breath burned in his chest, each inhale a struggle as he pressed on, his body screaming for a break. His muscles were sore, his injuries weighing him down, but his will to survive pushed him forward. The creatures were relentless, closing in on him from all sides. They’d adapted, stabilized, and now they were stronger, faster, and smarter. But so was Frank.

  The first creature lunged again, its elongated limbs flashing with speed. Frank dodged to the side, narrowly missing the swipe of its claws. The creature twisted, recalibrating its strike, and before Frank could react, it teleported—one moment it was ten feet away, the next, it was right in front of him.

  He barely ducked in time, the creature’s claws grazing the top of his head. Frank hit the ground with a hard thud, but he rolled into the fall, using the momentum to get back to his feet. His arm screamed in protest, but he ignored it.

  He couldn’t afford to keep dodging forever. He needed to take control of the situation—needed to make a stand. These things had the advantage of speed and precision, but Frank still had his mind, his instincts. He just had to outthink them.

  He kept his back to a wall, his eyes darting between the three creatures. They weren’t moving as recklessly as before, not anymore. They were calculating. Their eyes locked onto him, their movements synchronized, as if they were testing him, waiting for him to make a mistake.

  Frank’s mind raced. He could feel the pressure building. His body was exhausted. His wounds were worsening. He had to act now.

  The second creature, the four-armed one, took a step forward, its claws gleaming in the faint light. It moved with purpose, its extra limbs twitching, ready to strike. Frank’s pulse spiked. He had no choice but to attack.

  He lunged at the creature, hoping to catch it off guard. The four-armed beast was fast, its limbs flashing in the air like a deadly web. But Frank was faster, throwing himself into the attack. He slammed into it, knocking it off balance, but the creature’s claws raked across his side as it fell.

  Pain exploded through his body. He gasped, blood soaking his jacket, but he didn’t stop. The creature was stunned, its focus momentarily broken. Frank didn’t hesitate. He brought his knee up, slamming it into the creature’s chest, and heard a satisfying crack as its ribs gave way.

  But the beast wasn’t done.

  The creature recovered faster than Frank anticipated, its four arms moving in a blur, slashing toward him. Frank barely managed to block one strike, but the others landed, slicing through his side, tearing his flesh. He gritted his teeth, his vision flickering with pain.

  He staggered back, but the beast was on him again. Its limbs moved with a frightening level of precision, and Frank was barely able to dodge. He couldn’t keep this up.

  Frank’s mind raced. He had to think of something. Anything. These creatures were too fast, too strong. They had the system behind them, constantly tweaking them, making them stronger.

  He looked around, searching for anything he could use. And that’s when he saw it—there, at the far side of the room. A large stone pillar, partially cracked, but solid. If he could get to it, maybe he could use it as cover, find a way to turn the tide.

  But before he could even start moving, the first creature lunged at him again, its claws slashing down. Frank barely managed to roll away, but the creature was on him in an instant, its claws digging into the stone next to him, forcing him into the corner.

  Frank’s back hit the wall. There was nowhere to go.

  His heart raced. His pulse thudded in his ears. He could feel the presence of the other two creatures closing in. The four-armed one was only a few feet away, its talons reaching for him.

  He couldn’t keep this up. Not like this. He was running out of time.

  Then, a thought hit him.

  It was risky. It was stupid. But it was his only shot.

  Frank pushed himself off the wall, feigning a retreat. The creatures followed, their movements quick, their focus entirely on him. As soon as the first creature lunged, Frank spun, diving toward the stone pillar. He grabbed hold of a loose piece of rubble and hurled it toward the creature.

  The rock struck it square in the face, momentarily stunning it. Frank took the opening, diving to the side, his muscles screaming in protest.

  Frank didn’t wait for the system to react. He darted toward the pillar, his legs threatening to buckle beneath him, but he kept pushing forward. He reached the pillar, grabbing hold of it, and used it to propel himself back to his feet. The creatures were closing in again, but he had the element of surprise.

  He hurled another rock, this time toward the four-armed monster. The stone struck it in the face, causing it to stagger back. Frank didn’t hesitate. He charged.

  The system’s notifications flashed in front of Frank’s eyes, but he didn’t stop. He had no time to worry about that. The creatures were closing in again. This was his last chance.

  He lunged, throwing himself into the fight, using every last ounce of energy to keep them at bay. His fist connected with the four-armed creature’s head, knocking it backward. It roared, but Frank didn’t stop. He kept fighting.

  Finally, the creature faltered. One more blow, and it fell to the ground, lifeless.

  Frank collapsed, panting, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep going, but he had to. The other two creatures were still out there, waiting.

  And he wouldn’t stop fighting until they were all dead.

  Frank laughed through ragged breaths. "About damn time," he muttered.

  But as the system’s message flashed in front of him, something didn’t feel right.

  The remaining two creatures were still out there.

  And now, he had their full attention.

  Frank’s chest heaved with every breath, his muscles shaking from the exertion, but his mind stayed focused. He had just taken down one of the creatures, but the other two were still out there, circling, waiting. The stone floor felt cold beneath him, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins as he tried to gather his bearings.

  The fight had taken everything out of him. His body screamed in protest at every movement. The bleeding from his side hadn’t stopped, and his left arm was still useless, hanging limp by his side. His back ached from the slashes that had torn through him, but he didn’t have the luxury of time to think about it.

  He had to keep moving.

  The two remaining creatures were still hidden in the darkness, watching him, waiting for their moment to strike. Their eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, but their movements were eerily silent. Frank didn’t trust that silence. Not for a second.

  Something was wrong here. These things had changed. They were smarter now, faster, and more unpredictable than before. It was as if the system was tweaking them with each new iteration, improving them at an alarming rate. What had started as a glitch was now a terrifying evolution.

  Frank’s heart skipped a beat. S+ rank? What the hell did that mean? He wasn’t sure if the system was toying with him, but he wasn’t going to wait around to find out.

  His eyes darted across the cavernous room, searching for any possible advantage. The stone walls were smooth, almost too perfect, and the strange glowing lines pulsed in time with the thrum of his heartbeat. He needed to get out. He couldn’t keep fighting like this.

  The creatures had learned. They knew what he could do now, and they weren’t going to give him another opening. Frank needed to make them make a mistake.

  He took a deep breath, his hand brushing against the jagged rock beside him. There had to be something here—something he could use. His fingers brushed over the stone, feeling for any sort of weakness, any sharp edges.

  And then, he felt it.

  A sharp point. A jagged shard of rock, sharp enough to do some real damage if he used it right.

  He picked it up, gripping it tightly in his hand. It was crude, but it would have to do. He didn’t have the luxury of finesse anymore. The fight had gone from a struggle for survival to a race against time.

  The two creatures slowly began to move, their eyes locking onto him. They were still testing him, circling, waiting for the right moment to strike. Frank tightened his grip on the rock shard, readying himself.

  One of the creatures moved first—the four-armed one. It leaped, its claws flashing as it aimed straight for him. Frank’s instincts screamed, and he twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. The creature’s claws sliced through the air, missing him by inches. But that wasn’t the end.

  Frank gritted his teeth. The creature was fast, but it was still struggling to keep up with him. He couldn’t keep dodging forever, though. The more time he gave it, the faster it would get.

  Without thinking, Frank lunged at the creature, his hand gripping the shard of rock as he slashed at its exposed side. The creature let out a screech of pain as Frank’s attack struck home, cutting through its thick hide. But it wasn’t enough. The creature quickly recovered, spinning on its heels to face him.

  Frank stumbled back, narrowly avoiding another swipe from its claws. His side burned with the effort, his body screaming at him to stop, but he couldn’t.

  Not yet.

  The second creature, the one with the jagged limbs, was closing in from behind. Frank didn’t have time to turn and face it. He had to rely on his instincts.

  The first creature lunged again, but Frank was ready this time. He twisted his body, driving the shard deep into the creature’s side, just below its ribs. The creature’s screech echoed through the room as Frank wrenched the shard free, pulling back just in time to avoid the creature’s retaliatory strike.

  The creature’s movements slowed as its body began to glitch, spasming violently. Frank barely had time to register it before the creature collapsed, its limbs locking into place like a broken doll.

  Frank didn’t wait for the system to correct itself. He took the opening and ran.

  The second creature was still on his heels, but Frank was faster now. He knew its pattern. He could predict its movements. It wasn’t enough to just survive anymore; Frank needed to end this—before the system caught up and made it even worse.

  The second creature charged, but Frank sidestepped, forcing it into a wall. The creature’s claws scraped against the stone as it struggled to turn, but it was too slow. Frank struck, driving the rock shard into the creature’s side, just below its neck.

  It howled in pain, but Frank wasn’t done. He kept pushing, using every ounce of energy left in his body to finish the job. The creature stumbled, its form glitching as the system struggled to keep up. Frank didn’t stop.

  With a final, decisive strike, he drove the shard into the creature’s chest. Its body locked up, and for a moment, Frank thought it might stabilize. But then, it collapsed, its body twitching and flickering as if it had been deleted.

  Frank staggered back, breathing heavily. He had done it. Both creatures were dead. But his victory felt hollow. The system hadn’t stopped. It was still adapting, still making adjustments.

  And Frank had a feeling that the worst was yet to come.

  Frank looked around, his gaze narrowing. The system wasn’t done with him yet.

  Frank barely had time to react before the creature lunged. His mind raced as the air around him thickened, charged with an ominous weight. The thing was moving too fast, far too fast for him to avoid.

  Stone cracked beneath its weight, a guttural snarl raking through the space as its claws swiped through the air. Frank twisted, his muscles screaming from exhaustion, but he couldn't dodge it in time. The creature's claws skimmed across his ribs, tearing through his jacket and cutting deep into his side.

  Frank gritted his teeth, pushing through the searing pain. His body was already at its breaking point. His vision blurred, and his breath came in ragged gasps. But he refused to give up now. Not after everything he'd been through.

  The creature recoiled, its eyes gleaming with malice. It growled again, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated through the air like a low warning. But Frank wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.

  Frank staggered back, barely able to keep his footing. The system was adjusting again, trying to shift the fight in the creature's favor, but he was still alive. For now.

  The beast lunged again, this time more calculated, more precise. Frank twisted and ducked under its claws, his body screaming for relief, but his survival instincts kept him moving. The beast was relentless, its speed and power only growing as the system ramped up its difficulty.

  “Not this time,” Frank muttered under his breath. His muscles were burning, his vision fading, but he refused to let the creature win. Not now.

  He pushed off the wall, his legs shaky but determined. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, the wound too deep to heal quickly. But it didn’t matter. He was close now. He could feel it. He just needed a little more.

  Frank barely managed to dodge as the creature teleported in front of him, its claws slashing through the air. He rolled to the side, gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest. The system was making this worse. It was adapting to him, evolving.

  Frank’s gut told him one thing: He needed to finish this. Now.

  The creature was glitching again—its form flickering between frames, like a corrupted file trying to load. It wasn’t stable. Not yet.

  Frank twisted and threw himself at the creature, using its moment of instability to strike. He grabbed a sharp shard of stone from the floor and plunged it into the creature’s side. It let out a shriek, but Frank didn’t let go. He twisted the shard, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he forced the creature back.

  The creature went limp, its form flickering one last time before it collapsed to the ground in a heap. Frank staggered back, his legs barely holding him up. His vision was swimming, his heart pounding in his ears. The pain was overwhelming, but somehow, he had done it. He had survived.

  He collapsed to the ground, chest heaving as he struggled to breathe.

  The world around Frank spun, the dim glow from the walls barely enough to keep the darkness at bay. His hands were shaking, his body heavy, every breath coming harder than the last. His side throbbed, the wound bleeding sluggishly, and his vision swam in and out of focus.

  Frank blinked hard, trying to keep his focus. “I did it,” he muttered to himself, though it felt surreal. He had killed it. He had won. But the cost… It was too much. His body was falling apart faster than he could keep up with.

  He could feel the system’s eyes on him—an unseen force still watching, still assessing. He wasn’t alone. Not really.

  His breath hitched in his chest as he tried to sit up. The blood loss was too much. His body felt like it was on fire, every inch of him screaming for relief. His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed back onto the cold stone floor, gasping for air.

  Frank's vision blurred as his mind began to shut down. The last thing he saw before the darkness overtook him was the faint glow of the walls, flickering weakly, like the dungeon itself was fighting to survive.

  Then, everything went black.