The chamber fell silent after Maira's words.
"We escape this dungeon… and then I take my revenge."
For a moment, the floating grimoire simply hovered in front of her.Then its pages fluttered with excitement. "Marvelous!" the book exclaimed. "A proper goal! Revenge, survival, destiny—how dramatic! I like you already, Master!"
Maira frowned slightly.
"Stop calling me master like that…"
"But you are my master," the grimoire replied proudly. "Contractually, magically, and spiritually!"
She sighed. "Then at least tell me your name."
The grimoire floated closer.
"My name is Arcanis."
The air seemed to grow heavier as he spoke it. Maira tilted her head.
"Just Arcanis?" She asked.
"Formerly known as Arcanis, Sovereign of Magic."
"…What?" she paused.
There was a brief pause.Then the grimoire cleared its nonexistent throat. "I was once the God of Magic."
Maira stared at it silently. A few seconds passed.
"Oh." she said almost expressionless,
Arcanis blinked.
"…That's it?" Arcanis exclaimed in shock.
"What do you want me to say?" she replied calmly. "I just watched my mother die and got thrown into a dungeon." Arcanis floated there in stunned silence. Then suddenly—
He burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! Oh, this is delightful! A mortal who isn't impressed by a fallen god!"
Maira crossed her arms."If you're really a god, then help me survive."
Arcanis calmed down."Yes… about that."
The grimoire began glowing faintly. "You should understand something important, Master." A small magic circle formed beneath Maira's feet. "Your body cannot handle my power."
A thin stream of mana flowed from the grimoire into her. Maira gasped as energy rushed through her veins. But it wasn't overwhelming.It was… small.
Weak.
Familiar.
"Wind magic?" she asked.
"Correct," Arcanis replied. "You already possessed a small affinity for it. We will build from there."
A set of glowing symbols appeared before her. Skills Acquired 'Gust, Feather Step
Air Sense'
Maira stared at them. "That's it?"
"Did you expect divine lightning storms on your first day?" Arcanis replied sarcastically.
She looked away slightly embarrassed.
"Still… it's stronger than before."
"Of course it is," Arcanis said proudly. "You are now channeling the power of a god."
He paused.
"…a very limited portion of a god."
Maira flexed her fingers. She could feel the air around her. Like invisible threads brushing against her skin. For the first time since being thrown into the dungeon…She felt something other than despair.
Control.
But the moment didn't last long. A faint scratching sound echoed through the tunnel ahead. Maira froze. "…Arcanis."
"Yes?"
"Something's coming."
The grimoire slowly turned toward the dark passage.
"Ah." Arcanis responded with familiarity.
Several small glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.Low growls followed. Then the creatures stepped into the glowing stone chamber. Small monsters. Rough gray fur.
Sharp teeth. Stone-like claws.
Arcanis spoke calmly. "Dungeon creature identified."
"Stone Rats."
Five of them.
Maira stepped back instinctively. "They don't look that strong…"
"Do not underestimate dungeon creatures," Arcanis warned.
One of the rats suddenly lunged. Maira panicked.
"Gust!"
A burst of wind shot forward. The rat was pushed sideways, crashing into the stone floor. But the other four attacked immediately.
"MASTER, LEFT!"
She jumped aside as another rat snapped its jaws where her leg had been. Her heart pounded violently.
Too fast.
Too chaotic.
She couldn't think. One rat leaped at her face.
"FEATHER STEP!" Arcanis shouted.
Instinctively she cast the spell. Her body suddenly felt lighter. She moved faster than expected and stumbled backward.
The rat missed.
But another bit into her sleeve. She screamed and shook her arm wildly. "GUST!"
Wind exploded from her palm. The rat slammed into the wall. It twitched then stopped moving.
Maira froze.
Her breathing became uneven.
"I… I…"
Arcanis spoke quietly. "You killed it."
Her hands trembled. She had never taken a life before. Not even an animal. The other rats circled cautiously now. She stared at the dead creature.
Then—
Her mother's face appeared in her mind. The poison. Her final breath. The laughter of the five boys. Something inside her hardened.
Her trembling stopped.
Maira slowly looked up. "Arcanis."
"Yes, Master?"
"How many monsters are in this dungeon?"
The grimoire paused. "…Millions."
Maira's eyes became cold. "Good."
Wind began gathering around her fingers.
The rats lunged again.
This time—
She didn't hesitate. A few minutes later the chamber was quiet again, four rat bodies lay scattered across the floor. Maira leaned against the wall breathing heavily her arms were scratched, her clothes torn. But she was alive.
Arcanis floated nearby. "Well done, Master."
She looked at the corpses. "…I feel strange."
"That is normal." Arcanis added.
"Am I becoming a monster?"
The grimoire shook slightly. "No." He floated closer. "You are becoming strong."
Suddenly something unusual happened.
A faint stream of energy rose from the dead monsters. It flowed toward Maira then sank into her body.
She gasped. "What was that?"
Arcanis sounded intrigued. "Interesting…"
"What?" She asked curious.
"The dungeon recognizes your victory." He sounded almost impressed. "You are absorbing its mana."
Maira looked down at her hands, she could feel it. Just a little more power. Just a little more control.
Arcanis spoke quietly. "Every battle will make you stronger."
Maira looked deeper into the dungeon tunnel.
Darkness stretched endlessly ahead. Monsters waited.
Trials waited.
Power waited.
Her eyes burned with quiet fury. "Good." She stepped forward. "Let's keep going."
Arcanis followed beside her.
The tunnel beyond the chamber stretched endlessly into darkness. The glowing stones that had lit the previous room were gone.
Now the only light came from faint blue moss clinging to the walls. Maira walked slowly, every step careful. The silence of the dungeon felt different now.
Before, it had been terrifying. Now it felt… watchful.As if the dungeon itself had noticed her. Arcanis floated beside her, his pages turning lazily.
"Well done, Master," he said. "You survived your first battle."
"Barely," Maira replied quietly.
Her sleeve was still torn where one of the rats had bitten it. Thin scratches ran across her arm. They stung but she ignored them.
"What happens if I die here?" she asked suddenly.
Arcanis paused. "You die."
"…I figured."
"But," he added calmly, "that is unlikely."
She glanced at him.
"You seem very confident for someone who just watched me almost get eaten by rats."
"Ah, but you didn't," Arcanis replied. "And that is what matters."
He floated slightly ahead of her. "You adapt quickly."
Maira didn't answer. Her eyes were focused on the dark path ahead. The memories of the village still burned inside her mind.
The trial.
The accusations.
The laughter.
Her friends looking away.
Her fists clenched.
"I will kill them," she whispered.
Arcanis heard her. "Yes," he said softly.
"But first you must survive this place."
They continued walking for several minutes.
The dungeon slowly changed. The tunnels widened. The air became colder.
And then—
Maira suddenly stopped. "Arcanis."
"Yes?" he responded
"…Something's wrong."
The wind around her fingers began moving strangely. Her Air Sense skill had activated on its own. She could feel movement. Many movements.
Ahead.
Behind.
Above.
"MASTER—"
The ceiling suddenly burst open. Three creatures dropped down. Cave Bats.
Large ones.
Their wings were nearly the size of her body.
Their mouths were filled with needle-like teeth. One shrieked loudly. The sound echoed through the tunnels then more movement followed.
Arcanis sounded annoyed. "Oh wonderful."
"What?!" Maira asked.
"That was a call signal."
Before she could respond—
More bats flooded out of the ceiling cracks.Ten. Fifteen. Maybe more.
Maira's face went pale. "…You're kidding."
"Unfortunately not."
The first bat dove toward her, Maira raised her hand instantly.
"GUST!"
A blast of wind knocked it sideways but two more attacked at once.
"FEATHER STEP!" she shouted.
Her body moved quickly as she dodged one.
The second scratched her shoulder as it flew past.
She gasped in pain.
"MASTER, DO NOT PANIC," Arcanis said.
"Easy for you to say!" she said in agony.
A bat swooped from behind. Maira spun and fired another gust. The creature slammed into the wall but the swarm kept coming.They were too fast. Too many. She couldn't keep up. Her breathing became frantic.
Then something clicked in her mind. Wind,
Movement, Air flow. She remembered something Arcanis had said earlier.
Think.
Not fight blindly.
Use the environment.
Her eyes scanned the tunnel quickly then she saw it. Dust, Loose dirt covering the floor.
Maira took a deep breath.
"Arcanis."
"Yes?"
"Watch this."
She crouched slightly. Then raised both hands.
"GUST!"
But this time she didn't aim at the bats. She aimed at the ground. The wind exploded outward. Dust and dirt shot upward into the air. The tunnel filled with a thick cloud.
The bats shrieked.
Blinded.
Confused.
"Now!" Arcanis shouted
Maira rushed forward.
"FEATHER STEP!"
Her body moved lightly across the ground.
One bat flapped wildly in the dust. She grabbed a fallen stone from the ground
and slammed it into the creature's head,
It dropped instantly.
Another bat tried to fly upward. She fired a gust straight at the ceiling. The creature smashed against the stone and fell. The swarm panicked.
Unable to see.
Unable to track her.
One by one she struck them down, It wasn't clean, It wasn't graceful, but it worked.
Minutes later—
Silence returned to the tunnel.Dust slowly settled to the ground. Maira stood there breathing heavily. Bat corpses lay scattered everywhere.
Arcanis floated quietly. "…Remarkable."
Maira wiped sweat from her forehead.
"I hate bats."
"No, Master," Arcanis replied. "You adapted."
He sounded almost proud. "Most novice mages would have died."
The faint energy rose again from the monster bodies, It flowed into Maira's chest, she felt it clearly now. The power growing slowly like a small flame being fed.
"Arcanis…"
"Yes?"
"Am I getting stronger?"
"Indeed." His pages turned slowly. "And something else is happening."
"What?"
"The dungeon is beginning to recognize you."
She looked confused. "What does that mean?"
Arcanis' voice became slightly darker. "This dungeon has existed for thousands of years, It was created to contain monsters…"
He paused. "…and something else."
"What?" She asked, curious.
"…Me."
Maira blinked. Before she could ask more,
the ground suddenly trembled.Dust fell from the ceiling. A deep rumbling echoed through the tunnel. Arcanis slowly turned toward the darkness ahead.
"…Well."
Maira swallowed. "What now?"
The grimoire spoke calmly. "I believe, Master…" he took a breath. "…you have just attracted the attention of something much bigger." From the darkness ahead two massive glowing eyes slowly opened.