The hallway stretched endlessly ahead.
Dim lights flickered.
Shadows shifted.
Blaine walked forward without hesitation.
Behind him—
Faint footsteps followed.
Unstable.
Slow.
The injured man.
He had managed to stand.
Barely.
But he was still alive.
"…thank you…"
The man's voice trembled.
Blaine didn't respond.
Gratitude had no value here.
Only survival did.
They continued in silence.
The air grew colder.
Heavier.
Something was changing.
Blaine could feel it.
"Stop."
His voice was calm.
Flat.
The man froze instantly.
"…what is it?"
Blaine didn't answer.
He was listening.
A sound.
Not footsteps.
Not movement.
Breathing.
Slow.
Deep.
And coming from ahead.
The end of the hallway.
The stairs.
Blaine's eyes narrowed slightly.
So the exit wasn't free.
Of course it wasn't.
Nothing in this world would be.
"…stay behind," Blaine said quietly.
The man nodded quickly, fear filling his eyes.
Blaine stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
The sound became clearer.
Closer.
Then—
He saw it.
A figure.
Standing at the base of the stairs.
Still.
Silent.
But very much alive.
Unlike the others—
This one looked… stable.
Its posture was straight.
Its body—
Unharmed.
And its eyes…
Focused.
Directly on him.
"…"
Danger.
Real danger.
Blaine didn't move.
Didn't attack.
He observed.
The creature took a step forward.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then—
It spoke.
"…leave…"
The voice was distorted.
But understandable.
The man behind Blaine froze.
"It… it can talk…?"
Blaine ignored him.
A thinking enemy.
That changed everything.
"Move."
Blaine said calmly.
The creature didn't.
Instead—
It tilted its head slightly.
"…food…"
Then—
It moved.
Fast.
Much faster than the others.
Blaine reacted instantly.
He stepped to the side—
Barely avoiding a strike aimed at his chest.
The force behind it—
Heavy.
Too heavy.
Blaine's eyes sharpened.
This one…
was different.
Stronger.
Faster.
Not something he could overpower directly.
The creature attacked again.
Relentless.
Precise.
Blaine blocked—
But the impact pushed him back.
Thud.
His feet slid across the floor.
Strength gap.
Clear.
Behind him—
The man panicked.
"W-we can't win—!"
"Shut up."
Blaine's voice cut through sharply.
Because panic…
was useless.
He adjusted his stance.
Watched.
Waited.
The creature moved again—
And this time—
Blaine didn't dodge.
He stepped forward.
Into the attack.
"—?!"
The creature's strike landed—
But Blaine shifted his body just enough—
Reducing the damage.
Pain shot through his arm.
But he didn't stop.
He grabbed the creature's wrist—
Locked it—
And pulled.
Using momentum.
Not strength.
The creature stumbled—
Just slightly.
Enough.
Blaine drove his elbow into its jaw.
Crack.
The creature staggered.
An opening.
Blaine reached for the metal shard—
But—
Too slow.
The creature recovered instantly—
And struck.
BANG!
Blaine was thrown back—
Slamming into the wall.
"—!"
Pain spread through his body.
Sharp.
Heavy.
He dropped to one knee.
The difference…
was overwhelming.
This wasn't like the others.
This was—
A higher level.
The creature approached slowly.
Confident.
Certain.
It had already decided the outcome.
Blaine wiped the blood from his lip.
His breathing remained steady.
Even now—
No fear.
Only thought.
Analysis.
If strength isn't enough…
Then use something else.
His eyes shifted—
Just slightly.
The environment.
The distance.
The timing.
Everything mattered.
The creature lunged again—
And Blaine moved.
Not backward.
Forward.
Directly toward the stairs.
"…!"
The creature reacted—
Turning instantly—
Chasing.
Fast.
But Blaine had already reached the first step.
He grabbed the railing—
Turned—
And kicked it.
The old metal structure snapped loose—
Falling directly toward the creature.
CRASH!
The impact slowed it.
Not enough to stop—
But enough.
Blaine didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the broken metal—
And charged.
One strike.
Focused.
Precise.
Straight through the creature's eye.
Stab.
Silence.
The creature froze.
Then—
Collapsed.
Heavy.
Still.
Blaine stood there.
Breathing slowly.
Pain lingering in his body.
But—
Alive.
Then—
The system responded.
[High-Value Target Eliminated]
[Strength +2]
[Strength: 5]
Blaine's eyes flickered.
A bigger increase.
So stronger enemies…
give more.
Good.
Very good.
He looked down at the body.
Then—
At the stairs.
The exit.
Finally.
Behind him—
The man stared in shock.
"…you… killed it…"
Blaine didn't answer.
Because it didn't matter.
Only one thing mattered.
He turned toward the stairs—
And began walking up.
Stronger than before.
And now—
Certain of one thing.
This world rewards only one thing.
Strength.