Chapter 144: SOMETHING IS STRANGE

He took a step forward. And disappeared into the mist.

The cold, damp air greeted Logan again just like yesterday as he walked deeper into the dungeon. The path sloped downward, the walls lined with moss and faintly glowing stones. It was quiet….too quiet. But he was used to this now. He already completed one dungeon raid yesterday.

As Logan continued his march, goblins started to emerge from the shadows as expected….screeching and charging. Logan didn’t flinch.

He weaved between their claws, throwing a fireball at one group, slicing another with a sharp wind blade. A final one tried to run, but a bolt of lightning struck it down mid-step.

He continued clearing layer after layer.

The boss room wasn’t special either. A huge and stronger goblin with a rusty axe. The fight began. It continued for a while before finally Logan dodged an incoming wild swing and countered with a punch straight to its chest. His fist was hardened with ice. The boss fell instantly.

As the boss collapsed, a faint wave of spiritual energy pulsed outward. Logan didn’t waste time.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, absorbing every strand of it.

It wasn’t much. But even this tiny amount would help him complete a month’s training in just one day.

Days started to pass like this. Every morning, Logan entered a dungeon. Sometimes just one. Other days, two in a row. He would enter. Fight. Collect spiritual energy. Then sit quietly to cultivate.

Each time, he used the energy gained to fuel his cultivation….refining, compressing, and expanding his internal energy with greater speed.

And at night, before hitting the bed, he would cultivate with Qi only.

With each passing day he grew stronger. His body, senses, and instincts all sharpened due to continuous fight and cultivating with both spiritual energy and Qi. His punches carried more force. His speed became faster.

Six days had passed like this since he first entered a dungeon. And after the continuous raids and training for last few days, he was right on the edge. Just one step away from breaking through the barrier between a Martial Disciple and a Martial Master.

And today… might be that step.

Logan sat on his horse, staring at a dungeon gate tucked beneath a patch of exposed soil beside the riverbank.

A gentle breeze brushed past, fluttering the edges of his cloak and tousling his black hair.

This was his tenth F-Class dungeon in seven days.

He took a deep breath. Then dismounted and tied his horse to a nearby rock.

With a calm but determined expression, he stepped forward and entered the dungeon.

Same familiar environment welcomed him again. Dark stone walls. Damp air. The usual layout.

Logan stepped forward, his eyes scanning the shadows.

Then….movement. A group of goblins emerged. But this time…something wasn’t right.

There were more than usual.

He blinked in surprise. “…Fifteen?”

The first level of F-Class dungeons typically had four or five goblins at most.

But today? Nearly fifteen of them came rushing at him in waves.

Still, Logan didn’t panic.

“Four, five or fifteen. They are just goblins anyway,” he muttered.

He sprang into action. A wave of wind blades cut through three at once. A fireball exploded near the back, igniting two more. Ice blades slashed forward, freezing limbs mid-attack. Lightning cracked and burst into a sizzling arc across the chamber.

He kept moving, killing with terrifying efficiency. After the first layer, he kept marching into the deeper layers. And the next wave welcomed him. This time the number was even more. Almost forty. But without a second thought, he lunged forward.

But just then….something shocked Logan even more.

Snarls.

Low, guttural growls echoed from deeper within.

From the darkness, dire wolves emerged.

Logan was still fighting but his senses were alerted. “What the f**k are these wolves doing here?!”

Dire wolves were at least E-Class threats. They had no place in a basic dungeon like this.

And yet… here they were. Five of them. Charging forward alongside the remaining goblins.

Logan gritted his teeth. He didn’t retreat. Lightning crackled around his fists.

Boom!

He met them head-on.

A punch sent one dire wolf flying. He ducked under another’s bite, then unleashed a fire-enhanced uppercut into its chest.

He twisted, flipped over a goblin, and slammed it into the wall.

The fight dragged on. His breath grew heavier.

“Damn it! So many of them.” he muttered between breaths.

Goblins were one thing. But dire wolves too and the increased number put him in a difficult spot.

And it wasn’t just the numbers.

“Something isn’t right. Not just the increased number and addition of dire wolves.” Logan murmured under his breath.

“They are coordinated. They’re not attacking randomly but more like a team.”

His instincts were sending danger signals. But he pushed forward anyway. The deeper he went, the more resistance he faced.

Claw slashes. Ambushes. Pack formations.

His sleeves were torn. Dirt clung to his boots. Sweat rolled down his temple.

Yet he pressed on. “Let’s see, how brilliant you beasts truly are.”

This anomaly and increased difficulty felt like a challenge to him.

Weaving amongst that large horde of monsters, he kept massacring.

Zzzzz! Two goblins were crushed by an earth-shaking lightning strike.

Swoosh! A wide wind blade cut two goblins and one dire wolf in half.

A fireball flew from his palm and engulfed five goblins.

Though his breathing was growing heavy due to tiredness with each passing moment, he kept fighting.

But just then… something happened.

Two dire wolves rushed from opposite sides. Logan stepped forward, ready to counter. But both wolves twisted at the last second…dodging his strike.

It was a feint!

Before he could react, two goblins dropped from the ceiling behind him….blades drawn.

One slashed at his back. The other jabbed toward his thigh.

Logan felt the air shift behind him and instinctively dove forward. The strikes grazed past him.

He skidded across the rocky ground and rolled to his feet, eyes wide.

He stared at the monsters, stunned.

“They’re this good?” he whispered.

His mind flashed back. To the market. To that orc. The one that acted smarter than it should’ve.

And now… goblins and dire wolves working together, setting traps?

This wasn’t right. This was in no way normal. He could feel it deep inside. Something was wrong with this dungeon.

Very wrong.

“What the hell is happening? First that Orc from dungeon break, and now this?!”

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