The Transmigrated Author

He even considered trying a swift arrow to the beast\'s head, but then discarded the idea.

His arrows quality was the problem that made him doubt it\'d even pierce such hard skin.

STOMP!...STOMP!...STOMP!!!

The Bruin, sensing its prey on the move, charged forward once again, its massive paws pounding the earth.

"There\'s no helping it," Rel muttered.

He lifted his weapon Axel and his eyes blazed with an ethereal blue light as he activated his Sensory Aura.

"I was going to save this for later," he whispered, "but there\'s no other choice."

WHOOSH!

As the Bruin lunged, Rel sidestepped with a tap of his foot narrowly avoiding the Bruin.

CRASH!

The bear, thrown off balance, crashed into a nearby tree, sending a shower of snow cascading down onto its head.

GRAHH!

The Bruin roared in frustration and its fiery breath erupted in a column of flames that scorched the surrounding trees.

Rel watched carefully, his eyes never leaving the enraged beast.

"Timing..." he murmured, studying its movements, waiting for the perfect opening.

The Bruin, spent from its outburst, steadied itself against the tree and charged once more.

"Now,"

Rel whispered, leaping backward with a powerful thrust of his legs.

The Bruin, caught off guard by his sudden retreat, stumbled and lost its balance and was now falling towards Rel without an attack.

As if time seemed to slow a confident smile rose from Rel\'s face

Huuu...

He took a deep breath and sparks of light ignited around the Bruin\'s head, illuminating its vulnerable spot.

He raised his blade and the half-black blade shined in the bright light.

"False Orbit,"

With a single fluid motion, he swung the blade in a circular arc encircling the Bruin\'s head.

SHING!

A powerful gust of wind erupted from the strike, severing the beast\'s head from its body.

— KAK!

The head rolled away, decaying rapidly, and a corrupted mana stone, pulsating with a dark red light, tumbled out.

"...?"

Rel landed lightly and his gaze was fixed on the corrupted crystal.

"It had a corrupted stone inside it? Strange..." he muttered, cautiously reaching for it.

"There\'s no harm in holding it if I remember correctly..."

SHAAAAA!

"What?!"

As his fingers closed around the stone, his Anti-Magic reacted and the black flames engulfed the crystal.

FWANG!

A notification flashed before his eyes.

[Mana Reserves have slightly increased by consuming the corrupted mana stone.]

[Mana: A- (1.89%)>>> A- (3.78%)]

He felt a subtle influx of mana enter his system, followed by another notification.

[The Following Enemy Has Been Defeated: Fellbark Bruin - Grade: B+]

[Swordsmanship Has Increased!]

[...]

FWANG!

[New Grade!]

[Swordsman Grade: Grade 10 (Mastery: 7.8%) >>> Grade 9 (Mastery: 10.3%) -]

Rel stared at the notifications, a frown creasing his brow.

"How did a monster like that get its hands on a corrupted mana stone?" he muttered to himself.

The implications were troubling. If this Bruin had one, did the rest of its pack possess them too?

Jan should have struggled to even reach the dungeon entrance if a group of corrupted Fellbark Bruins were guarding it.

But that didn\'t seem to be the case.

That was when a realization dawned upon him.

If the Fellbarks had their mana cores affected by something within the story\'s reach, then it unfortunately meant that Jan had to have already advanced deeper within the dungeon\'s region.

The plot simply didn\'t stop for him; it would continue to move forward regardless of his actions.

That meant they were here… and the reason for these effects must have meant that they were in the dungeon...

It seemed clear to him that this advancement was beyond his expectations, but another arrival would cause Rel an extreme amount of trouble.

tch...

Rel clicked his tongue in frustration.

"I need to hurry up, or I\'ll lose my chance," he muttered, turning and sprinting towards the eastern side of Mireuksan Mountain.

The trees blurred past him as he ran fueled by the knowledge that the story was slipping further from his grasp.

***

[Mireuksan Mountain - The Dungeon Of Sacred Treasure]

Deep within Mireuksan Mountain, nestled on its far eastern edge, lay the Dungeon of Sacred Treasure.

Its labyrinthine tunnels and dimly lit chambers were home to some of the most powerful and cunning creatures in the land.

Jan guided by his unerring intuition had already fought his way through the latter half of the dungeon.

Each step brought him closer towards the gut feeling that he had leading him all the way here.

SHING!

Jan deflected a final attack, the clash of steel echoing through the damp cavern.

"Whew... that was the seventh pack of monsters that charged at me just now!" he exclaimed, wiping sweat from his brow.

He had just slain another Chitinous Stalker that had attempted an ambush from above, his understanding of the dungeon\'s layout proving invaluable.

As Jan sheathed his sword, he took a few moments to survey his surroundings.

He searched the walls for any markings he might have left during previous explorations, but instead, a long, massive hallway stretched before him.

It was different compared to the usual cave-like formations of a dungeon.

"This must be one of the special dungeons Mr. Kolek mentioned," Jan realized, noting the change in terrain.

The path he had been on was made of dirt, but now, he faced a massive double stone door adorned with three skulls wearing crowns, arranged in a triangular pattern.

Suuuu...

A strange energy emanated from beyond the doors, causing Jan to freeze.

"...!"

He felt a sudden tension and his heart pounded in his chest.

Huuu...

"Calm down..." Jan took a deep breath and pulled a vial from his pouch.

It was a stamina recovery potion, its orange contents swirling invitingly.

— Gulp!

He downed the potion in one gulp, then looked towards the imposing doors.

"Let\'s see what\'s in store for me."

CREAKKK!

Pushing open the heavy stone doors, Jan was greeted by a sight that starkly contrasted the cramped tunnels he\'d traversed thus far.

The room was cavernous, Above there were multiple broken chandeliers hung precariously from the ceiling, their once-gleaming crystals now dull and coated in dust.

The ground was a patchwork of cracked cobblestones, with stubborn vines snaking through the crevices, reclaiming their territory from the encroaching stone.

Stone pillars, etched with intricate carvings, stood still at the room\'s edge with their imposing presence adding to the grandeur of the space.

Ornate railings were connected to all pillars of the room, framing a central circular symbol of the cross etched into the floor.

"Wow... boss rooms really have their own unique appearance."

BANG!

"Ah!"

As Jan stepped further in, the stone doors groaned shut behind him, plunging the chamber into an even deeper gloom.

whoosh!

Suddenly, a series of candles lining the path ahead ignited with an ethereal glow, their flames dancing in the stagnant air.

They led his gaze towards a massive stone pedestal, its surface shrouded by red curtains.

Two knights, clad in resplendent golden armour bearing the crest of a cross and a sun, stood guard on either side of the hidden throne.

"Is it time that thou cometh for the sunlit throne?"

Golden eyes shined from the red curtains.

Behind it was the silhouette of a king, still clad in his armor, upon their flowing folds.

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To Be Continued...

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