I sighed heavily as I made my way back into the jungle. It had been wonderful to wash off all the gore I'd been covered in. More important than the opportunity to cleanse myself of the gore was the moment to take stock of the situation. To just sit for a time, brief as it had been, had helped me recenter myself at least a little. Though the constant Squelch that accompanied every step had me wondering if the trade was worth it now. I had laid my clothes out on the outcropping to dry for as long as I was willing. Which wasn't too long, I couldn't risk the cave's occupant returning while I was there. I had absolutely zero desire for a second round with that particular monster right now. Maybe after I gained another five or ten more levels, I would feel differently.

  I was Hopeful the warmth in this underground terrarium I was in would help me dry out sooner rather than later. I was not looking forward to the chafing that might occur otherwise. Wet clothes were almost universally reviled, doubly so by anyone who spent a significant amount of time outdoors, and for good reason.

  The jungle was still quiet on my return, though not quite so silent as it had been, as if the entire forest had been holding its breath. Now I could hear some of the smaller animals moving about, and the insects, though I couldn't see many of them, were back to buzzing about. It was almost peaceful now, there was an odd sense of calm to it that tickled something in the back of my mind I couldn't quite put my finger on. Given my distinct lack of previous experience with jungles, nature, and wildlife, I wrote off the feeling. It didn't help that it was directly at odds with the unease I felt being back in the jungle.

  I couldn't shake the sense of unease that followed me into the jungle; it was rather like a stalking predator in that way. Or a puppy. Even when I thought I'd gotten rid of it, it was still following me around. So far, I'd had two encounters with the local monsters, and neither of them had been quiet. Hell, the entire horde of serpent roots had chased me through a large section of the jungle, ripping through the tangled undergrowth. Not subtle at all. Nothing had interfered at the time, but I couldn't help but think there was something else out there in the jungle somewhere. Waiting for its own shot at me. The area felt too perfect, too designed, much like an old-school dungeon. One where you moved chamber to chamber, wandering back and forth as you pleased, but had to kill the boss to advance to the next area. The thought snuck up on me, but the cascade of thoughts and memories it caused, years of game knowledge and research, sent the gears of my mind whirling. This wasn't a game, deep down I knew that, but at the same time, I couldn't deny the game-like elements that existed in my situation. The thought took hold, I turned on my heel and marched right back out of the jungle the same way I came. This time, rather than delve deeper into the jungle, I would follow the cavern wall.

  The old dungeoneer's trick should work here.

  I followed the cavern wall, my left hand brushing against the smooth stone, my gaze flickering between what lay ahead and the jungle to my right. It was an old trick for defeating mazes and the like, one that years and years of games and books had ensured was buried deeply in my memories: just keep following the left wall, and eventually you'll find the exit. Truthfully, it didn't have to be the left; it could have been the right. The trick was consistency more than anything else. Unfortunately, it relied on the idea that the exit was positioned on an exterior wall. The trick wasn't terribly useful in the event that the exit wasn't so conveniently positioned. If there was indeed an exit from this cavern, there were only two options, well, technically three, but I figured an exit in the ceiling would have been easy enough to spot. So the two remaining possibilities were either that the exit was along the exterior wall or it was on the ground in the jungle somewhere. I figured I might as well eliminate one possibility now, and in the process find out if there really was a boss monster guarding the exit. Two birds stoned at once and all that.

  "Bingo," I muttered when a massive formation of roots that seemed to be growing out of the wall of the cavern came into sight. The black and blue roots flickered with light, streaks racing across the vines like bolts of electricity, like synapses firing. This was almost certainly the exit. I was also willing to bet that I'd have to kill whatever creature controlled these vines to get through. Just from the sheer amount of vines growing from the wall, I knew there was no chance of carving a path through with my dagger, or any other tool I could easily get my hands on. Certainly not before whatever the boss was made, its appearance.

  I stared at the screen before me. This whole experience was getting more and more game-like all the time. Now I was getting quests, vaguely worded ones, with even more vague rewards.

  Wonderful. At least this confirmed that there was actually a boss for me to kill if I wanted to move on.

  I crept away from the cavern wall and into the edge of the jungle in a low crouch. If the boss was hanging around the exit area, I wanted to avoid being spotted before I was ready. I would prefer to avoid the fate of a noob wandering into a high-level area they weren't prepared for. Which was almost universally some variation of Splat! You died. Try again, Loser. I slipped behind a large tree, my eyes fixed on the root growth as I settled in to wait.

  Seconds passed, in silent waiting, then minutes. Then something shifted. I watched as a large Snake slithered out of the jungle towards the root growth. It was an actual snake like I'd faced first, the [Giant Root Snake]. Not one of the strange vine creatures, the [Root serpent]s that were just shaped like snakes. I watched as the snake slithered right up to the growth. The tension was palpable as I waited to see what would happen. I was not prepared for what came next. A massive section of the growth uncoiled into a serpentine form; it was faster than anything I had seen before. It was barely more than a blur of blue and black as it lashed out at the large snake. The snake was unable to even react before it was struck by the hidden predator. In a single move, its head was torn from its body. I watched as the giant root serpent tore into the decapitated corpse of its prey. While its raw speed was concerning, I didn't have the feeling it was that much stronger than I was currently. It was hard to explain; there was just a sense in the back of my head that we were near equal. Perhaps it was a slight amount stronger than me. If I had to put numbers to it, I'd guess that while I was level five, it was probably something like level six or seven, maybe even eight at the outside, but no higher.

  It didn't feel like an insurmountable wall, more like a hill that was just a little steeper than I'd like. I wanted to turn around and leave, to build up my strength before facing this creature. I would only get one shot; either it would die or I would. My logical mind thought it was a foolish risk to face this beast here and now when I could retreat and build myself up. I could easily retreat into the jungle and track down the small beasts that populated this place. I could harvest them for levels like a farmer harvesting their crop. Yet my feet remained rooted to the ground. Deep within me, the part of me that had been roused with the unlocking of my bloodline, the part that understood the primal edict of life and death, it knew. It knew soul deep that if I ran away here, I might never stop running. As much as my logical mind tried to rail against the call of instinct, there was only one path forward for me.

  Only one way out.

  Forward.

  I gripped the handle of my dagger tighter, the wrapping creaking from within my fist. I would have to time this right if I wanted to get the best result. I'd have to wait until the creature was fully involved with its meal. To strike while it was distracted.

  I waited in ambush, watching with intent focus as the creature settled in, gnawing at the corpse of its prey. I was at the edge of the tree line, crouched low and out of sight, thanks to the cover of the trees and the undergrowth that covered most of the jungle. My heartbeat pounded in my ears like a massive war drum, and blood thrummed in my veins as I prepared to make my move.

  Adrenaline surged in my veins, and I charged out of the treeline, sprinting flat out, keeping myself as low as possible. Thoughts, worries, and anxiety all fell away as I committed myself to this struggle of life and death. At the end of this conflict, either the root serpent would be dead and I'd be looting its corpse, or I'd be dead and it would be feasting on mine. There was a simplicity to the coming struggle; it was strangely comforting. No rules, no holds barred, winner takes all.

  The moment seemed to stretch as I moved closer to the creature, like an elastic band, it stretched until it could no longer. Four meters.

  Three meters.

  Two Meters.

  One.

  Snap.

  The moment snapped, and the beast whirled to face me, its electric blue eyes filled with hate, a primal sort of wrath. A hatred owned exclusively by the lord of a domain, finding a trespasser in their territory. There was a sort of intelligence in those eyes, an animal cunning. I let out a roar of challenge as I raised my dagger, but the whistling sound of air parting warned me of the massive tail sailing through the air on a collision course with me. Gritting my teeth, I dove forward, burying my dagger in the creature's eye socket. A moment later, the tail made impact, and for a brief moment, all I knew was pain.

  I sailed through the air like a rag doll, my flight only arrested by impact with one of the trees at the edge of the jungle. A fresh flash of pain, and I saw stars for a moment. I could hear the serpent thrashing and screaming in rage and pain as I mechanically dragged myself up to kneel. Something was wrong, my insides felt wrong, and I couldn't draw a full breath. Broken ribs, probably. I pushed the pain to the side and drew myself up to my feet. My side was on fire, and I was having trouble focusing my vision, but I could feel the weight of my dagger still clutched in my hand. Somehow, I'd managed to keep a hold of it, probably by sheer instinct more than anything else.

  The weight in my hand was grounding, and my vision cleared, focusing in on my opponent. The serpent had stopped writhing by now and was instead coiled up, staring at me. If looks could kill. I gripped my dagger like an ice pick, staring at the monster across from me.