Chapter 5 Chapter 5

The giant lizard’s eyes followed my every movement with murderous hunger. As expected of a dungeon monster, it had no intention of letting me escape the moment I entered its sight.

Hiding was no longer an option. But knowing how my ability worked now, I didn’t feel as afraid of the upcoming battle as I used to. The fear was still there, but it was mixed with a strange sense of confidence.

I stepped out from behind the rock, my left arm holding the small round shield I had imprinted earlier from the Cave Demon Spider’s tough chitin. In my right hand was my imprinted sword. Sword and shield style–the same combat form I was trained in back when I was still part of the Bladewells family.

The giant lizard roared loudly and charged like a moving boulder, its rocky scales scraping loudly against the dungeon floor.

I planted my feet firmly and met the charge head-on. At the last moment, I raised my shield. The impact was massive, sending powerful vibrations through my arm and shoulder. It nearly threw me backward, but the shield managed to absorb most of the force. The recoil made the lizard stumble slightly.

Seizing the opening, I slashed my sword across its front leg. The imprinted blade cut deeply through the rocky scales, causing a fountain of green blood to spray out. The lizard screamed in rage, the sound echoing through the cavern.

It immediately swung its heavy tail toward me like a whip. I had already anticipated the attack and blocked it with my shield. The powerful impact left my entire left arm numb. Pain shot up to my shoulder, but I gritted my teeth and endured.

I didn’t waste any time. Seeing the lizard was now within range, I counterattacked fiercely, stabbing my sword into its side repeatedly. My blade kept swinging nonstop, looking for every possible opening in its defense.

The monster tried to fight back ferociously. It snapped its jaws at me and swiped with its claws. I moved around it carefully, using the shield to block its bites and claws while searching for a chance to end the fight. 

My stamina was running out fast. I knew I couldn’t last much longer if this dragged on.

The lizard suddenly lowered its head and charged at me again with full force, clearly preparing its strongest attack. I raised my shield one more time to block the incoming headbutt. I managed to stop it, but the shield cracked loudly and broke apart from the tremendous impact, pieces flying everywhere.

For a brief second, the lizard froze after the collision. Seeing my chance, I thrust my sword straight into its eye–the softest spot I could find. I pushed with everything I had left, driving the blade deeper and deeper into its skull.

The giant lizard thrashed wildly in agony, trying to crush me against the dungeon wall. Its massive body slammed into me repeatedly. I felt several of my ribs crack from the force, but I held on tightly and twisted the sword with a loud, desperate shout.

“Die already!!!”

With one final violent convulsion, the massive creature collapsed heavily onto the ground with a deafening thud. Dust and small stones flew into the air around us.

I lay there for a long moment, breathing hard and shaking, before slowly pushing the lizard’s heavy body off me. My whole body was covered in blood and bruises. The wound on my side had reopened badly, and new injuries covered my arms and torso. Every breath hurt. But I was still alive.

My sword and shield had served their purpose well, but both were now broken, just as I expected. Their durability wasn’t that great, but they had been good enough when it mattered.

After catching my breath for several minutes, I began harvesting materials from the lizard’s corpse. I cut off several sturdy pieces to create a new imprinted shield and sword. But then I noticed its tough, leathery skin. I decided to use it for something more useful for long-term survival.

Focusing deeply, I activated Imprint. The skin slowly transformed into a simple but functional waterskin. I remembered seeing water nearby earlier, and it would be smart to carry some with me. I didn’t know when I would find another source, and dying from thirst would be a pathetic way to go.

I drank deeply from the waterskin. The water tasted slightly strange and metallic, but it was refreshing. I also cut some meat from the lizard and imprinted it into edible chunks. 

Even at only 50% effectiveness, the food gave me much-needed energy and strength, helping my body recover a little.

I sat down for a short rest, leaning against the dungeon wall, trying to steady my breathing.

My mind felt clearer now. Imprint wasn’t just for making weapons. With enough belief, I could create tools for survival too. A sword for fighting, a shield for protection, and a waterskin for sustenance. As long as I had materials around me, I had unlimited supplies–even if they weren’t as strong as the real thing.

After resting for a while longer, I stood up and continued moving forward. My body still hurt everywhere, but my steps felt a little lighter than before. The path had been sloping slightly upward for some time, giving me a small spark of hope that I might finally find a way out.

But deep down, I knew the truth.

Despite the upward slope, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was actually going deeper into the dungeon. The monsters were getting stronger. The air felt heavier. And the blue glow of the ore veins was slowly growing dimmer again.

I gripped my newly imprinted sword and shield tighter and kept walking.

Moving forward was the only option I had. I am not gonna die in this dungeon… as I finally found out how my sigil works… And be able to make my name out there, prove to everyone that I am not worthless as they say I am.