“It still feels weird.”


    I whispered to myself as I looked back at the gate I entered. The fact that this place was a different “space” from the outside was wild to me. I wondered how the physicists would have reacted to the existence of dungeons. The fact that mana could set boundaries between spaces and could isolate the dimension was something my modern brain had difficulty understanding.


    Then again if I spoke about faster than speed travel or wormholes to Morrigan or Amaterasu they probably would react the same way I would react to dungeons.


    Anyways. I inspected my surroundings. It was dark. I could see perfectly with Night Vision so it was okay. The ground beneath me was black and moist. My genes inherited from my farmer ancestors told me that it was fertile ground.


    “The mana probably turns anything into monsters. Shame really.”


    Mutation caused by mana was also something new.


    “Do humans and beastkin also mutate with mana?”


    “Beings with sapience can resist the effects. The more self-realized you are, the harder you are to mutate since your sense of self anchors your body, soul, and mind. At worst you can channel and control mana, preventing it from having negative consequences.”


    “Is that why Asmoneal was able to cause that much chaos? He breaks people’s will first, body next then their soul… That fucker.”


    I reminded you of one of my talks with Amaterasu. Thinking back I probably shouldn’t have said anything about Asmoneal since it just made Ama sad remembering the situation Adonis had fallen.


    My thoughts were cut off as a small light appeared. I tilted my head and came in closer while thinking it was bait. Using light in full darkness was just screaming “Come and eat me!” otherwise. However, to my surprise, it wasn’t some kind of fucked up angler fish. It was a small bird, smaller than my palm. Its body looked like a hummingbird with 4 wings like a dragonfly. A small light came from inside its belly.


    “Fascinating.”


    It wasn’t aggressive and even if it was I doubted it could harm me. I tried to touch it with my finger but it flew away. I followed it despite it moving very rapidly. It stopped on some flowers growing on the walls.


    “Weird.”


    It was a bush with flowers growing out of it? In full darkness? I guess with mana it can happen. I should learn to not get surprised by-


    “Fuck your father’s enemies!?”


    The bush came to life and tried to jump on top of me. With pure reflex, I smacked it with my hammer.


    “Growl.”


    It let out a deep growl as I retreated back several steps. What kind of camouflage is this? I could now see its eyes and teeth. It was quadrupedal with sharp claws. Its hide was the same color as the ground.


    A lion with a mane made out of a bush. Fucking amazing. It jumped toward me, once again. Its massive maw aimed for my throat.


    “Stupid animal.”


    I took a deep breath and swung my hammer, putting my weight into it unlike the previous one. It hit against the lion’s head like a meteor. The sound of its head cracking open reverberated all around me.


    (You collected Soul of Bushlion.)


    “Natural selection, pal. You had to be smarter than this.”


    I poked it with the tip of my hammer. It was dead. Beyond its bush mane and its coloration, it looked like a normal lion. It was probably as strong as a normal lion too.


    “And I eradicated its ass.”


    It definitely would have posed a threat to me before I entered Wolf King’s Tomb. My growth rate was pretty good. The small hummingbird-like creature, which had initially caught my attention, continued to flit around, seemingly undisturbed by the fate of the lion. I thought they had some kind of symbiotic or opportunistic relationship with the bird pulling unsuspecting victims into the lion’s range but maybe I was wrong.


    I moved on after grabbing its mana stone, keeping a watchful eye for any more potential threats. The ground was still black and moist, and the darkness was unrelenting. The whispers of mana in the air reminded me that I was in a place where the laws of nature could be bent and twisted. Mana felt more “wrong” as I went on. Of course, I was barely an amateur but it felt like I was drinking from slightly muddied water.


    “It is probably just the nature of the mana that created this dungeon.”


    I said to myself. As I ventured deeper into the dungeon, I came across more unusual flora and fauna, each with its own adaptations for survival. There were bioluminescent mushrooms that provided some illumination, glowing insects that floated through the air, and even a patch of quicksand-like ground that seemed to suck in anything that touched it. For a second I thought I would find myself in an action movie I watched as a kid but I was able to freeze it and save myself.


    “But this is getting boring. Where is the stupid map?”


    I came across no monsters beyond that lion. Shouldn’t be there more monsters with this dungeon not being cleared for some time? I wanted to familiarize myself with the hammer so I could absorb it but with no enemies, it seemed like it would take time.


    “Well, this is just the first floor.”


    Chimera Garden was made up of 5 floors. With the map given to me, I could easily choose the shortest route and clear it quickly. But I didn’t want to rely on the map or information given to me. I wanted to test my skills and limits.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.“Well looks like I will get what I want.”


    The tunnel-like structure I had been walking opened up to a wide area. The ground beneath me filled with purple grass and countless birds like the one I saw before flew. However, what I focused on wasn’t them. I focused on the pack of Scaled-4 Horns. They were massive horse-like creatures. Even the smallest one came up to my shoulder. They had a pair of horns on the middle of their head and two more bull-like horns on their side. Most of their body was covered with scale-like plating.


    If the fertile ground called upon my farmer ancestors, these horses called even further back the days when my ancestors rode horses at ?tüken*. The idea of taming them flashed through my mind.


    “Probably not a good idea.”


    G?kb?rü was born out of my mana and I had an innate connection to him. He was also sapient. That’s why I was able to “tame” him. Without any skills or items to help me bind them, the idea of bringing a monster with me was dangerous.


    “They are at least herbivores.”


    They were eating the purple grass as they did horse things. That was until one grabbed a rat as big as a cat and tore it to pieces with another horse and they ate it.


    “Well, that was horrifying.”


    With a heavy sigh, I continued to observe the Scaled-4 Horns from a safe distance, noting their behavior and interactions. They seemed to be a social species, grazing together and occasionally nipping at each other in a seemingly playful manner. Their scales shone with an iridescent sheen in the dim light of the dungeon, and their muscular bodies suggested strength and agility.


    Perhaps they were the reason why that lion was close to the entrance. With their numbers and individual strength, they kicked it down several steps on the pecking order. Honestly, even I felt a little hesitant to attack them. If they surrounded me, I could find myself in quite a bit of pickle.


    “Well, standing here does nothing.”


    I slowed down my breathing as I manifested my bow. I sank low, blending in with the shadows. I pulled the string back while putting some mana into my arrow. Focusing on Night Vision and Enhanced Senses, I aimed at the horse that was far away from the group. I released the arrow. It whistled in the air before hitting the horse’s eye.


    “Was your father a sharpshooter too?”


    Despite the pride filling my chest from being able to hit its eye from a remarkable distance away, I had to admit that it didn’t do any damage beyond taking one of its eyes. It neighed angrily and stomped to the ground. Several more horses came to its side and smelled the air. I looked at my bow and arrows with a look of disappointment. While they served me well, it looks like I outgrown them. Its 10 power was not impressive, neither was its option. I also was afraid of it snapping in half if I pulled it with my full strength. Maybe I should ask for a bow with the materials I gathered here from Eluton.


    “It can’t be helped.”


    I walked on all fours, staying low until I was just outside what I guessed as the horse’s “detection range”. I Shadow Walked the blinded side of the horse I shot. My goal wasn’t it but the one on its side. Loading my hammer with Armor Collapsing Claw and mana, I swung it overhead to its head. Every horse in the area turned their head to me as me breaking their brethren’s skull was loud as hell. Rebounding from its skull, I swung my hammer to half-blinded one’s neck. I felt its spine shatter before I rebounded from it too. My lower back and wrists told me to stop showing off as they took the burden of the impacts.


    (You collected Soul of Scaled-4 Horns.)


    (You collected Soul of Scaled-4 Horns.)


    I told them to shut up as I hit the ground. A wave bursted out, showering the horses close to me with dirt and rock. I saw the aura created by Armor Collapsing Claw be drained to rocks as I activated Gaia Burst. Interesting combo. I coated my weapons with mana and Armor Collapsing Claw once again and charged to stunned horses. They couldn’t even react until I killed 3 more.


    How I did was simple: Newton’s Third Law. For every action, there is an equal reaction. When I hit the horses, their skull also applied force to my hammer. When timed perfectly I could strike to the other side even though I put my full weight into the swing.


    Of course, doing that put huge amounts of stress on my joints and it couldn’t be done with sharp weapons. And if I were to miss the timing or my target, I had the risk of my weapon flying from my hand or turning my back to my opponent with the momentum due to the force the swing carried.


    “High risk, high reward.”


    If it wasn’t for the extra training and Enhanced Senses, I doubted I could pull it off, at least not this flawlessly. Full Combat Mastery and having the divine force of a War Goddess also helped. The pack was now aware of me. One of them charged at me, aiming to pierce me with its front-facing horns.


    “Too hasty buddy.”


    I could face its charge head-on and still kill it. But it was needless. I took a stance similar to hitting a golf ball and my hammer exploded on its lower jaw. Its hooves left the ground before it fell, lifeless.


    “Boring.”


    Morrigan told me that Chimera Garden was challenging yet I haven’t even warmed up.


    “Come on.”


    I said knowing full well that they couldn’t understand me. The horses looked at me with a mix of fear and aggression. As I couldn’t wait all day for them to make up their mind about whatever they would flee or fight I charged them.