He ran his fingers along the handle of the Assassin's Dagger and checked his equipment one more time. Everything looked normal, which meant it was time to move on.
Nyx carefully moved forward, gliding along the walls of the dark corridor. A sinister silence hung in the air, broken only by the muffled sound of his footsteps.
Soon he saw a massive door ahead, half-open. The torchlight from inside revealed another room.
"Let's see."
He pressed himself against the wall and slowly peeked in.
It was a spacious room, resembling an old storage area. Dusty stone shelves lined the walls, and in the center stood a large wooden chest.
"Either luck or a trap..." Nyx muttered under his breath.
But before he could move any further, his Danger Sense flared. A chill ran down his spine.
"Someone's here."
Nyx held his breath and listened.
In the far corner, behind one of the stone shelves, came a soft scraping sound. Like claws dragging across stone.
"Not human."
Nyx dropped to one knee, preparing for a sudden attack. He gripped the Assassin's Dagger tightly, his other hand resting on the handle of the Sharpened Combat Knife.
Silence.
Then, footsteps—light but quick.
A figure emerged from behind the shelf.
But instead of the monstrous creature Nyx expected, it was wolves.
Nyx tightened his grip on his weapons as the wolves began to circle. Their yellow eyes glowed with predatory intent, and low growls filled the room.
He quickly activated Scan on the nearest beast.
[Scanning...] Creature: Tamed Wolf
HP: 80/80
Strength: 7
Agility: 14
Endurance: 12
Status: Aggression (Control Lost)
Tamed by: Goblins
Skill: [Bite] — A sharp bite capable of piercing light armor. May cause bleeding.
Critical Hit Chance: +10% when flanking.
Nyx narrowed his eyes. These wolves were goblin-trained.
Nyx gripped his weapons tighter. If they served goblins, they were enemies. He couldn't take any chances.
The first to attack was a large wolf with a broken chain around its neck. Nyx sidestepped its lunge and slashed its side with the Assassin's Dagger.
[Critical Hit!]
The wolf howled and collapsed, but the others didn't retreat. They lunged from both sides.
Nyx dashed forward, swinging the Sharpened Combat Knife. The first strike landed on the neck of the left wolf, the second under the ribs of the one on the right.
[Strike to a vulnerable spot!]
The fight was bloody and swift. Nyx moved like lightning, giving the wolves no respite.
One wounded wolf tried to retreat but was doomed.
[Wolf defeated!]
The others growled, but fear now flickered in their eyes. Nyx flicked blood from his blades and stepped forward.
"Who's next?" he growled.
The two remaining wolves glanced at each other, muscles tensed, claws scratching the stone.
Suddenly, both charged, trying to flank him. But one brushed against a stone tile.
[Trap Activated!]
A click, then a loud clang. Iron spikes shot out from the walls.
[Tamed Wolf receives fatal damage!]
HP: 0/80
The first wolf was instantly impaled. Its body twitched and fell limp.
The second reacted in time to jump back, but spikes grazed its side.
The beast yelped, staggered, but stayed upright. Its amber eyes locked on Nyx—no longer with rage, but fear and pain.
The wolf froze, breathing heavily. Blood trickled down its side.
Nyx didn't move. He could finish it with one strike, but something held him back.
[System Notification]
You may tame this wolf.
Attempt to tame?
Nyx narrowed his eyes. This was a chance. He'd seen the system offer quests, but taming?
The injured wolf watched him, ears flat. It didn't attack but didn't retreat.
Nyx clenched his jaw. A decision had to be made now.
He exhaled deeply, looking into the wolf's eyes.
"Worth a try," he muttered and slowly lowered his dagger.
The wolf didn't move, but tension filled its body. Nyx slowly extended his hand.
[Taming attempt...]
Just as the notification appeared, a cold chill ran through him.
[Danger Sense!]
Nyx rolled aside as a blade struck the stone floor where he'd stood.
He looked up sharply.
A goblin crouched on a stone ledge in the shadows, sneering, another throwing knife gleaming in its hand.
Nyx activated Scan, keeping the goblin in sight.
[Scanning...] Creature: Goblin Tamer
Level: 3
HP: 100/100
Strength: 12
Agility: 12
Endurance: 13
Skills:
Beast Taming: Temporarily controls low-rank monsters (wolves, boars, rats, etc.). Effectiveness depends on target's endurance and mental resistance.
Tamer's Whip (Passive): Increases control success chance by 10% when using whip-type weapons.
"So you're the one who held them on a leash," Nyx muttered.
The goblin hissed, annoyed the beast didn't attack. Slapping its chest, it whistled sharply.
The injured wolf flinched, its eyes glazing over, and stepped forward.
"Damn it..." Nyx gripped his dagger tighter.
The wolf growled, movements sharper. The Goblin Tamer was trying to regain control.
"Not this time," Nyx whispered, shifting his grip.
The goblin hurled a second knife. Nyx barely dodged—the blade grazed his cheek.
[Danger Sense activated!]
The goblin snarled and grabbed a third knife, but Nyx was faster. He threw the Assassin's Dagger.
[Accurate Throw!]
The blade hit the goblin's chest. It staggered but tried to raise its hand.
Nyx was already there. In one fluid motion, he drew the Combat Knife and slashed its throat.
[Critical Hit!]
The goblin collapsed, its weapon slipping from its hand.
[You defeated Goblin Tamer (Lv. 3)!]
[EXP gained: 60 (Goblin Tamer)]
[EXP gained: 50 (Tamed Wolf)]
[EXP gained: 50 (Tamed Wolf)]
[EXP: 195/600]
Nyx stayed alert. He stepped back, breathing heavily, then turned to the wolf. It wasn't attacking, but it wasn't calm either.
[Taming attempt continues...]
The wolf stood still, eyes locked on Nyx. Its fur was bristled, body tense, but it no longer growled.
[Taming... 37%]
Nyx extended his hand slowly. The wolf flinched but didn't retreat. Then he heard a distant scrape—something was moving in the corridor.
He exhaled quietly. No meat, but he wasn't backing down.
"Come on, I won't hurt you," he said gently, moving his hand closer.
The wolf hesitated. Its ears twitched, tail lifted slightly. It stepped forward, unsure.
[Taming... 55%]
Another faint sound echoed. Nyx clenched his teeth. Time was tight, but rushing wouldn't help.
"Make up your mind," he muttered. "With me or you die here."
The wolf growled—more stubbornness than rage. Then it slowly lowered its head and stepped closer.
[Taming... 68%]
Nyx stayed still. One wrong move, and the wolf might flee or attack.
[Taming... 75%]
The wolf sniffed. Its eyes still wary, but aggression fading. Nyx brought his hand closer.
[Taming... 82%]
The wolf made the final step and gently nudged his hand.
[Taming Successful!]
[Congratulations! You've tamed "Dire Wolf"!]
[Name your pet.]
Nyx straightened and looked at the beast.
"So now you're mine," he murmured, thinking of a name.
He looked at the wolf, now calm. A name... He smirked.
"How about Shadow?"
The wolf blinked but didn't object.
[Name "Shadow" assigned.]
[Taming skill increased to Lv. 1!]
Nyx felt a subtle bond with the wolf—not telepathic, but instinctive. Shadow now understood and would follow him.
A faint rustle caught his attention. A goblin scout emerged from the shadows.
Nyx acted instantly, lowering his profile.
The scout aimed an arrow, but Nyx threw the Combat Knife.
[Accurate Throw!]
[Critical Damage!]
The goblin staggered but managed to raise the bow. Nyx closed in and stabbed it in the throat.
[You defeated Goblin Scout (Lv. 2)!]
[EXP gained: 45]
[EXP: 240/600]
Nyx caught his breath and looted the body.
[You received:]
Goblin Arrows (x12) – Crude but sharp. +5% chance of bleeding.
Small coin pouch – 32 copper coins.
He returned to the Goblin Tamer's corpse.
[You received:]
Low-grade Beast Meat (x2) – Tough and smelly, but edible when cooked.
Fang Emblem Key – A rough iron key with a fang emblem. Use unknown.
He examined the key and remembered the chest.
He checked for traps around the chest. All clear.
He inserted the key.
The lid creaked open.
Inside were two items.
The first: a translucent blue stone softly glowing.
[You received: Return Stone]
(Instantly exits the dungeon. One-time use.)
The second: an ancient scroll with strange symbols. As soon as Nyx picked it up, the system responded.
[You learned: Mana Control (Active Skill)] (Enhances weapon and body with mana. Reduces spell cost and improves magical control.)
But such skills rarely appeared in low-rank dungeons.
Nyx frowned. He had assumed this was an E-rank dungeon, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Something's not right..."
"If this really is E-rank, why is it so tough?
The monsters were strong. The rewards generous. Too much for an E-rank.
A chill crept down his spine.
"What if this dungeon is being upgraded to D-rank?"
In Solo Leveling, dungeons sometimes changed rank—due to miscalculation or mid-run evolution.
"If so, I'm in serious danger."
D-rank dungeons weren't meant for soloing at his level. Even with stealth and skills, Nyx knew he was risking everything.
The system gave no clear rank data, but...
"If it feels harder than it should, something is definitely wrong."
He inhaled deeply. Panicking wouldn't help. He had to act.