The cold cut through the air, and Melina knelt, gasping for breath. Her body could barely hold itself upright. Open wounds, a broken arm, aching ribs — even breathing was an exhausting task. And as if the Dungeon wanted to test her even more, snow began to fall softly around her.

Footsteps echoed behind the girl.
A tall man approached, his eyes blood-red, exuding an overwhelming aura that almost forced her back to the ground.

— Human, don’t go to that village, he said firmly. That’s not a human village. It’s a village of superior monsters. It may look small, but stepping in there would mean certain death.

He stepped closer, sniffing the air. His predatory gaze swept over Melina’s battered body.

— What’s that awful smell? — he sniffed her directly.
— You urgently need a bath.

Without another word, he turned his back and walked over to the corpse of the red-tailed lizard. He crouched down and began prodding the monster’s body, examining it.

Melina sniffed herself and grimaced.
Since entering the Dungeon, she hadn’t bathed once. The realization made her even more uncomfortable.

— Who… are you? — she asked, her voice weak.

— Darius, he replied. Master warrior, from the Third World.

"So he’s human… from another Earth?" thought Melina.
A small, involuntary smile formed on her lips.
For the first time, she felt safe.
And with that, exhaustion won.
Her eyelids grew heavy and the world faded.

— Foolish human… — Darius muttered.
— Sleeping like this? Well, I’ll take you.

He glanced at the lizard’s corpse.

— Looks like she enjoys eating everything she kills… so the lizard’s coming too.

...

Memories.
Melina ran through a sunny park, laughing as her mother chased her. The woman scooped her up and smiled.

— There’s a magical place, with fantastic people. With them, you live indescribable adventures. And when you reach the top… you can make a wish to God. Any wish.

— Mom, what would you wish for?

Her mother smiled and whispered in her ear.
The words were soft, like the wind.

...

Melina woke up.
The fireplace crackled, warmth filling the small, cozy cabin. Her wounds were carefully bandaged.
By the fire, Darius stirred a kettle.

— Thank you for helping me… Daeirus.

— It’s Darius, he corrected, without looking away from the food.
— And you’re welcome.

— I’m Melina. From Earth Four.

— Got it. I’ve seen a few humans from your Earth on the upper floors… like in Antares, on the Fourth World.

— You’ve been to Antares? That’s so cool! — she smiled, excited.

Darius served a tea into a cup and handed it to her.

— Made with medicinal herbs. It’ll ease the pain.

She drank it. A notification appeared.

System: You’ve digested plants with water. The Mana Eater effect has been activated.

Melina thought to herself: “Even with plants in water… the ability still triggered…”

— So, Darius… those red eyes, are they from your world?

— No. It’s a trait of my clan.

— Ah… right… — She kept drinking the tea, awkwardly.

— You’ve reached your physical limit in this ecosystem, said Darius.
Unfortunately, your body’s still weak. The mana in this world is poisoning you. Go back to Apex, recover your stamina and strength, then return. I can take you to a descent portal to Atreus.

Melina spat out the tea.

— Atreus!? So this is Ares!?

— Yes. Ares, the Third World. Don’t you remember how you got here?

— I… I just woke up, and I was already here.

— I saw a portal open, he explained.
It was an upward portal, unstable. A superior bat was returning to Ares, bringing human corpses. I saw you eating insects… and I saw your fights against the centipede and the lizard.

— Then why didn’t you help me?!

— Because you could handle them.

— Then why show up at the end?

— Because you were heading toward the village.

— Oh… right. The village… What’s there?

— That’s a village of high-level superior orcs.

Melina shuddered just hearing the name.

— If you ever get strong enough and come back to Ares, I promise to hunt some orcs with you.

Melina looked aside, thoughtful.
"Uh… why does he think I’d want that? Ugh, no thanks."

Darius handed her a sack with pieces of the lizard.

— Take this. It’s yours.

...

A short while later, they arrived at the descent portal.
Darius handed her a map.

— This is Ares’ map. I can’t give you Atreus’ — our worlds are different.

Melina took a deep breath.
She was ready to go back, to survive… and one day, to return stronger.