Chapter 11
"Where… am I?" Rowan muttered as he suddenly woke up.
He quickly sat upright, breathing heavily. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and soon he realized he was back inside the dungeon's safe zone.
"How did I get back here…?" he whispered.
Then his gaze shifted to the corpse of the massive bear lying not far from him.
"And the beast…?"
"I brought you here."
The voice echoed calmly through the safe zone.
Startled, Rowan immediately jumped to his feet. His hands moved instinctively toward his back, searching for the daggers he always carried.
They weren't there.
"Who said that?!" he shouted, turning in every direction.
"Do not fret, young man," the voice replied.
Two daggers suddenly slid across the stone floor from a dark corner of the safe zone. They stopped right in front of Rowan.
He stared at them for a moment before slowly picking them up.
Once he stood upright again, his eyes locked onto the dark corner.
"Show yourself," Rowan demanded.
"Very well… as you wish."
Footsteps echoed from the darkness.
A large shadow stretched across the ground as the figure slowly approached. Rowan lowered his stance instinctively, preparing for battle.
"I must say," the voice continued, "I was rather impressed by your battle with that bear."
The figure finally stepped into the light.
"Hey there. I'm Robbin."
Rowan blinked.
His left eye twitched slightly as sweat formed on his forehead.
"Wait… you've got to be kidding me," Rowan said, his voice cracking. "You're a… a…"
"A rabbit," the creature replied calmly with a nod.
"A talking rabbit at that!" Rowan shouted. "What in the dungeon am I seeing right now?!"
Standing before him was a small white rabbit, upright on two legs. A strange symbol was marked across its chest.
"I presume this is your first time seeing a talking beast," the rabbit said as it casually sat down.
"Well, if that were something normal people see every day, would I be this surprised?" Rowan snapped, still on guard.
"Fair point," the rabbit replied.
Rowan rubbed his forehead.
"Maybe that bear messed up one of my brain cells," he muttered. "Damn you, bear…"
"I assure you the bear did nothing to your brain," the rabbit said calmly. "You are simply in the presence of a High Elder Beast — a Guardian of the Dungeon."
Rowan's eyes widened.
"That's impossible… Dungeon Guardians have never been seen before! And besides, you don't even have any Atheri—"
Before he could finish speaking, the rabbit suddenly appeared directly in front of his face.
It flipped midair, its body upside down as its glowing eyes stared directly into Rowan's.
"I lack what?" the rabbit asked in a dark, powerful tone.
"Do you think a Dungeon Guardian would waste time worrying about something as trivial as lacking Atherion?"
Rowan froze.
His mind raced.
How…?
It was sitting over there… I never even saw it move.
With a blink, the rabbit was suddenly back in the exact spot it had been sitting earlier.
Rowan collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
"What…?"
"Now then," Rowan said between breaths, forcing himself to look up. "What truly brings you here, Guardian?"
The rabbit stood and slowly approached him.
"It's difficult to explain," the rabbit said. "But if I must summarize it…"
"I want you to grow stronger."
Rowan's eyes widened.
"What…?"
"That's right," the rabbit continued. "I believe you have the potential to surpass even the guardians of dungeons themselves."
The rabbit stopped directly in front of him.
"I will personally train you until your body reaches its peak. Now tell me, young man… what do you say?"
Rowan's thoughts exploded with information.
Dungeon Guardians…
Not every dungeon has one. Only rare dungeons are blessed with them.
They maintain balance among the monsters. Without them, the beasts would fight endlessly until the dungeon collapsed.
But the legends say something more…
Guardians are the heart of the dungeon.
They exist to keep something far worse sealed.
Rowan slowly looked up at the rabbit… who was smiling.
Which means…
This rabbit is holding something far worse from escaping.
Rowan lowered his head.
A dark smile formed on his lips.
"Fine."
He dropped to one knee.
"Please train me, Master!"
The rabbit smiled slightly.
"Good. Now stand up."
Rowan obeyed.
The rabbit carefully scanned his body from head to toe.
Strange… the rabbit thought.
His body is incredibly weak. At best, he's equivalent to an E-rank adventurer.
But that Atherion pressure earlier…
The rabbit glanced at the dead bear.
"How exactly did you defeat that bear?" it asked.
Rowan scratched his head.
"Well… it's kind of blurry. But I remember throwing my dagger."
"I know that part," the rabbit said. "Tell me what your body felt like at that moment."
Rowan closed his eyes, trying to remember.
"Well… something strange happened. It felt like my body was absorbing Atherion from everywhere around me… and using it as fuel."
He looked at his palm.
"But the weirdest part… it felt like I wasn't fighting alone."
The rabbit's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"Every time I got cornered," Rowan said slowly, "it felt like something inside me wanted to break free and take control."
"And the strange part is…"
Rowan smiled slightly.
"I enjoyed it."
"The panic. The danger. My ankle twisting. The whole fight."
The rabbit turned away slowly.
"That's enough information for now."
"Get some rest. I'll prepare some food. Once you've fully recovered… your training begins."
As the rabbit walked away, it muttered quietly to itself.
"This kid…"
"Could he be…?"
"No… it's too early to assume that."
A few hours later, Rowan sat on the ground devouring roasted bear meat.
"Slow down," the rabbit said while casually munching on a carrot. "You'll choke."
Rowan stared at him.
"This meat has spices… and you're eating carrots in a dungeon," Rowan said suspiciously. "Where did you even get those?"
"That's none of your business," the rabbit replied calmly.
Rowan eventually finished eating and leaned back with a full stomach.
"Get up."
Rowan groaned.
"Can't I relax for a minute?"
"No," the rabbit replied. "You must become strong as quickly as possible."
"Until then, you have no time to relax."
Rowan sighed.
"Fine…"
"What kind of training have you done so far?" the rabbit asked.
"Exercise and meditation," Rowan replied.
"Good."
The rabbit sat down.
"Start."
"Right now?!"
"Yes."
Rowan sighed and dropped to the ground.
He began doing push-ups.
Ten… fifteen… twenty.
He collapsed onto the ground afterward.
"Twenty?" the rabbit said.
"How pathetic."
Rowan's eye twitched.
"This is progress! I used to only do ten!"
"Then your body is pathetic," the rabbit replied bluntly.
"We have a long road ahead. Until you can do fifty push-ups, sit-ups, and squats… your real training won't begin."
The rabbit immediately lay down and closed its eyes.
Rowan glared at him.
"Fine!"
He sat down and began meditating.
"Focus… focus…"
A faint blue aura began forming around Rowan's body. Small shimmering orbs of Atherion floated through the air.
The rabbit lazily opened one eye.
Then both eyes shot open.
The entire safe zone was now filled with Atherion.
"What…?"
The rabbit slowly turned toward Rowan.
Rowan's eyes were closed, fully focused.
His body absorbed the Atherion like a vortex.
The tips of his hair slowly turned red.
"I can feel it…" Rowan whispered internally.
"But it's not enough."
Lightning-like energy pulsed through his muscles. His veins glowed blue.
"There it is… the state from yesterday."
"All I need to do now is…"
Rowan slowly opened his eyes.
The Atherion orbs around him moved like obedient servants.
The rabbit stared in absolute shock.
"What in the creation of mortals…"
"…am I witnessing?"