Mark gripped his Blind Staff and strapped the short sword firmly to his waist. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed a shovel as well. Activating Mana Sense, he approached the Gate and stepped through. That familiar sensation returned—the feeling of being swallowed by a void and spat out the other side. But this time, there was no nausea. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to it, or perhaps his body was simply stronger now.
First, he triggered Blind Sense. Thanks to his training, he could now maintain Blind Sense even while Mana Sense was active. Together, they granted him a sensory radius of nearly 10 meters. He scanned his surroundings. On his first trip, he hadn't noticed: the Gate he emerged from was carved directly into a massive, towering wall. Facing the Gate was a dense forest, separated by a small clearing of treeless land.
Through Blind Sense, everything solid appeared pitch black, while the air was a stark white. He filled in the rest of the details with his imagination—after all, it wasn't his first time seeing a forest. The Gate's positioning gave him a rough idea of the First Floor's layout. This was an enclosed forest ecosystem where goblins sat at the top of the food chain. He theorized that the Goblin Boss would likely be stationed at the opposite end, guarding the entrance to the Second Floor.
The System had mentioned the existence of small animals—birds, reptiles, and tiny mammals—but they lacked mana. Mark could only infer their presence through the sounds they made. After gathering his thoughts, he immediately deactivated Blind Sense. He knew that by using it in short bursts, his mana would last significantly longer.
He picked up the shovel and began digging at the edge of the woods. He emptied the goblin remains, which had been rotting in the waste bin within his inventory, into the hole and quickly buried them. Wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, he tossed the shovel back through the Gate into the Safe Zone and set off toward the depths of the forest.
Relieved to finally be rid of the goblin remains—which had felt like a disgusting weight on his mind even while tucked away in his inventory—Mark took a light breath and stepped into the forest. This time, he didn't rely on touching the trees for guidance. Instead, he meticulously constructed an internal mental map using only the data gathered through Blind Sense. It was a grueling mental exercise in its own right. As he constantly gauged his surroundings with his Blind Staff, the vibrations began to reveal the subtle differences in texture—distinguishing an oak from a pine. This only served to reinforce the accuracy of his mental layout.
He began to walk with a slow, rhythmic gait. Though a slight limp remained, he could now stand and move with much greater ease. By toggling Blind Sense on and off to conserve mana while gathering data, he pressed deeper into the woods. Suddenly, his Blind Sense detected movement in a tree about six meters away. It felt roughly like a bird.
Quickly, Mark pulled a Monster Core from his inventory and hurled it toward the target. This was a new trick he was testing: while a G-rank core from a goblin was practically worthless as a resource, its mana signature allowed Mark to track its position using Mana Sense. He had thought about using them as makeshift projectiles for throwing practice, though he hadn't dedicated much time to it yet. The result reflected his lack of practice—the bird took flight before the core could connect. Mark retrieved the core, tucked it back into his inventory, and continued his trek.
After walking for a while, Mark managed to find the old apple tree again. Checking with Blind Sense, he saw there were only four apples left. "A poor man is happy with even the smallest gains," he mused, plucking them and storing them in his inventory. This small success brought him a flicker of satisfaction.
He continued his trek until a familiar scent hit his nostrils—that sharp, acrid smell of sweat. A goblin. Keeping both Blind Sense and Mana Sense active, he moved toward the scent. His 10-meter sensory radius proved effective; he located the creature almost immediately. Through Mana Sense, he could perceive its mana signature, and through Blind Sense, he saw its rough silhouette. However, perhaps due to his lack of experience or the inherent difficulty of tracking living things in motion, the goblin's movements remained a blurry, shifting outline in his mind.
Calming his heart, he tried to close the distance undetected. But when he was about 5 or 6 meters away, the goblin seemed to sense him and charged with sudden speed. Mark deactivated Blind Sense, focusing all his concentration on Mana Sense and the staff in his hands. He prepared a heavy horizontal strike for the moment the goblin entered his range.
But he had overlooked one vital detail: his proximity to a nearby tree. His powerful swing collided not with the goblin, but with a solid trunk. The resulting vibration and recoil were so violent that the staff flew from his grip. The goblin was now dangerously close. Fortunately, Mark's sudden movement and the loud crack of the staff hitting the tree caused the monster to flinch and hesitate for a split second.
That split second gave Mark the window he needed. As the goblin lunged, he delivered a front kick directly into its abdomen. The strike was significantly more powerful than his previous efforts—his training was clearly paying off. The goblin was sent flying and struggled to get back up, writhing on the ground. Wasting no time, Mark closed in, drew the short sword from his belt, and stabbed the creature repeatedly. After the goblin's final struggle ceased and its body went limp, Mark finally let out a breath of relief.
Mark rested his hands on his knees and took several ragged breaths. That had been far too close. If the goblin hadn't hesitated, and if he hadn't made a split-second decision, today would have been his end. Though the fight was brief and he had emerged unscathed, the brush with death felt chillingly real. He vowed that from now on, the moment he smelled a goblin, the Blind Staff would be primed and ready.
After storing the goblin carcass in his inventory, he hesitated: should he retreat to the Safe Zone or push further into the forest? Curiosity won out, and he decided to continue his reconnaissance. The journey proceeded as before—toggling Blind Sense to scan the area, then moving forward in the silence. Suddenly, a sharp "twang"—the sound of a bowstring snapping taut—hit his ears, followed by a low, whistling "vizzz" of an arrow cutting through the air.
Mark didn't need to understand the sound to know he was in danger. His survival instinct screamed, and he threw his body to the side just in time. Activating Blind Sense, he analyzed the scene: an arrow was embedded in the ground just inches away. Another was already in flight, heading straight for him, but this time his sense caught it clearly. He lunged out of the line of fire and began sprinting toward the source.
After covering about ten meters and dodging two more shots, his Blind Sense finally locked onto the archer. It was another goblin, but this one was armed with a bow. There was no time for a plan. Mark reached into his inventory with his left hand, pulled out a Monster Core, and hurled it at the archer. It was a desperate gamble, but luck was on his side—the core struck the goblin squarely in its right eye.
The creature shrieked in agony, clutching its face. Mark closed the distance instantly, raining down strikes with his staff. This goblin was noticeably stronger than the others and tried to fight back, but it eventually succumbed to the relentless assault. Once the kill was confirmed, Mark's legs finally gave out. Twice in one day, he had stood at the threshold of death. Shaking off the shock, he stored the body, kept Blind Sense fully active, and retreated. His heart didn't find its steady rhythm again until he had stepped back through the Gate and into the safety of the Safe Zone.