Chapter 108: Jurassic Dungeon 1

What greeted Mark at the beginning of the next day was an overwhelming surge of mana coursing through his body in successive, radiating waves. The intensity was so immense that it felt as though something vast had awakened within him, sending powerful fluctuations of energy through every part of his being. The strange sensation was accompanied by a throbbing ache that spread throughout his body, making his limbs feel heavy and his muscles painfully tense. Unable to withstand the sudden discomfort, he jolted upright with a startled scream, his eyes flying open as he struggled to understand what was happening.

He pressed both hands against his temples and released a weary sigh, attempting to steady his breathing as the throbbing sensation gradually became bearable. However, the moment he shifted his weight, he immediately noticed something strange beneath him. Instead of the familiar softness of his dormitory bed, his palms rested against a hard, jagged surface that scraped uncomfortably against his skin. His eyes widened as he slowly looked around, and the reality of his surroundings finally registered. Whatever had happened, he was definitely no longer in his usual dorm room.

The place surrounding him was a vast landscape of rugged, rocky terrain, with uneven ridges stretching across the ground and clusters of bushes growing between enormous stone formations. The environment was dimly illuminated by an eerie glow that filtered through the dense vegetation overhead. Giant ferns spread their broad leaves across the landscape, their edges glistening with moisture, while patches of glowing moss clung to the rock walls and cast a faint greenish light over the muddy ground. Colossal petrified tree trunks stretched between elevated ridges, forming natural suspension bridges that connected different sections of the ravine. Their ancient surfaces were cracked and weathered, with tangled vines hanging from their edges. Farther below, thick mud concealed numerous pit traps, their surfaces deceptively smooth and undisturbed, making them nearly impossible to distinguish from the surrounding terrain at a glance.

The entire place resembled a multi-tiered survival dungeon known as the Fossil Reach, a treacherous environment that blended the appearance of a prehistoric jungle with flooded river vaults and the remnants of an ancient volcanic core. Its landscape was filled with natural obstacles, concealed dangers, and elevated passages that made navigating the area a challenge even before encountering its inhabitants. The ravine’s towering walls disappeared into the dimness above, while distant echoes suggested the existence of deeper chambers beyond the visible terrain. Every direction seemed to offer another path into the unknown, yet none appeared particularly safe. The oppressive atmosphere alone was enough to make an inexperienced adventurer reconsider stepping any farther.

Mark blinked uncertainly as he slowly rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes before turning in a full circle to assess the environment. His gaze moved from the towering rock formations to the massive tree trunks, then settled on the muddy ground stretching across the lower part of the ravine. He tried to identify familiar dungeon features, searching for anything that might indicate an entrance, an exit, or some recognizable boundary between the dungeon and the outside world. Unfortunately, nothing immediately offered him an answer. Even the air felt unfamiliar against his skin, carrying a damp, earthy odor mixed with the scent of decaying vegetation and something faintly metallic. It was heavy enough to make each breath feel noticeably different from the air he was accustomed to breathing.

His thoughts reeled with shock and surprise, but beneath those emotions, another realization slowly began to take shape. If he were to examine the strange circumstances that had brought him here, he could not ignore the recurring coincidence of dungeons appearing around him. It was almost as though these dangerous places had developed an inexplicable tendency to seek him out, repeatedly dragging him into situations that he had neither anticipated nor deliberately chosen. The possibility was unsettling, especially considering how frequently he had found himself caught up in dungeon-related incidents despite having no clear explanation for the pattern.

It had begun with the incident at the hospital, when his first encounter with the phenomenon had left him struggling to understand what he had witnessed. The next occurrence had not seemed entirely out of place, considering its unusual classification as a Lost Dungeon, which already made it different from the ordinary dungeons he had heard about. At the time, he had dismissed some of his concerns as the result of unusual circumstances and bad luck. However, as the incidents continued to accumulate, that explanation became increasingly difficult to accept. Each new encounter seemed to reinforce the same uncomfortable suspicion, and now, waking up inside an unfamiliar dungeon after apparently spending the night in his own dormitory, he could no longer ignore it.

This particular possibility had crossed his mind before, but he still did not understand how dungeons selected their locations or why they manifested in places that were not necessarily favorable or devastating to the people nearby. From what he knew, dungeon appearances were generally unpredictable, and their locations could vary considerably. Some emerged in places where adventurers could approach them with relative ease, while others appeared in areas where their presence posed an immediate threat to unsuspecting people. There was no obvious pattern that he could use to explain why certain places became affected, much less why he seemed to keep finding himself at the center of these incidents.

In reality, dungeon appearances were supposed to be random. Yet the consistency of his own experiences made the situation increasingly difficult to dismiss as mere coincidence. He had witnessed enough unusual circumstances during his previous attempts at dungeon raids to recognize that something about his situation was different. The current incident was perhaps the most disturbing example yet, considering that the dungeon had apparently manifested within his dormitory or somehow transported him from it. Either possibility raised questions that he could not immediately answer. If the dungeon had swallowed a portion of the dormitory, then how extensive was its influence? Had the entire building been affected, or had only a limited area been caught within its boundaries?

The thought of other potential victims quickly followed. His roommate had been sleeping nearby, which meant that he might also have been caught in the same incident. Mark’s expression grew serious as he considered the possibility that other students could have been dragged into the dungeon without any warning. If the Fossil Reach had swallowed the surrounding space, there was no telling how many people might have been affected or where they had ended up. The danger was not limited to his own survival anymore. Every moment he spent inside this unfamiliar place could represent another moment in which someone outside remained unaware of what had happened.

For a while, he stood motionless, his thoughts tangled between concern, disbelief, and the instinctive urge to find a way out. The silence surrounding him did little to calm his nerves. It was not a peaceful silence, but one filled with distant rustling, the faint dripping of water, and occasional creaks from the enormous petrified trunks suspended above the ravine. Somewhere in the distance, something let out a low, unfamiliar cry that echoed between the rocky walls before fading into the depths of the jungle. Mark instinctively turned his head toward the sound, his muscles tightening as he tried to determine whether it belonged to a creature or some natural disturbance within the dungeon.

Despite his apprehension, however, another thought began to compete with his concerns. If he considered the situation from a different perspective, this unexpected incident might also represent an opportunity he could not afford to waste. He had been looking for ways to become stronger through dungeon raids, and now he had found himself inside a place filled with unknown challenges and potentially valuable opponents. The school might eventually discover the dungeon’s presence, but until then, he had a chance to explore its dangers and test his abilities. It was a risky prospect, especially when he did not know how difficult this dungeon might be, but the possibility of gaining valuable experience was difficult to ignore. If he wanted to grow stronger, he could not always depend on convenient circumstances.

Still, the unfamiliar atmosphere reminded him that this was not an ordinary excursion. The air was damp and heavy, carrying a density that felt strange to his senses. Although he could not determine whether the oxygen concentration or other atmospheric properties differed from those of the human world, the sensation alone made him more conscious of every breath. The ground beneath his feet was uneven, the surrounding vegetation obscured potential threats, and the distant passages offered no guarantee of safety. Unlike the usual dungeons he could enter without much difficulty, this place seemed to possess an environment shaped around survival itself, where the terrain and its inhabitants could become equally dangerous obstacles.

There was only one reasonable explanation for the immediate problem before him. Whatever the reason for his arrival, he was now inside a dungeon, and he needed to survive long enough to understand what had happened. He could investigate the circumstances later, provided that he managed to get out. With that thought in mind, Mark drew a steady breath and began to examine the surrounding terrain more carefully, paying attention to the areas where the vegetation was disturbed and the mud appeared unusually smooth.

Before he could think any further, a series of heavy footsteps and sharp rattling sounds suddenly resounded across the landscape. Mark’s attention snapped toward the source, and he immediately noticed movement among the elevated ridges and muddy depressions scattered across the ravine. Six Velociraptors emerged from concealed pit traps, climbing out of the thick mud with an unsettling mixture of agility and impatience. Their claws scraped against the rocky edges as they hauled themselves onto firmer ground, shaking clumps of wet soil from their scaly bodies. One of them released a harsh, rasping growl while another snapped its jaws at the empty air, as though irritated that the anticipated ambush had taken longer than expected.

Their eyes were sharp and alert, resembling those of hunting birds as they scanned the surrounding terrain for signs of movement. Each raptor possessed a lean, muscular body covered in rough scales that varied between earthy brown, dark olive, and muted green, allowing them to blend into the prehistoric vegetation. Their narrow heads were supported by powerful necks, and their elongated snouts contained rows of pointed teeth designed to tear into flesh. Every slight movement revealed the tension coiled within their bodies, from the twitching muscles along their thighs to the restless swaying of their long tails. These were not creatures that relied solely on brute force. Their coordinated movements and watchful behavior suggested predators accustomed to hunting together, patiently waiting for an opportunity before overwhelming their prey.

Their smaller forelimbs were equipped with curved claws capable of inflicting deep wounds, while their powerful hind legs allowed them to accelerate with frightening speed. The sickle-shaped claws on their feet were particularly dangerous, designed to grip, slash, and hold their victims in place while their jaws delivered the decisive attack. Even their long, scaly tails posed a considerable threat, functioning as counterbalances during sudden turns and as powerful weapons when swept against an opponent. At approximately five feet in height, they were not the largest creatures Mark might encounter in a prehistoric dungeon, but their compact size gave them an advantage in the dense terrain. They could maneuver between bushes, spring over rocks, and attack from different angles without sacrificing much speed.

The six predators gradually spread out, their movements suggesting that they were already assessing how best to approach their unexpected visitor. One lowered its head and sniffed the air, while another scraped its claws against the ground, leaving narrow grooves in the damp soil. A third raptor moved several steps to the side, attempting to circle Mark rather than approach him directly. The remaining creatures watched him with the same predatory concentration, their eyes fixed on his movements as though they were waiting for the slightest indication of weakness. Their jaws opened intermittently, revealing rows of teeth that glistened with moisture beneath the dungeon’s faint green illumination.