Rohan allowed himself to calm.

’We were stuck in a hunger illusion and decided to find the source. If anything, the source isn’t only limited to panic or hunger illusions... what if it could also cast us into a loop illusion?’

Although it sounded like a bit of a stretch, Rohan knew there was a possibility. The source was definitely a Frontier Beast, and if it truly possessed such powers, it could even be stronger than Zul’Kharath, or at least range from Dangerous to Cataclysm Rank.

’So before Zul’Kharath rose, part of the creatures that had migrated into the forest was a Disaster or Cataclysm creature? Makes no sense. It could be a Disaster at best.’

Well, they were all assumptions that Rohan was currently taking into consideration.

Suddenly, the three of them yelped in pain and fell to their knees as their individual systems appeared before them.

[Essence Power: -10%]

Rohan’s expression darkened as he suddenly felt a large amount of energy leave his body. He clutched his chest and slowly stood up. The rest followed, confusion and exhaustion written across their faces.

At this point, what was happening was still confusing to Rohan, but he understood it to a certain degree.

So yes, there was a monster with deadly illusion abilities in the cave. The source was draining their strength from the shadows, using the environment to slowly siphon away their life force either through the continuous loop or their panic.

"My essence," Priscilla whispered, her pale hand trembling as she gripped her sword. "It just plummeted. I barely have enough left to cast a spell."

Eric didn’t even speak. He was panting heavily, the dark glow of his Strength Rune completely gone from around his knuckles. The sheer exhaustion was hitting them all at once, stripping away their defense mechanisms.

Rohan stood perfectly still, ignoring the cold emptiness in his own veins. His red eyes darted around the dark stone ceiling as a scowl settled on his face.

If the beast was capable of projecting a loop illusion while simultaneously siphoning essence directly through the system interface, it wasn’t just hiding in the dark.

...It meant the cave itself was the creature’s domain.

’It’s waiting for us to hit zero,’ Rohan realized, his mind working through the tactical possibilities. ’It wants us to exhaust ourselves completely before it shows its face.’

But considering the fragmented memories of the loops that kept crashing into his mind, they had fought a beast in a well-decorated room and died.

He didn’t know what the beast looked like, but he knew it had scales and fangs. He also knew the exact details of the room.

But it was almost useless if he didn’t even know the way there. Well, they had walked deeper into the cave in previous loops. This time they would do the same, but Rohan would make sure not to let the illusions get to him and avoid death this time around.

He dismissed his Inventory to save and rebuild a bit of essence, then started walking deeper into the cave without caring to alert the other two. Priscilla and Eric exchanged frowns before following him.

They also had strong Classes, so Rohan was sure that even if they didn’t possess the perception of a Legendary Class holder, they were still going to understand that something was wrong and be able to piece a few dots together.

Maybe those dots could save them... he couldn’t care less.

All Rohan wanted to do was leave the cave and continue with his plan, in a much different way.

The air changed the deeper they ventured, the dark tunnels twisting in ways that felt both unfamiliar and entirely too recognizable. Rohan kept his focus sharp, mapping the contours of the stone walls against the fractured memories of his previous deaths. He knew what was waiting at the end of this path, but this time, he had the advantage of anticipation.

Beside him, Priscilla and Eric walked in tight, tense silence. The sudden drop in their essence had clearly forced them into a state of hyper-awareness. Eric’s jaw was clenched as he focused entirely on putting one foot in front of the other. Priscilla kept her blade low, her eyes scanning the shadows.

They were piecing it together, just as Rohan expected. They knew the hunger was a lie, and they knew the environment was actively working against them.

As the narrow tunnel began to widen ahead, hinting at the larger chamber hidden in the depths, Rohan subtly shifted his weight, preparing his stance. He wouldn’t let the illusion dictate the terms of the engagement this time. The haphazard nature of the loop ended here.

Finally, they stopped in front of a tomb with a large round rock blocking its entrance.

Rohan gestured to Eric, who used a bit of his ability to push the rock away, revealing a narrow passage.

Priscilla frowned and hesitantly stepped in, followed by Eric, who glanced at Rohan, but his friend didn’t even give him a gesture. Rohan just kept staring at him with emotionless eyes until Eric turned with a shrug and walked in.

’What is wrong with him?’ Eric’s frown deepened.

Rohan then followed after summoning Ironhide and Steelwind back. The essence he had regained wasn’t much, but it was still something.

At the other end of the narrow tunnel was... beauty.

It was a large room.

The room was unlike anything they had encountered in the damp, jagged depths of the cavern. Polished marble replaced the rough granite, and intricate tapestries hung from the walls, though they were frayed and faded with age. Massive stone pillars carved with twisting serpentine patterns lined the perimeter, supporting a high, arched ceiling.

In the center of the chamber sat a massive mahogany table surrounded by high-backed chairs, all heavily covered in a layer of ancient dust. Deep, ornate chandeliers hung from chains above, their crystals catching the faint light from Priscilla’s blade and throwing distorted shadows across the floor.

It was exactly as Rohan remembered from the fragments of his fractured memories. This was the tomb. This was the trap.

The damn beast was somewhere.

"What is this place?" Eric whispered, his hand instinctively moving toward his daggers. Despite his low essence, he couldn’t help but force a smile. "It looks like an ancient noble’s dining hall. It’s... it’s beautiful."

Priscilla stepped forward cautiously, her boots making no sound on the smooth marble floor. Her eyes swept across the tapestries and the pillars, her brow furrowing deeply.

"This is huge..."

Rohan stood slightly behind them, his grip tightening on Steelwind. His gaze wasn’t on the table or the historical relics. He was staring directly at the thick, unnatural shadows pooling beneath the massive pillars at the back of the room.

He threw sharp glances around and changed position every time.

Immediately, his instincts kicked in.

He jumped backward to the front of the narrow tunnel.

Where he had been milliseconds earlier, a large creature slammed face-first into the floor, causing the ground to shatter into countless fragments of flying marble. Dust erupted into the air, obscuring the beast’s true form, but the low, terrifying hiss that echoed through the room was unmistakable.

Eric and Priscilla were caught completely off guard by the sudden violence of the strike. The shockwave from the impact sent them stumbling backward, their boots slipping on the newly cracked floor.

"Eric! Priscilla! Get into fighting range!" Rohan barked, his voice sharp and commanding, completely abandoning the helpless commoner persona.

Through the swirling dust cloud, Rohan’s red eyes locked onto the shifting silhouette of the creature. He could see the gleam of thick, overlapping scales reflecting the faint light, and the unmistakable snap of massive, bone-crushing fangs cutting through the air. It was the exact monster from his fractured memories, but this time, he wasn’t pinned to the wall. He had forced it to miss its opening strike.

The beast let out a frustrated roar, its massive tail sweeping through the debris to clear its line of sight. The heavy chandelier hanging directly above began to sway violently from the sheer force of the movement, its chains groaning under the strain.

Rohan kept his center of gravity low, his grip iron-clad around Steelwind. He had successfully altered the beginning of the script. Now, he needed to make sure they didn’t fall back into the rhythm of the loop.

The creature, still obscured—or perhaps deliberately obscuring itself—charged at Rohan, with only its fangs visible.

Rohan jumped high above the creature and landed on its scales. He started running along its massive body as its head entered the tunnel after missing him.

’Huh? It’s a snake?’ Rohan realized as he scaled its body before somersaulting back onto the ground while the creature slowly raised most of its body into the air.

"Okay, it’s a snake!"

Priscilla and Eric immediately nodded and charged forward. Rohan wasted only a few seconds before jumping straight into the obscuring phenomenon that concealed the beast.

’Die, motherfucker.’