"Hm, I hope nothing happens," Ordis muttered as he ultimately decided to send out only D. Spider, leaving the rest of his minions within the safety of the dungeon.

  The main reason was simple—while Ordis could observe the outside world and even zoom in and out, his vision remained frustratingly rigid and limited. Unlike inside the dungeon, where he had a near-omniscient view of every movement, his external map function was disappointingly basic. Thanks to an achievement, he had gained a digital-style map of the surrounding area, but in practice, it wasn’t much different from a glorified Google Maps. He could see the terrain, but not the real-time movements of animals or other potential threats.

  Because of this, Ordis hesitated to deploy his smaller flying minions. They were still tiny compared to the bats and birds that likely hunted in the area. Those aerial predators hadn’t entered the dungeon yet, which meant Ordis had no information about them—something that made him uneasy. Instead, he put his faith in D. Spider, who, at least in terms of size and strength, could handle itself far better.

  "The massive spider crept along the ceiling of the dungeon entrance, its movements eerily reminiscent of a horror movie creature. Reaching the opening, it paused, scanning the surrounding grassnd. Even though D. Spider only had decent night vision, it could still easily hone in on the slightest flickers of movement—tiny mammals skittering about in the dark."

  A perfect example was a lone rat, scurrying along the edge where the grassnd met the wilderness. It searched for food, completely unaware of the monstrous predator observing it from above.

  Though Ordis held no authority over the grassnd itself, he had noticed an odd corretion—the meadow had seemingly appeared alongside the dungeon’s birth. Perhaps it was a side effect of the dungeon’s influence. Either way, D. Spider remained unaffected, blending seamlessly into the night as it prepared to strike.

  As before, D. Spider fired a thin but wide silk shot, expanding to nearly 30 cm in diameter. The spread easily engulfed the entire body of the forest rat, which was barely 20 cm long. With a single shot, the rodent was rendered completely helpless, struggling futilely against the sticky threads. Wasting no time, D. Spider plunged its rge fangs into the immobilized prey before carefully carrying the limp carcass back into the dungeon.

  The moment D. Spider crossed the threshold, the rat's body slowly began to dissolve, vanishing as the dungeon absorbed it for analysis. Unlike smaller insects, creatures of a rger size took noticeably longer to process. Still, the difference was marginal—after all, it had only taken Ordis about a minute to fully analyze and absorb a 150 cm snake. Compared to that, a measly rat was barely a challenge for the dungeon’s digestion.

  [Successfully analyzed the body of a Rat. You can now summon Rat as minion.]

  [Title Unlocked: Beastlord’s Domain]

  Effects:

  Warm-Blooded Resilience: All mammal-type minions gain a 15% experience boost, allowing them to grow stronger and adapt more quickly.

  Pack Mentality (Passive): Mammalian minions receive a +5% damage and defense boost when fighting alongside at least one other mammal-type minion.

  Territorial Instincts (Passive): The dungeon’s aura subtly attracts more mammals, increasing the presence of rodents, small predators, and herbivores within its territory.

  Furry Endurance (Passive): Mammal-type minions develop enhanced stamina and natural resistance, reducing fatigue and increasing resistance to cold environments.

  Alpha’s Roar (Passive): Mammalian minions become more aggressive when defending their territory, temporarily gaining +10% attack and speed when repelling intruders.

  “Huh… ‘Beastlord’? Just from catching a tiny rat?” Ordis blinked in disbelief, staring at the notification. Then, after a beat of silence, he chuckled. “This feels a little excessive. What’s next? ‘Rodent Overlord’ for catching a second one?”

  He had half-hoped for something more useful—maybe a free mana bonus—but unfortunately, he hadn’t unlocked the ability to summon rodents. A bit of a waste, really.

  “Ugh, this wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for an achievement like Start of the Animal Kingdom or something grand like that,” Ordis muttered. “But I guess four species just isn’t enough… Maybe I need a bird? That would give me five different species. Yeah, that sounds about right! That could be my ticket to free mana!”

  He quickly shifted his focus back to D. Spider, excitement bubbling up again. “Alright, buddy. Keep hunting. We’re not stopping at just one rodent since we need 10 mammal-type species to get the Mammal Collector achievement.”

  Ordis watched as D. Spider took another silent step, its sharp senses locking onto movement in the distance. Despite its massive size, the spider remained as agile as its smaller counterparts. Without hesitation, it fired another silk shot, but due to Ordis’s limited vision outside the dungeon, he couldn’t immediately tell what it had captured. Only when D. Spider began carrying its prey back did Ordis realize—it was the same type of rat as before.

  “Hm, just as I thought. This feels inefficient without the filter function from my dungeon map.” Ordis sighed. Inside the dungeon, the system provided him with an organized yout of creatures, allowing him to track movements and identify targets instantly. But out here? It was like flying blind. He had enhanced night vision, far superior to what he had as a human, yet it still wasn’t as clear as the system-assisted view inside the dungeon.

  The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much of a crutch the system had been. The outside world had moonlight, yet the darkness still felt more oppressive compared to the pitch-bck dungeon interior. That was strange. Inside, there was no light at all, yet he could see perfectly. It was likely the system compensating for the unnatural darkness, making his vision sharper within his domain.

  He let out a dry chuckle. “Ahaha… So this is what people mean when they say you don’t appreciate convenience until you lose it.”

  The realization hit him harder than expected. Out here, where he had no authority, everything was unpredictable. His control was limited, his senses weren’t omnipotent, and for the first time, the vastness of the world outside his dungeon felt daunting.

  Ordis was fortunate that the D. Spider possessed exceptional hunting instincts. Without the aid of the system’s detailed mapping and filters, he found himself struggling to track anything in the pitch-bck night. His vision outside the dungeon was limited to a rigid zoom-in and zoom-out function, making it far less effective than the omniscient view he had within his domain.

  Still, D. Spider remained unfazed. Once again, it shot out a web toward a distant target—this time, beyond the grassnd, near the tree line. The dense rainforest beyond the meadow was completely outside Ordis’s influence, meaning he had no way of observing what y within. The thick canopy blocked even the faintest moonlight, making it impossible for him to see what his minion had set its sights on.

  “Hm, he’ll be alright… right?” Ordis muttered, his confidence wavering. Allowing D. Spider to venture into the forest meant letting it step completely beyond his control. Even though the meadow near the dungeon still seemed to provide some sort of subtle support to his minions, the deeper forest was a complete unknown.

  For the first time, Ordis truly felt a sense of unease. Outside the dungeon, he had no way of sensing danger, no system notifications to warn him of a predator’s approach. His minions, which he had painstakingly nurtured, were stepping into uncharted territory.

  “Ugh… is this what being a parent feels like?” he groaned, rubbing his metaphorical temples. As a human, he had never married, nor had he ever thought much about raising children. Now, watching his minions take risks, he suddenly understood why parents worried so much.

  His thoughts spiraled further into paranoia. What if D. Spider got ambushed? What if there were hidden predators in the rainforest? Gantahon Isnd was home to a dwindling popution of tigers and leopards—rare, yes, but not impossible to encounter.

  “…Crap, I really hope I’m just overthinking this.”

  "However, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Hau..." Ordis muttered, feeling a growing sense of hesitation.

  His uncertainty seemed to transfer to D. Spider as well. Even though the minion had already fired a silk shot, it didn’t immediately subdue its target. Instead, it stood frozen, mirroring Ordis’s indecisiveness. The spider could have easily secured its prey, but instead, it hesitated—almost as if waiting for permission.

  Ordis sighed, rubbing his metaphorical temples. “Hu... But in the end, it’s a chance to get something valuable.” He still wasn’t comfortable letting his minions completely cross the dungeon’s boundary, but he knew he had to take the risk.

  After a brief internal debate, he relented, giving D. Spider a firm command. “If anything strange happens, return to the dungeon immediately. Don’t take unnecessary risks, even if it means leaving your prey behind.”

  With that clear order, D. Spider finally resumed its hunt. However, because it had stalled for too long, its prey had almost escaped. Ordis could see through his limited vision that D. Spider had to fire several more silk shots before it managed to properly ensnare the fleeing creature. Once it was secured, the spider swiftly injected its venom before carrying the limp body back into the dungeon.

  “Hm… feels like another small rodent,” Ordis muttered, observing the prey as it was analyzed. However, upon closer inspection, his eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, this is… something you don’t see every day.”

  It wasn’t a rat.

  “This is a Large Flying Lemur…” Ordis realized, recognizing the exotic creature. As someone who had lived in the city, he had rarely seen them in person. The only time he had ever encountered one was when a former neighbor had kept one as a pet.

  [Successfully analyzed the body of a Flying Lemur. You can now summon Flying Lemur as a minion.]

  “Oh? So you count differently from a rat, huh?” Ordis chuckled, already thinking about how this new minion could be useful.

  Age : 9 Day 2 hour 40 Minute

  Mana Reserves : 132 / ??? (Capacity Expanding) 1 Mana per 40 Minute

  Dollbreaker