Day fifty something. I don't know what a day is anymore. It's always the same fucking light. When I go to sleep, when I wake up all I see is the dim light. I don't know where they are coming from. They don't have the slightest hint of warmth to them.

I have not found the door I am looking for. I have searched for the most part of the left side. I am starting to lose hope. I know I can't do that as I have not searched all of it but I don't want to go near the Toaster.

I am calling the lion "Toaster" because of it looks like T*eostra. The colour and size is different, but they are similar in one aspect. Both are pain in the ass for first timers.

I have been hunting a few tigers these days. I have killed around a few hundred. Maybe a thousand. My gains are good. Food is not. I am eating tiger meat for the time being. Though it tastes better than before, it's still just edible. Perhaps they still taste like shit but I am getting used to it.

Same time I get scared of myself. I was camping outside for 2,3 days and tigers started showing up relentlessly so did not have the time to eat. I was so hungry that I didn't even bother cutting the meat out just started eating from the carcass.

"What am I turning into?"

I haven't taken a bath in such a long time. I reek of blood. The puddle is not that deep and it takes a long time to fill up. I cannot just use it to wash myself. Because that is the only place I found that has water. How do the beasts go on without drinking water? I hope there are large ponds in the next area.

Today again like the day before I am searching for the elusive door. This place is like a long wide corridor with huge open spaces in between and shaped like a 'S'. The Toaster door is on the lower curve's far side. I thought the other door would be in a similar place on the opposite side. I have found nothing.

I have even punched some walls to no avail. Oh, I forgot to mention, I can move much faster now. By jumping pillar to pillar. Like a monkey. Sometimes I run on 4 legs too. That is because I am practicing the 'Tifu' or tiger kung-fu and it's easier to use some moves like that. How did I learn it? Memories of course. What a convenient thing. I tried to perform ice magic with holding the antler on my head but that did not work either.

After moving for a day, I finally reached a new place. The tigers were getting more powerful the closer I got toward the 'S' head so I had a good feeling about this place. Maybe more powerful tigers are guarding the door or something? At the very least if I fought more powerful tigers, I could get more powerful and it would push me closer to my goal.

I rested on top of a pillar for a few hours then started moving again. After a few hours of tracking, I saw a cave. This one had a bigger door than mine. And a few tigers were sitting in front of it. 'Huh? They are sitting so close but not attacking each other? What's going on!' Tigers never lived as a pack. 'Do they have babies here that they are guarding?' That made sense. But guarding from what exactly? Deers didn't approach this place and toaster could easily slice them in multiple pieces.

Hmmmmmm….

"Oh well, I will see when I go inside."

'Now to lure them out of that place.' I picked up a rock and threw it at one of them. When I say throw I mean it as a high speed pitch. So, when it hits them it will hurt. The tiger roared in anger and shot toward me like an arrow out of bow. Dodging to the side I punched it on its side and heard a bone breaking. I was getting ready to slice its neck when something spongy with a hook slapped me from behind and threw me into the air. Blood gushed out of my wound and sprayed into the air.

"Guh"

From the corner of my eye, I saw another tiger jump aiming toward where I was about to fall. 'These ones are different.' They were actually coordinating instead of fighting amongst themselves. I dug my claw to a pillar on my side and stabilized myself. Climbing up on a pillar I found a good vantage point where they couldn't get to me. Or so I thought.

The 1st tiger jumped up and swung its claw at me. Even though I knew it was not gonna hit me I jumped to the pillar next to mine. That was a wise decision. Because what I saw next left me awestruck. There were huge gashes stretching from the place I was before to a few meters down below.

"These ones are much more powerful and dangerous than the stray once."

They are clearly different from the once I have fought before. They are more powerful and intelligent. I need to end this first.

I ripped out 2 chunks of stone, threw them toward 2 of the tigers and started running from them. The unsettled tiger followed me.

"Success"

After separating them I jumped down and dodged a bite attack. Putting mana into my legs activated deer speed and zoomed toward its hind leg. Changing the shape of my claw blades to form a triangular arrowhead, I plunged my hand right between its thigh joint and punched its belly with my other hand. With a guck sound the tiger skidded a bit then started limping. Drool came out of its mouth and its breathing became ragged. Roaring lungs out the tiger jumped using three of its legs. Spreading its hands as if wanting to hug me the tiger approached me.

"Both hands and teeth."

Dodging sideways is not viable. I will be in its claws range. Standing in place will reward me with a 2-hit combo. Only option is going under it.

I used 'speed boost' to run forward then bending my knees I slided under it. Using both our force to my advantage I grabbed my right wrist with my left hand, extended my claw and slid down its entire length. The tiger fell down. I quickly went to its head, put it to rest then ran away. The other two haven't caught up yet so I will gain some distance.

"I am covered in blood."

Wiping out however much I could with fur rags I held the heart up.

"Are they of different species?"

The power difference and their fighting style were very different from normal tigers I saw.

"I will know when I eat it"

With that I ate the heart. The regular feelings appeared but there was no pain. 'So they are not different in species. Hmm. Then let's kill it again and the mystery will solve itself.' I went into meditation and saw the tiger again. This time it took me a few hits to kill it. 'As I thought, power differences do reflect in their mana remnants.' The memory trip started making my vision blank. This happens every time. I should have gotten used to it by now but this feeling of getting into someone else's body is not pleasant.

"So that's how it is. I see. I see."

They are just well trained that's all. They are like part of a higher society. There are signs of intelligence for sure but they can't seem to utilize it for some reason. 'Maybe the red eye thing has something to do with it?' It's not their natural eye colour after all. Their eyes turn normal after they are killed. I have to be weary of whatever is causing the red eye, I think.

Leaving their problems aside though, the way they use mana to extend the reach of their claws is ingenious. Why did I not think of that? Let’s try it. It's pretty easy, all you have to do is channel your mana covering the existing pattern in bursts and voila you get extended blades. They are not that sharp but they will do.

It was not easy. First you have to cover the pattern not the hand, then you have to do it for a split second or the mana will leak out and make the extension dull. After practicing for a few hours, I finally got the hang of it.

Using it in battle will still require some time. I can probably make thrusts with it though. This changes everything, now I won't need to get on top of them to kill them. I can even propel myself forward if the situation arises.

With that I got a new toy to play with. So, I did. After practicing for a few days with some stray cats I got better with it. Now it was time to hunt the nobles.

First, I need to get rid of those pesky guards to look inside. I am hoping for either baby tigers or a gate to another floor. If they have a lot of babies, I can probably make a tiger army with that. If they don't have red eyes from birth that is. If there is a mother tiger, I will not kill her either. It will be good if they just spawn like monsters in video games though. I don't want to kill a family just because, you know. Ah now I wish I had not thought about babies. Let's go with the gate.

This time I did not lure the tigers. Creeping up to the one in the leftmost I used speed boost then plunged my hand into its lower jaw using the extension technique, it penetrated its skull and ended its life. 'One down 3 more to go.'

One thing to note, when I said they are guarding the gate, it is not like they are right in front of it huddled together. They are standing in the general vicinity of it. With good timing silent takedown is possible. Or I will never jump in front of four tigers at once even if I am powerful enough. The more enemies you tackle together the more variables appear. I don't know how to properly fight hand to hand. All my fighting style involves killing them by ambushing or hit and run. I wish I knew how to fight head on but I don't. I have always romanticized clashing blades and such but there is no one to teach me. Though I think I can use 'brutalize' if I try. [It's a move from my favorite moba.]

After clearing out the entrance and powering up a bit I peeked through the cave entrance. A long bendy tunnel. 'This can become hairy really fast.' I slowly walked through the entrance checking for potential threats with every step. For the most part nothing happened.

After reaching the curved part I extended my head slightly to see if there were any tigers roaming around. Looking at the view I stood there frozen for a few moments then started running at full speed.

I found the door. I have a hope to get the fuck out of this place. Becoming powerful, dominating heavens, defeating stronger enemies, making a testimony out of my life, those are all perfectly fine things to do. Do it if you want but I don't want to. I just want to get out of this place. Yes, I have tried to think things positively to keep my sanity in check. I have wanted to defeat the flaming monstrosity of a line. But all those things are for one purpose. To get out of here. The silence is deafening. The light has no warmth to it. There are no clothes to wear, no food, not even water.

The deer meat tests good? Don't fuck with me. Have you ever eaten raw meat every day for god knows how long? That's not how a human live. I haven't taken a bath ever since I came here. I smell so horrible that even stones will turn away from me. I had everything. I finally sorted out my life after living like a shell for some 15 or so years. I had a job, a beautiful girlfriend, a nice house to live in. I want to go back to that place. Magic, power can go fuck themselves on top of the highest mountain peak with a frozen dildo for all I care. I want to get out of this place at any cost.

So, I ran. Like wind, not caring about anything. In my vision there was nothing but the door. I didn't care about how far it was or how much stress speed boost is causing to my body. I ran like a madman.

My obsession broke when I heard a heaven shaking roar. Looking toward it, I saw a huge tiger towering over others more vibrant in colour then the rest of them. Oozing in confidence and arrogance. In front of him was a sea of tigers. I didn't know how many there were. All I saw was that they are standing between me and freedom.

"So, you want to stop me from going out?"

I shouted. No answer came. Seeing other tigers gather from all sides my blood churned and went to my head.

"Fuck, every, single, one, of you."

I was truly furious. And for the first time in my entire life, I let anger consume me. My vision went red. All I could think was kill. Thus, the Carnage began.

I darted toward the closest tiger. Made a hole through its ribs and ripped out its heart and ate it. Right then and there. Fulling my fury, a new burst of strength came. I started killing mindlessly and ate their heart to my fill. Chaos ensued. Everything was trying to kill me and so was I. I didn't know how much time it took for me to kill them. Nor did I care. All that mattered between me and them was that there could be only one outcome. Either I die or they get consumed by me.

I got my flesh ripped, bones broken, thrown around but I didn't care. My goal was simple. All I had to do was cut down everything that moved. 'When everything is over, I can go out and busk in the sun again. The eternal cold of this place will leave me and I will be happy again.'

After a long long time, there were only two lives that were left on that battlefield. Me and the biggest tiger. Covered in fresh blood from head to toe, standing in a field of corps. I was hunching down to catch my breath but he just stood there motionless. His body filled with cuts and bruises. Looking at me. His amber eyes burned with a bloody hue.

"I will punch you to death."

I shouted in a chorus voice then started running toward it. He too ran toward me seemingly trying to end me with one bite. I stepped to the side and punched on his open jaws dislocating it. He staggered to the side and groaned. Taking this opportunity, I slid my hand inside his mouth, grabbed his lower jaw from inside locking me on his face and then 'Punch'.

I punched him so hard that a few teeth flew out from his mouth. He beat down on my hand crushing it. Shook his head violently to throw me away. Rubbed his face on the ground to get rid of me. But my claws held on and I kept punching him. I punched him till all bones in his skull broke and his brain turned mushy. The biggest tiger fell. After removing my hand from his mouth, I sat up on my knees.

Hand shattered, ribs broken, flesh missing from here and there, void of any skin on my back, naked, alone, my door to freedom was right in front of me but I had no strength to move. While shattering all chains binding me, I forgot about the most important one.