Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

The roar ripped through the air.

Ren sprinted toward the tunnel, disoriented.

He tried to run, gasping for breath, his head spinning. The wind howled as sharp claws raked through the air, tearing apart the stone floor right next to his feet.

He dared not look back. Just one second...just one second!

Behind him, the heavy footsteps thundered on the stone floor, each step of the boss like a sledgehammer striking down, causing the walls to shake.

"Which way?!" Tarek desperately clung to Scholar, yelling, his panicked eyes scanning the many winding paths.

"Left… NO, RIGHT!" Scholar suddenly changed direction, nearly colliding with Tarek.

Ren gritted his teeth and followed. The narrow, dark, and winding passages seemed to swallow them whole.

A chill ran down Ren's spine as a bright golden claw swiped dangerously close, scraping the stone floor near his feet.

The deadly breath, heavy with the scent of metal, rushed past Ren's back. It slipped through his flimsy armor and grazed his skin.

'It's too close!' Despair overwhelmed Ren's mind.

"Run. I have to run..."

But where to? The tunnel was pitch dark, with only faint glimmers from the glowing stones on the walls.

The darkness covered every exit, while the thunderous footsteps of the monster echoed behind them, each step shaking the ground.

Ren turned a corner, nearly slipping.

Ahead was a narrow corridor, just wide enough for one person to run through. Tarek and Scholar had already darted through without hesitation.

Ren had no other choice.

He dashed forward, pressing himself against the stone wall to avoid collision.

Behind them, the roar of the boss echoed, but the footsteps began to slow.

It can't get in!

Ren blinked, unable to believe his eyes.

He stopped for a moment, gasping for air as he looked behind. The boss had stopped, roaring in frustration.

Its enormous steps could not move any further.

But only for now. No one could predict when it would find a way to continue hunting them.

Ren stopped, unconsciously gripping the stone wall to keep his balance. He turned his head to look behind... just as expected, the boss's gigantic body couldn't fit through the narrow passage.

It roared, its claws scraping the edges of the stone, but couldn't move any further.

Just a moment later, the roar faded away, and the boss seemed to leave.

'Temporarily safe...'

Ren panted, his legs shaking as if they would give way at any moment.

Tarek chuckled softly, but his voice still trembled. "Damn... we made it."

Scholar leaned against the stone wall, his hand clutching his chest, breathing heavily. "Not sure... it can't follow, but if it finds another way around..."

No one said anything else. That thought cut through their minds like a blade, tightening the tension even more.

Ren swallowed. He looked around, trying to steady his breathing. The space was still a dark maze, with pale glowing moss only adding to the gloom.

They hadn't escaped.

They were just... not dead yet.

...

The silence enveloped them, only the sound of heavy breathing filling the air.

The darkness weighed down on all three of them. The cold air slipped through the cracks in the stone, wrapping around their exhausted bodies after the frantic flight.

Ren leaned against the stone wall, his hands clutching his stomach, still struggling to steady his breath.

He felt tired and dizzy. His throat burned, dry as the summer earth without a drop of rain.

He didn't know how exhausted he was, but he knew his legs were shaking like they would collapse at any moment.

It was no surprise. They had been running nonstop, the monster hot on their heels. Ren didn't know how long they had been running. But the burning pain in his throat answered that question.

He licked his lips lightly. Ren slowly opened his inventory and pulled out a small ceramic water bottle. This was one of the few things he had left in his pack.

There was only a silver mirror and a few old loaves of bread—items Ren had been given at the start of the game.

Ren unscrewed the lid of the ceramic water bottle. He opened his mouth wide to feel the coolness of the water, but a rough hand grabbed him.

It was Tarek...

Tarek yanked the water bottle out of Ren's hand.

"Give it here." His voice was gruff.

He glanced at Ren, smirking. "You still have this and didn't give it to me?"

Ren clenched his lips, his chest heaving with anger and helplessness.

"That's mine!"

Tarek ignored him. He raised the water bottle, tilted his head back, and drank greedily, each gulp flowing down his parched throat.

Ren was stunned. His throat was dry and burning, the thirst like a knife stabbing at each cell, but the water... the little bit left... was flowing down the throat of someone else.

Scholar watched silently, his eyes darkening, but he said nothing.

'That was the last bit of water...'

Ren held his breath, waiting... waiting to see if Tarek would give it back. Even though he knew it was impossible...

Tarek lowered the water bottle, licking his lips, then let out a satisfied sigh.

Ren gritted his teeth. He wanted to snatch it back. Wanted to scream. But he did nothing.

Tarek squinted, shaking the nearly empty bottle, then without hesitation, tossed it to Scholar.

"Drink."

Scholar caught it, hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Ren but said nothing. Finally, he took a sip.

Ren clenched his fists.

His throat was bitter, not from thirst, but from the blatant and cruel contempt.

No one asked if he needed water.

No one looked at Ren.

No one cared.

Ren's lips pressed tightly together. A feeling of emptiness and coldness spread slowly in his chest.

He swallowed. His mouth was painfully dry, but what hurt more was the undeniable truth right before his eyes... he was nothing to them.

Tarek needed Scholar to lead the way.

And Ren?

He had another plan for Ren.

Scholar finished the last sip of water. He didn't give the bottle back to Ren, but tossed it to Tarek.

Tarek dropped the empty ceramic bottle onto the stone floor, the sound of it echoing sharply.

The bottle shattered into pieces, fading into the air before Ren's desperate and helpless face.

Tarek smirked.

Ren looked down at his inventory.

Only a few old loaves of bread remained. The crumbs were so hard that they might crumble into pieces if thrown against the wall.

No meat, no fruit, nothing but these crumbling remnants.

A feeling of despair crept into his heart.

On the other side, Tarek was also checking his own inventory. After a few seconds, he cursed.

"Damn... I'm out of food." He glanced at Scholar. "What about you?"

Scholar silently opened his inventory. But the grim expression on his face said it all.

Nothing left.

No food.

No water.

How long had they been running? An hour? Two? Hunger hadn't fully set in yet, but the thirst was unbearable.

Tarek furrowed his brow and motioned toward Ren. "Got anything left?"

Ren clenched his fists.

He didn't want to answer.

But Tarek had already seen.

He reached out, forcing Ren to pull out the last few pieces of bread, broke one in half, and threw one half to Scholar.

"Eat. I don't want to die from exhaustion."

Ren looked at the piece of bread in his hand, so small it couldn't even quench his hunger.

Tarek quickly swallowed his portion, wiped his hands. Then he looked up, his gaze dark as he stared at Ren.

"You're useless now."

He sighed, stretched, and glanced at Scholar. "Let's go."

"Now? We haven't recovered yet..." Scholar frowned.

"We can't stay here forever." Tarek sneered. "You lead. Otherwise, the three of us will starve to death in this dungeon."

Scholar bit his lip, his eyes darkening.

Ren stood still, his breath stuck in his throat.

He could see clearly.

Tarek needed Scholar to get out.

Ren didn't.

...

Ren gritted his teeth and endured, forcing himself to follow the other two.

They had found their way back.

The familiar stone walls, traces of old battles, cracks, and a pile of discarded trash scattered on the stone floor...

Everything proved they were on the right path.

The three of them didn't say a word, only focused on moving, their heavy breathing echoing in the narrow space of the tunnel.

And then...

Ren suddenly stopped.

The trap.

Just ahead, only a few steps away, was the pit he almost fell into when they first entered the dungeon.

The blood in Ren's body seemed to freeze in that moment.

The feeling of falling into the void, losing control, the intense panic of almost being swallowed by the darkness... it all rushed back into his mind.

I've been here.

I stood exactly here.

He didn't dare move forward.

Tarek, who was walking ahead, frowned at the pit. "Damn... the path's blocked."

Scholar narrowed his eyes, scanning the area. "It's not impossible to get through."

Here's the translation for the text you provided:

The man stepped back a few paces, looking up at the dungeon ceiling. Thin vines stretched across the surface, and protruding stone ledges seemed like they could be used to climb over.

But was it trustworthy?

Ren bit his lip. One wrong step and he'd fall into an abyss with no bottom.

And there was no guarantee of what might be lurking below.

"No other choice…" Scholar shook his head.

The narrow path ran along the edge of the walls. The spot the group had passed through after the sudden pit appeared was now gone.

Only a few small stone platforms remained. They looked so fragile that even a light step could make them collapse...

"Go ahead... scout the path," Tarek ordered.

Ren was pushed forward, Tarek's gaze piercing through him with pressure.

He clenched his fists, the anger eating away at his mind. But Ren quickly regained his composure.

Now is not the time... Ren told himself.

He had no choice but to move forward. His fingers gripped tightly onto the stone ledges, but Ren's slender body lacked the strength to feel confident.

With every breath, his heart tightened as he gazed into the endless void below.

His breath quickened, his heart pounding like a storm. He knew that just one misstep and he'd plunge into the bottomless abyss.

"Careful… careful…" Ren muttered to himself with each step, as though each movement was crushing his heart.

The vines stretched out, creaking under his weight, but luckily, they didn't snap.

His legs searched for the stone outcrops to anchor himself, as though the narrow path had been crushed by some giant force from below.

Every step felt like he was grasping at his own life.

He dared not look down anymore, only gazing toward the far side where a faint light flickered, like a sign of hope.

At this moment, everything felt uncertain, all Ren could do was hold tight and trust what he was clinging to.

One step, then another… and finally, Ren's feet touched solid ground on the other side. His breath shattered in his chest. He collapsed forward, panting, and looked up.

Scholar and Tarek followed one by one after him, but they didn't share the same anxiety that Ren felt.

Scholar, with his confidence, skillfully crossed over, while Tarek simply gave Ren a cold look, showing no concern for the tension in Ren's eyes.

When all three were safely on the other side, Ren still couldn't relax.

Even though they had succeeded, the feeling of every step haunted his mind. He had no idea how long this luck would last.