Kael landed hard on the stone floor as the swirling light vanished. The air here was thick—damp and reeking of rot and blood. Darkness blanketed everything, pierced only by flickering torches embedded into cracked walls. The silence was deceptive.
[Dungeon: Forgotten Ruins – Tier 1]
[Objective: Clear all monsters and defeat the Dungeon Core Guardian]
[Current Floor: 1]
[Monsters Remaining: 32]
Kael rose, dusting himself off with a calm exhale. "Let's see what you've got for me."
The first encounter came quick—too quick.
A swarm of Goblin Shades burst from the shadows, clawed and snarling, their bodies flickering with spectral energy. C-rank. Fast, but fragile.
Kael moved like a blade in the wind.
His training paid off—footwork tight, sword strokes sharp. He weaved through the goblins with precision, taking hits but giving worse. A swipe tore his sleeve and grazed his ribs, but he didn't flinch.
[+25 EXP]
[+17 Void Coins]
[+Void Crystal Fragment (Common)]
[Level Up! – Level 2]
[Status Points +5]
A system chime rang, and Kael grinned. "This is going to be fun."
Hours passed.
Each floor brought more enemies—Lesser Wraiths that drained vitality, Corrupted Hounds with razor fangs and brutal speed. Kael fought, adapted, learned.
But he wasn't invincible.
On Floor 3, a wraith caught him with a draining touch, sapping his energy before he could land the killing blow. His limbs turned numb, and his vision blurred. Panic rose for a second—but he forced it down.
"System—use one Void Crystal to restore vitality."
[Void Crystal (Common) consumed]
Strength surged back into him, and Kael let loose a sweeping strike, cleaving the wraith in half.
[+40 EXP]
[+21 Void Coins]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Clutch Fighter – I"]
[Bronze Reward Granted: +3 Stat Points, 1x Healing Potion]
He wiped the blood from his lip and chuckled.
"You thought that was enough to kill me?"
Then came the surprise.
Floor 4. Empty. Silent.
Too silent.
In the middle stood a cracked altar, glowing faintly.
As Kael stepped closer, a prompt appeared.
[Unique Dungeon Event Detected – "Forgotten Sacrifice"]
[Do you wish to attempt this Event? Warning: Choices are permanent.]
He narrowed his eyes.
"Let's gamble."
He placed his hand on the altar. A shriek echoed around him, and the air turned ice-cold. Images of ancient blood rituals and dragon fire flashed before his eyes. A memory not his own. He didn't recoil—he accepted it.
[Event Completed: Forgotten Sacrifice – Type: Purple]
[Difficulty: High]
[Reward: Diamond Rank]
[Item Obtained: Voidheart Sigil – Grants Passive Void Regeneration & Resistance to Curse Effects]
[Unique Achievement Unlocked: "One with the Void" – Only obtainable in the First Dungeon]
[Effect: All Void-based abilities gain +10% damage. You are recognized as the True Host.]
Kael staggered back, heart pounding. The sigil embedded itself into his chest, glowing briefly before fading beneath his skin.
"…Yeah. That felt insane," he muttered. "But worth it."
The final wave struck on Floor 5.
A horde of goblins and hounds—over twenty strong—charged all at once.
Kael didn't panic. His blade danced. Void Spark sizzled through skulls. He activated the Dragon's Presence, stunning half the mob with fear.
[+EXP]
[+EXP]
[+Void Coins]
[Level Up! – Level 3]
[Level Up! – Level 4]
[New Skill Acquired: Shadow Dash – Lv.1]
He stood alone in a field of corpses, breathing hard, blood-soaked but grinning.
"Give me five minutes," he panted, falling back against a stone pillar.
The system was generous.
[You have cleared the final wave. Five-minute rest granted before Boss Room access.]
He chugged a healing potion, the taste sharp but effective. Muscles knit together. The ache dulled.
Kael pulled his training sword close, then switched to a newly acquired iron blade looted from a fallen monster.
"This'll do."
[Boss Room Unlocked – Enter? Y/N]
He rose, eyes narrowing. "Let's end this."
[Entering Boss Room…]
The chamber was massive, ancient, filled with cracked statues and a towering throne of stone.
And on it, sat the Living Rock Guardian—a golem forged of obsidian and soul-bound stone, glowing cracks running through its body like molten lava.
[B-Rank Boss: Living Rock Guardian – HP: 10,000]
The battle began with a roar. Literally.
The Guardian slammed its fists into the earth, sending quakes that shattered the floor. Kael barely dodged the first hit, using Shadow Dash to slip behind it. He slashed—sparks flew.
No damage.
He cursed.
"Alright, not the brute force approach then."
He activated Void Spark, aiming at a glowing weak point in its knee.
[Critical Hit – 212 Damage]
The golem roared, stumbling.
Now he had a plan.
He danced through the battlefield, avoiding seismic punches and spinning strikes. But the longer the fight dragged, the heavier his arms became. His energy dropped dangerously low.
One mistake. One hit.
He flew across the chamber, bones cracking.
[HP Low: 14%]
He coughed blood, laughing bitterly.
"Still not enough to kill me."
He pushed himself up, activated Voidheart Sigil, and channeled everything into one final Void Spark—black lightning, charged with hatred, sacrifice, and survival instinct.
He aimed it right at the Guardian's core.
Boom.
The light was blinding.
And when it cleared…
The golem lay shattered. Dead.
[Dungeon Cleared]
[Speed Run Achievement Unlocked – "Speed Run – I"]
[Time to Completion: 2 Hours, 41 Minutes]
[Rewards: EXP +500 | Void Coins +200 | Item: Voidforged Blade (Uncommon)]
[Returning to Origin Point…]
Light engulfed him again, and he found himself in his room, slumped in the chair beside his bed.
His body ached. His muscles burned.
But he was smiling.
He picked up the old spellbook on the desk and flipped through it casually.
"Let's see what other tricks this world has."