"I was so careless. Their weak point was on their neck. If I had looked carefully, I would've found that earlier. From now on… I'll move more carefully."
Jun muttered to himself as the last of the mutated wild dogs crumbled into dark mist behind him. Their corpses left no scent, no stain—just an eerie silence that settled across the ruined corridor.
[Ding…]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[You've killed 3 wild dogs – Level 1]
[You've cleared the 1st room of the hidden dungeon]
[Reward:
EXP: 50000
CP: 10
Coin: 1000]
[Ding…]
[You can now open the system shop and buy anything with the given coin]
"Huh… Coin? That's new," Jun raised a brow. "And I can buy stuff from the system shop with it? That's interesting. I'll check it out later."
He took a breath and stood upright, blood pumping harder now that the adrenaline faded. "Alright… Status Window."
[Ding…]
[Status Window
Name: Jun Lion
Level: 12
Title: None
Job: None
HP: 4000 / 4000
MANA: 400 / 500
STR: 55
INT: 45
AGL: 70
Skills:
– Poison Resistance (?): There is no poison that can affect you.
– Fear Resistance (?): Without The God, you won't fear anyone in the 12 Universes.
EXP: 90,250
CP: 60
Coin: 1000]
"Hm… I didn't lose any HP, but I burned through some mana," he noted. "Anyway… Open system shop."
[Ding… System Shop Opened]
A black window appeared in front of him, displaying a sparse list of ten items with glowing labels and short descriptions.
"Only ten items?" he muttered. "Well, these two are no-brainers—mana recovery potion, HP recovery potion. I'll definitely need them if this place gets any worse."
He quickly tapped on both items.
[Ding… 200 coins have been consumed]
[The items have been transferred to your inventory]
"Oh… That's fast. Efficient too."
[Ding… The 2nd room of the dungeon has been opened]
"This time… ten wild dogs, huh?" A faint smirk curled on his lips. "Interesting. I'll wipe you all out."
Without hesitation, Jun charged in. His figure blurred with speed, dagger slashing with precise arcs, targeting each dog's vulnerable neck. Bloodless gashes carved through the air as he danced from enemy to enemy like a shadow born of war.
Moments later, the room fell silent again.
"Hey system… Bring it on."
[Ding… 2nd room cleared]
[3rd room]
[Cleared]
[4th room]
[Cleared]
[5th room]
[Cleared]
The notifications rolled in rapid succession, one after another. Time passed. Jun fought relentlessly, slashing through packs of mutated beasts like a storm of black steel.
[Ding… You've cleared the 9th room]
[Status Window
Level: 19
HP: 9000 / 10000
MANA: 1000 / 1500
STR: 70
INT: 62
AGL: 83
EXP: 200,000
CP: 120
Coin: 5300]
"I lost some HP and mana," he muttered.
Jun downed both recovery potions, feeling the refreshing surge of energy reinvigorate him. As his body healed, he marched toward the final chamber.
[Ding… The 10th room is opening]
[Task: Kill the Boss – Spider Queen, Level 25 (0/1)]
Jun froze mid-step.
"…What?" he blinked. "Are you kidding me? All the mobs were Level 1, and now the boss is Level 25?! I'm only Level 19. How am I supposed to fight something that strong?"
The dungeon lights flickered ominously.
He clenched his fists.
"You damn system… You always give me impossible tasks!"
[The host is so lazy]
[There is a saying: the higher the risk, the bigger the reward]
Jun made a disgusted face. "..."
"You damn system…! There's a limit to the risk a man can bear! If I die, what's the point of the reward?"
[What a lazy host]
He shouted, "You! Yo—"
[I recommend the host to stay focused. The Spider Queen is right behind you.]
Jun froze, eyes wide.
"…Is… is she really on my back?"
[Yes. She is on your back.]
"Ah… hh… I… I see."
He turned his head slowly.
And then he saw her.
The Spider Queen loomed behind him—eight glossy black legs arched high, glistening fangs the length of his forearm, and hundreds of crimson eyes glaring from her grotesque face. Her exoskeleton shimmered like obsidian glass.
Jun smiled… nervously. "He… Hehe… Hello. Sorry, I didn't notice you there…"
The Spider Queen screeched—a shrill, bone-chilling sound.
[The Spider Queen is really angry]
[I would recommend the host to—]
Jun didn't wait for the rest. He turned on his heel and ran.
[Oh… The host is really proactive about this type of matter]
"You damn system! Shut that mouth of yours!"
[I don't have a mouth though]
"…"
Jun's boots slammed against the floor, weaving through broken tiles and walls as the Spider Queen gave chase. Her skittering echoed like drums of war, fangs clicking hungrily behind him.
"…Can't you help me a little bit?"
[Nope.]
[I can only give you some reward for your achievements.]
[And I already gave that a while ago.]
"Forget it! Then… how much EXP do I need to level up to the next level?"
[52,428,800 EXP]
Jun tripped mid-step, stumbling in disbelief.
"You're joking! Can I even get that much EXP in my entire life?! You're literally telling me that from now on, I can't level up with EXP!"
[Actually, there is nothing like leveling up with EXP.]
[There was a bug in the system that let you do that.]
[I didn't fix it earlier because the EXP requirement would've become too high anyway.]
"…You didn't even bother to tell me?"
[The host can still unlock the sword forms using EXP.]
Jun gritted his teeth and shouted, "Then unlock the 3rd form immediately!"
[Ding…]
[800 EXP has been consumed]
[The 3rd form of Black Sword Technique has been unlocked]
As the system message faded, a surge of black energy radiated from Jun's palm. The dagger he had stowed away began to hum with life, its form subtly shifting—gaining new edges, darker pulses.
He turned slowly, the Spider Queen still shrieking behind him.
"…Alright. No more running."
To be continue…