The wind outside the dungeon gate felt different. It didn't reek of rusted blood, toxins of the deceased monsters or stale smell of the fear. It smelled fresh—felt like Silas just had the taste of the best victory of his life.
Silas slowly stepped out of the dungeon gate, stepping into the real world once again—just a couple of hours have passed till now, boots crunched over the dead leaves as he walked. And for the first time in a while, Silas smiled brightly.
A real, tired smile slowly curled up on his lips. He tilted his head slightly towards the sky. The clouds were still grey, the world was still chaotic, but something inside of him had shifted—a fire had been lit inside of his heart, something which was craving strength.
"I finally completed my first E-Rank dungeon," he muttered under his breath, voice low—feeling of self-worth buried beneath his tone.
The [System] chimed in.
[Congratulations, Host. You have cleared an E-Rank Dungeon solo.]
[System confirms level: 25]
[Available Stat Points: 0]
[New Skills Acquired: 1]
[Skill: Phantom Dash (E-Rank)]
[Description: An agility-based movement technique allowing short bursts of evasive speed.
[Usable up to 3 times before cooldown. Duration: 1.5 seconds per burst. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
His fists slowly clenched, then he let out a small sigh. The dizziness from the fight had now gone, the flood of knowledge started filling his brain, a sudden surge of pain erupted in his mind like someone had stabbed him with thousands of needles—but now, the knowledge about the skill felt like it had been a part of him since before.
No more confusion was there, no more fear, just the clarity.
"I'm not the same kind of trash which I used to be before," Silas said as he looked at the system panel which was hovering in the air in front of him. "I have started growing... and will not stop until I reach the top of the world."
"Hey, system. Can you show me my stats."
[Yes, host. Coming up right away.]
[Silas Veil]
[Level: 25]
[Health: 180/180]
[Mana: 120/120]
[Strength: D+]
[Agility: C-]
[Endurance: E+]
[Intellect: D+]
[Charisma: E+]
[Luck: E+]
[Potential Rating: SSS]
[Stat Points Available: 0]
With his newfound power which was slowly dissolving into his veins, a small sigh escaped Silas's lips as he started walking back towards his run-down apartment block in the outer district. The world hadn't changed at all—
No one stared at him, no one applauded him after he cleared the dungeon. He was just another awakened returning back from the wilds.
But in his chest? There was a kind of storm brewing. He had finally reached his apartment, slammed the door shut behind him with a loud creak and then he collapsed onto the dusty couch, legs spread, eyes burning with the fire of hope, which no one could extinguish now.
"System," he said, voice low. "If I recall correctly, you mentioned that you had a shop. Didn't you?"
[Affirmative, Host. Opening System Shop.]
[Displaying available categories…]
A smooth blue interface spread before him like a holographic panel.
—[WEAPONS]
—[MANA ARTIFACTS]
—[SKILLS]
—[SWORD ARTS]
—[TRADE]
—[EXCHANGE MANA CORES]
He blinked. "This… this is a full damn armory."
[System Shop includes all items from F-Rank to God-Tier. Access determined by Host's level.]
[quest progress, and special achievements.]
Silas suddenly snapped, sat up, leg crossed. "GOD-TIER? As in... actual mythical god-tier grade weapons and gear? What the actual fuck?"
[Correct. Do not scream, Host. People might be sleeping.]
His eyes suddenly widened as he heard the response of the system. "You want me to care about others? While I have heard something which can give me a heart-attack any moment?"
He took a small break as he let out a small sigh, calming himself down. "How many secrets are you even hiding from me, you cheating bastard!?" he muttered, brushing his hand through his messy hair. "Just what the fuck even are you, system..."
[That is classified. Would you like to proceed with exchange of mana cores for Shop Credits and EXP?]
He nodded. "Yeah, do it."
[Confirmed.]
[30x F-Rank Mana Cores — Sold.]
[5x E-Rank Mana Cores — Sold.]
[2x E+ Boss Mana Cores — Sold.]
[Total Earned: 100 Shop Coins + 3,000 EXP]
[System Shop Wallet Updated: 100 Coins]
[EXP automatically converted. Level Up! New Level: 25 → 27]
He let out a long breath and grinned. "Alright… let's shop."
He slowly skimmed through the Skill section, trying to find something which he needed right now. Then, his eyes fell on the technique which was shining in silver glow:
[Skill: Phantom Dash (E-Rank)]
[Cost: 40 Coins]
[Purchase Confirmed. Transfer Initiated.]
As he pressed the click, the knowledge suddenly started surging into his brain, Silas screamed in agony. Pain shot through his head like it was getting hit by lightning bolts. His knees buckled, arms wrapped tightly around himself as his body shook violently.
Tears rolled down his cheeks, blood trickled down to his lips from his nostrils. The sheer volume of movement diagrams, mana control blueprints, and muscle execution patterns overloaded every inch of his mind. Then—peace.
His eyes suddenly opened, they were no longer red, but bright and sharp. "God..." he let out a small groan as he grabbed his head with both of his hands. "This is fucking insane..." he let out a small menacing chuckle, completely drenched in sweat.
And just then—
[Dungeon Gate Collapse Detected.]
[Exit Portal Closed. Dungeon Marked as Cleared.]
The system screen faded into the thin air, his room then returned back to normal, no sense of the blue flickering radiations were left in his room. The only noise which filled the air was the sound of the creaking fan and Silas's own breathing.
Silas slowly moved, his body was different now—smoother, lighter than before. Every joint, muscle, every tendon in his body felt different. He walked to the mirror. Looked at the boy who'd entered the dungeon. And saw a different man staring back.
System echoed in his mind once again.
[New Quests Available.]
[Main Quest: Investigate the Power Disruption Affecting Dungeon Gates and Rifts. Priority: High.]
[Side Quest 1: Solo Clear 2x E-Rank Dungeons and 1x D-Rank Dungeon.]
[Side Quest 2: Make a Name for Yourself Among Awakened. Time Limit: 30 Days.]
Silas blinked as he muttered under his breath, shocked. "You want me to do what?"
[All quests are essential to Host's growth.]
[Failure may result in stagnation or death.]
He let out a small groan and buried his face in his palms. "I just came back from the solo E-Rank dungeon... and now you want me to do two E-Rank dungeons and one FUCKING D-RANK DUNGEON?"
[Host, please don't shout. And yes, it's for your own growth, it'll be you who'll get rewarded by it, not me.]
He sighed as a small smirk curled up on his lips. "Whatever... you just want me to get strong, right?"
He stretched his arms, muscles tight, spirit of motivation started to burn inside of his soul once again. "I'll get strong. Stronger than any other awakened in this entire world."
He turned his head to the system screen again.
"I'll start with the quest right away, no breaks."
[System is ready when you are.]