'If I'm not wrong, it's probably been like two months since Asaru was dragged into this strange place,' monologued Emilia as she recounted what she had witnessed within this place where all sorts of nightmarish and man-eating monsters killed everything in sight.
They had encountered countless hundreds of them within this strange cave that seemed to stretch out endlessly.
And even now, Asaru was still battling against a wave of monsters, Emilia only pressing her knees against her chest, sitting as a simple witness who watched all the events unfold. But, to her greatest relief, compared to his first battle, Asaru had improved a lot since then.
"Now die!" he shouted as he killed the last of the kobolds──monsters whose scales was the color of dried blood and eyes which gleamed with desperate cunning.
[You have killed a Kobold. You have received 150 Achievement Points.]
[All stats have permanently increased.]
"And with that…"
[You have completed Scenario Sub-Quest: Conquer the Dungeon. You have received 3000 Achievement Points.]
"I've cleared all the stages of the Tutorial Dungeon," Asaru said, his expression that of a hardened veteran warrior who had lived countless life-or-death battles.
His hair had grown out. A short-sleeved tunic and chest plate covered up his upper body. A black scarf wrapped around his neck. Brown trousers clothed his lower half. White bandages were wrapped up to his forearms, and in his grip, his sword was covered in the dried-up purple blood of the kobold.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Name: Asaru Takayoshi]
[Age: 16]
[HP: 9600/9600]
[AP: 25000]
[Stats]
[STR: 275]
[AGI: 240]
[STA: 205]
[PER: 250]
[INT: 290]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'To think that this is what they call a tutorial. I can't even remember all the times I was about to die,' Asaru thought as he and Emilia remembered all his hardships throughout the Tutorial.
Hunting monsters to accumulate Achievement Points which helped him sustain himself and his needs.
Increasing his stats and perfecting his battle sense to acquire the strength needed to survive in this harsh environment that was the dungeon.
There was never a moment of respite for him as every day was simply another struggle to survive.
He had since lost any part of his past self in order to survive.
He had fought against all sorts of abominations that pushed him and his sanity to the limit.
Beasts whose eyes glowed like burning coals in the darkness with fangs jagged like daggers and their massive forms eclipsing what little light remained.
Living shadows descending from grotesque canopies, their wings a blur of dark malice each carrying venomous barb humming with dark energy
Tides of fury erupting from the darkness with muscles corded and slick with gore, embodiment of primal violence.
Even creatures in human skin who fight, talk and act like humans but possesses unparalleled strength. Sometimes men, women, children or even the elderly came at him ready to kill.
There was no way of saying if they were real or not. He only ever had one option if he wanted to survive──kill or be killed. And Emilia, she had witnessed it all, and amidst her observation, a growing sense of discovery gripped her heart, something she had probably understood for a while now.
'This place is way too messed up, but… finally… I can finally get out of here,' Asaru said, his mentally exhausted eyes recovering some life while Emilia's seemed darker and more burdened with a truth she never expected to come upon.
"Just one fight and it's over. Only one last battle," he muttered as he advanced towards to Boss room followed by Emilia who was unaware of the silhouette that followed them in the shadows, a streak of silver-white hair swaying as it kept its distance from them.
Several hours later, walking at his pace and recuperating some of his stamina, Asaru finally reached the Boss Room of the Tutorial Dungeon.
"Guess this is it?" Asaru muttered, his voice tinged with both hope and dread as he looked around him, noticing that he was in what seemed to be old ruins.
Most of the walls were covered in ancient runes with the stones covered by overgrown vines, and at the very center of the ruins, a giant door stood before him.
Without a doubt, behind this door was the dungeon boss.
"Better be prepared than sorry."
[You have purchased Full Recovery Buff. You have used 1000 Achievement Points.]
[AP: 23000]
"If things get too intense, I can still use this to turn the tides," he released a short breath, trying to steady his heart. "Now… on to the main quest."
As he opened and passed through the door, Asaru's and Emilia's visions were blurred by blinding light.
The next moment, they opened their eyes in an expansive, blinding white void. Something that Emilia found eerily familiar.
The ground beneath them was a seamless plane, stretching infinitely in all directions, devoid of any distinguishing features. But unlike Emilia, confusion clouded Asaru's mind as they then noticed a solitary figure hovering above the ground.
It was a shadowy, indistinct form made of pure darkness and possessing an ethereal aura with eyes that glowed with an otherworldly golden light.
[You have encountered the Dungeon Boss: Shadow Spirit of the Nameless Sword.]
The Shadow's eyes met Asaru's with a piercing gaze that could make one think that a grin was stretching from ear to ear, playing on its lips. It was almost as if the darkness itself was alive with malevolent amusement.
Asaru, still trying to process his surroundings, felt a pang of anxiety as he and Emilia felt the powerful aura and bloodlust emanating from the monster in front of him. "Who-who are you? No… What are you?"
Emilia had the same question plaguing her mind, but in response, the Shadow simply seemed to… chuckle?
Asaru frowned, unable to tell what thoughts were behind the Shadow's laughter. "What the hell?"
The Shadow's form shimmered with impatient energy as it flickered with an enigmatic smile, conjuring and materializing two black blades that emerged from its hands.
"Wha the―?!"
Asaru didn't even have time to finish his sentence as the Shadow moved with sudden aggression, lashing out at incredible speed.
Its attack, only a blur of dark, crackling energy, was one aimed with deadly precision as Asaru, his sword clashing against the Shadow's blades with a resounding clang, and his arms feeling numb from the sheer force of the impact, barely managed to block its attacks.
In an instant, Asaru's eyes narrowed as he pushed back the shadow with his sword and then shifted to a defensive stance.
'Damn it all! This is going to be rough,' though the young survivor as Emilia, just like usual, could only hope and pray that he survived yet again.
As the fight continued, Asaru dodged and parried the Shadow's with practiced skill, but not without consequences as a sharp pain flared in his abdomen as one of the dark blades grazed him, causing him to spit out blood as worry etched itself on Emilia's face while she clenched her fists tightly in frustration.
But not just his abdomen, Asaru's right leg was also wounded, each attack from the Shadow continuing to increase the damage he had already taken.
What seemed to be the Shadow's laughter echoed ominously throughout the void as it continued its relentless attacks which gave no time for Asaru to breathe.
Asaru's thoughts raced as he continued to fend off against the shadow's attacks, exhaustion clouding his vision and his body aching from the relentless onslaught.
'To defeat him I need to surpass him. If I can't do that, then that means I'll die here today.'
Gritting his teeth, Asaru summoned his remaining strength, seizing an opportunity and countering by grazing the Shadow's face who, momentarily surprised, leaped in retreat.
Taking a deep breath, Asaru, his ash-brown eyes glazed and glinting with a golden hue but focused with fierce determination akin to a beast's burning within them, fell into a trance-like state.
[You have used a Full Recovery Buff. All injuries have been healed.]
Healing all his previous injuries, Ace vanished from sight and reappeared behind the Shadow, his movements becoming a fluid combination of evasion and precision while a scorching, intense silver aura began to emanate from his body.
The Shadow, momentarily taken aback by this sudden evolution, struggled to land an attack as Asaru, who had always been on the receiving end, was now attacking more precisely and ferociously than before.
In a decisive moment, Asaru channeled the energy that surrounded him into a concentrated blade of pure power which, with a single, sweeping motion, struck downwards towards the Shadow.
"IT'S OVER! NOW DIIIIIEEEEEE!" he screamed to the top of his lungs as the energy blade sliced through the Shadow's form with devastating force, Emilia watching in awe and joyful relief.
As the Shadow's form finally dissipated, Asaru stumbled back, his body trembling from the strain of his attack, barely able to keep his footing.
[You have defeated the Dungeon Boss: Shadow Spirit of the Nameless Sword. All stats have permanently increased.]