Gen strolled slowly around the makeshift camp outside the Dungeon's entrance, observing in silence. To him, this was a new world—the sound of life, of ambition and hope. A way of living far different from Earth.
Every step he took drew curious and wary eyes. These were the stares of people who had no idea who he was or what he was searching for.
Around a smoky campfire, a group of adventurers laughed raucously, stuffing their mouths with sizzling meat while trading exaggerated tales of their heroic exploits. In another corner, several warriors silently slid blades into scabbards, tightened straps, and adjusted armor, preparing for another venture into the Dungeon. Whether they were chasing after Celestia's party or merely gambling with death one more time, it was all the same.
Some dozed off from exhaustion; others schemed behind ragged tent curtains. The murmur of voices, the clang of metal, and the mingling scents of sweat and burnt grass created an atmosphere both lively and tense.
It was a chaotic harmony—the fragile life on the edge of death.
And amidst all that, Gen walked like a misplaced soul. He belonged to neither the noise nor the ambitious plans of those around him. To him, the excitement aboveground was just a flimsy veil masking the dark gate below—the Dungeon, breathing in silence, like a slumbering beast awaiting foolish prey.
---
Gen stopped when something caught his eye.
A young man, looking like a lost deer among wolves, sat curled beside a dying fire. Pale-skinned and delicate, the flickering flames cast shadows across his almost ethereal face.
He seemed to be about twenty, wearing a worn-out blue cloak. Everything about him screamed out of place. Too frail. Too green. Yet the wooden staff in his grip gave him away—a Mage.
Gen tilted his head slightly, studying him like some curious object.
The boy had a strange presence—something fairytale-like, misplaced within this fantasy world. That hint of "fantasy aroma" sparked Gen's interest, even nostalgia.
Unable to resist, Gen approached and stopped before the dwindling fire.
"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, voice like a breeze, smile unreadable.
"E... Err?"
The young man jumped, wide-eyed like he'd just seen a wild wolf. His lips parted, but no words came.
An awkward silence hung between them.
"You can either say no, or invite me. Don't stare like that... it's rude."
With a shrug, Gen sat down anyway, extending his hands toward the fire as if they were old acquaintances.
"Y-Yes!" the young man stammered, sitting upright like a student caught daydreaming in class.
"Have we met before?"
"What's your name?" Gen asked, eyes glittering with subtle curiosity.
"I-I'm Lee... Gin Lee..." His voice trembled, not entirely from fear, but as if asserting his own existence.
"Hmm? I'm Gen. Well, now we know each other."
Gen smiled, while Lee lowered his gaze, gripping his staff tightly. The air between them balanced precariously between friendliness and threat.
"Lee... Level 30..." Gen muttered under his breath, reading the status window only he could see. "Impressive. Almost like Celestia."
"Did you say something?" Lee asked, frowning at Gen's mumbling.
"Nothing important," Gen grinned like an older brother teasing his shy sibling. "Aren't you going into the Dungeon?"
"My... my two teammates told me to wait here. They'll be back soon, probably."
Lee spoke so softly it was like he was whispering to himself, his eyes glancing nervously toward the forest.
"Got a spare sword, friend?" Gen glanced at a nearby tent, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
"..."
"Don't worry, I'm just borrowing, not stealing!" Gen chuckled lightly, though the playfulness made his intent even more suspicious.
Lee gripped his staff tighter, silence thickening around them. He didn't speak, just shook his head slowly, eyes cautious.
"Sigh... fine then. If you do head into the Dungeon, maybe we'll meet again."
Gen stood, brushed the dust from his knees, and walked off without waiting for a reply.
Lee sat frozen, eyes following Gen's back until he vanished behind the layered tents. He didn't speak a word. In his eyes swirled secrets best left untold.
GinLee. A name that sounded ordinary, but few knew he was a genius Mage. His power wasn't from training or study, but from blood—he was the descendant of one of the two legendary Heroes who once saved the continent.
The immense magical power within him made him cautious. If discovered, he'd become prey to greed. His shy nature made him a perfect target for manipulation.
---
Meanwhile, Gen now stood before the Dungeon entrance. The silence was suffocating. Only the cold wind whispering through cracks in the stone broke it.
A red symbol flashed in mid-air:
[WARNING: DANGEROUS ZONE]
Perfect.
Gen crouched to retrieve the old spear he'd tossed aside earlier.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
Footsteps echoed down the stone staircase, like whispers from forgotten souls. The deeper he went, the more the air stank—damp, rancid, nauseating.
A single water droplet fell from the ceiling.
Drip...
In this silence, it might as well have been a funeral bell.
He didn't look back. He kept walking.
Down and down, past the point of knowing how long it had been. Ten minutes? Ten years? Time warped in the dark. It was like the Dungeon was eating away his memories.
Eventually, he reached the final step.
Before him stretched a long, dim corridor. Strange symbols and claw marks scarred the walls. The low ceiling dripped water onto his shoulder.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Perfect... This is exactly the atmosphere I was hoping for."
He moved forward—a man belonging neither to light nor seeking permission from darkness.
---
Suddenly, a stench hit his nose. Wet, rotten, unmistakably alive yet dead.
He crouched and touched a sticky slime trail on the ground—warm, fresh.
Slick...
A sound echoed ahead.
BANG!
A bloated, maggot-like creature fell from the ceiling, sliding across the stone.
[Worm – Level 10]
Another burst from the cracked wall.
[Worm – Level 12]
They didn't attack yet—instead, they slithered in arcs, encircling their prey. Their eyeless faces oozed hunger.
Gen frowned. "Smarter than they look."
He lunged forward. The spear flashed, piercing the first Worm's neck. A jet of green blood hissed as it hit the floor.
SCREEEECH!
The other one reared back.
It was inhaling.
"Shit!"
Gen dodged just as corrosive slime sprayed out, melting the floor.
He countered, switching grip and jabbing the spear sideways into its head.
Its body convulsed, twitched... then fell.
Two corpses. Two pools of noxious fluid.
"Low-level, but disgusting..."
[LEVEL UP!]
Gen blinked at the sudden alert.
Clink.
Something dropped.
Two shining items appeared where the monsters had died.
A mint-green sword and a matching bracelet. Loot.
He picked up the sword. A strange power coursed through him.
STATUS SCREEN Name: Gen | Age: 23 | Gender: Male Race: Human Title: None Class: Mid-Tier Soldier HP: 102/102 | MP: 52/56 Level: 10
Strength: 139 +15 +5 Magic Resistance: 28 Magic: 56 Physical Resistance: 51 Agility: 126
Unique Skill: None Basic Skills: [Appraisal], [Swordsmanship Lv3] Condition: Normal (Amnesia)
"So that's it."
+15 strength from the sword, +5 from the spear. Not bad.
He picked up the bracelet. His magic stat rose slightly. Every bit of power counted here.
Equipped and ready, he went deeper into the dark.
---
Thirty minutes later, Gen stood before a massive stone wall shaped like a coffin.
He stared in silence.
A hidden notification only he could see popped up:
[Notification: Devastated Tomb located] [WARNING: Recommended Level 50] [Activate?] [Yes/No]
"Devastated Tomb?" The name alone gave him chills.
He pressed [Yes].
WHOOSH.
The world distorted. Light and shadow blurred.
When his vision returned, he was elsewhere.
Cold. Grim.
White mist covered a field of nameless graves. A silent cemetery.
Suddenly, grotesque moans echoed.
Rotting arms burst from the soil. Decomposed corpses pulled themselves up, eyeless and slack-jawed.
[Bloodsucking – Level 40]
Too many. Like a swarm of ants.
Then, a loud rumble.
BOOM!
At the center, a massive stone coffin opened.
Inside, a pale figure sat up.
[King Bloodsucking – Level 50]
Dracula-like, but soulless. Empty eyes. Razor fangs.
"Now this is exciting..."
Gen smiled coldly, letting go of his weapons.
"Let's begin, shall we?"