The closer I got to the entrance of \[Green Paradise], the tighter my chest felt.
It wasn't fear—at least, not entirely. It was more like the weight of knowing this choice would define everything that came next. Going in alone was suicide for most fresh hunters, but I wasn't *most hunters*.
I glanced at my status one more time.
\[Status Open]
\[Name: Logan Reed]
Level: 2
\[HP: 12/12]
\[MP: ∞ ]
\[Strength: 12]
\[Defense: 12]
\[Agility: 12]
\[Trait: — ]
\[Skill: Fireball]
That infinite \[MP] was something no one else seemed to have. And if I didn't test it now, then when?
The dungeon portal shimmered before me, a towering oval of emerald light hovering a few feet off the ground. The atmosphere around it hummed faintly, pulling at me like a magnet. A few hunters stood nearby—some in pairs, some in full squads—giving me side glances as I approached.
"You alone, kid?" one of them called, a man with a spear strapped to his back.
"Yeah," I said flatly, trying not to show nerves.
He smirked, shaking his head. "Brave, or stupid. Hope you're not the latter."
I ignored him and stepped through the gate.
---
\[Green Paradise] was nothing like Alpine Square. Where the goblin grasslands were sparse and bleak, this place was lush, almost unnaturally so. The trees glowed faintly green, their leaves shimmering like crystal. The air smelled sweet, laced with something that tingled in my lungs.
But beauty in dungeons was always a lie.
I took one cautious step forward and tightened my grip on the dagger at my side. My goal wasn't survival today—it was testing \[Fireball] with my strange mana pool.
The first monster appeared within minutes.
A \[Verdant Wolf], its fur glistening like moss under sunlight. It crouched low, emerald eyes locked on me, and let out a guttural growl before sprinting.
I didn't panic.
"\[Fireball]."
The word left my lips naturally, and heat surged through my hand. A sphere of flame burst into existence, brighter and hotter than anything I'd seen yesterday. The wolf leapt at me, but I hurled the fireball straight into its chest.
*BOOM!*
The explosion rocked the clearing, flames engulfing the beast midair. It hit the ground with a smoking thud, already dissolving into shimmering particles.
My chest tightened—not from exhaustion, but exhilaration.
"Again."
\[Fireball]—another orb formed instantly. I cast it at nothing, watching the fireball explode against a tree trunk, leaving charred bark behind.
Then another.
And another.
Ten. Twenty. Fifty. Each time, the fireball appeared just as strong as the first. No lag. No fatigue. My mana was endless.
When I finally stopped, my heart was racing—not from effort, but from realization.
This… wasn't normal. This wasn't just a quirk of awakening. If word of this got out, I'd be hunted—by guilds, corporations, maybe even the government. Nobody would let someone with infinite mana roam free.
"Which means," I whispered to myself, "I can't let anyone know."
The wolf left behind a faintly glowing green \[Vitality Core]. I crouched and picked it up, feeling its warmth pulse in my palm. I could consume it right now, strengthen myself… but I hesitated.
Because if my mana was infinite, then what would happen when I started stacking cores on top of it?
I slipped the core into my satchel. My path was clear: grow quietly, avoid attention, and one day step into the higher dungeons not as cannon fodder… but as a storm no one could stand against.
For now, though, I looked deeper into the glowing forest.
"Let's see how far this goes."
And with fire gathering once more in my palm, I stepped forward into \[Green Paradise].