The crack of the whip echoed across the cavern.
A boy staggered forward, his frail body trembling under the weight of the iron pickaxe he carried. His hands were blistered, the skin torn from years of labor, yet no one pitied him. Around him, dozens of men and women worked in silence, their backs bent, their chains clinking like a cruel song.
This was the Bloodstone Mine, the property of the Demon Kingdom.
And he… he was nothing more than a slave.
His name was Kael.
---
The air reeked of dust and sweat, the ground stained dark with the blood of those who collapsed. Kael had stopped counting the days. The sun never reached this cavern, and time lost all meaning.
"Move faster, human!" a Demon overseer barked, his crimson eyes glowing with malice. He raised his whip again.
Crack!
Kael gritted his teeth, biting back the pain as the leather cut across his back. His knees threatened to give out, but he pushed himself upright. He couldn't fall. He couldn't die here.
Not yet.
---
Humans were the lowest race in this world. Slaves, servants, fodder for dungeon beasts. While elves basked in eternal forests, demons ruled with fire, and beastkin roamed freely, humans were shackled.
Kael had once heard stories whispered by an old slave—of a time when humans had kings, armies, and heroes. But those were fairy tales, erased by the victors of history. Now, they were weak. Now, they were forgotten.
Kael hated it.
He hated his trembling hands. He hated the fear in the eyes of his people. He hated the gods who cursed them.
And deep in his heart, he swore: If even a sliver of strength was given to me, I would tear this world apart.
---
That night, when the overseers left and the slaves huddled together in the dark, Kael lay awake. His body screamed in pain, but his mind refused to rest.
A faint glow caught his eye.
At first, he thought it was his imagination—a trick of exhaustion. But no, the light was real. It seeped through a crack in the cavern wall, faint and pulsing, like a heartbeat.
Kael crawled closer. The chains on his ankles clinked softly, and he held his breath, fearing discovery.
The glow grew brighter.
He pressed his hand against the stone.
Crack.
The wall shifted. A hidden passage opened before him, revealing a staircase spiraling downward into endless darkness.
---
Kael's heart pounded.
He should call the others. He should alert someone. But something inside him whispered—no, urged—him to go alone.
The air was different here. Heavy. Ancient.
With trembling steps, Kael descended.
The deeper he went, the louder the heartbeat became. It wasn't sound—it was inside his chest, resonating with his own pulse. His chains felt lighter. His fear began to blur into curiosity.
At last, the staircase ended.
Before him stood a massive door of black stone, etched with runes that glowed faintly blue. A circle was carved in the center, shaped perfectly to fit a human hand.
Kael hesitated.
If this was a trap, it would be the end. But if it wasn't…
He pressed his palm against the stone.
---
The runes flared.
A blinding light engulfed him.
For a moment, he thought he was burning alive. But when the light faded, he found himself standing not in the cavern, but in a vast hall of marble.
Towering pillars stretched into a sky of swirling stars. Floating islands drifted in the distance, waterfalls of light pouring from them into the void. The air thrummed with power.
A voice echoed, ancient and cold:
"Welcome, Human. You are the first in centuries to open the Gate of the Infinite."
Kael froze. His knees threatened to buckle, but the voice continued:
"This is the Infinite Dungeon. The path of endless trials. The path of forgotten kings. If you survive, power shall be yours. If you fail, you shall become its dust."
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
An unseen force wrapped around his wrist. A glowing mark etched itself into his skin—a circle with black chains spiraling inward.
A system message rang in his mind:
[Cursed System Activated]
Condition: Human Only
Ability: All experience gained is multiplied. Growth without limit. Curse: All races will see you as an enemy of the world.
Kael's eyes widened. His hands trembled—not with fear, but with exhilaration.
For the first time in his life, he felt it.
Strength.
The chains on his ankles shattered into dust.
Kael clenched his fist, feeling energy surge through his veins. He looked at the endless stairway leading down, the entrance to the Infinite Dungeon.
His lips curled into a smile.
"For so l
ong, you've treated humans like dirt… Now it's my turn."
And with that, Kael took his first step into the dungeon.
---
To be continue...