The alarm rang at seven. For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling. I still wasn't sure if what had happened the night before was real or just a dream.
But the faint ache in my muscles and the strange lightness in my body told me the truth — it had been real.
I had killed monsters.
I got up, showered, and looked at myself in the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes were gone, and my body felt firmer, sharper — as if I'd spent months training.
I stared a moment longer, then smiled.
—Alright… this is actually awesome.
I grabbed my backpack and stepped outside. The fresh air of Queens hit me like every other morning, but the world felt different now — smaller, more manageable… weaker.
Midtown High
The hallways buzzed with the usual chaos — laughter, complaints, hurried footsteps.
Peter was explaining to Ned how to modify a homemade induction coil, while MJ leaned against a locker, reading a red-covered book.
—Ethan! —Ned called— Did you see the new Star Wars trailer?
—Nah, I crashed early last night —I lied.
Peter looked up with a grin. —You? Sleeping early? That's new.
I shrugged. —Trying to build better habits.
The morning drifted by between boring classes and terrible coffee.
In the science lab, Gwen arrived late, her hair tied up in a high ponytail. When she passed by my table, she smiled — the kind of smile that made everything else fade away.
—Hey, you okay? You seemed kinda off yesterday.
—Yeah, just tired —I scratched my neck—. Been having… busy days.
—Yeah, the school does that to you —she said, laughing.
We worked side by side, measuring chemical reactions.
Funny thing: even though the system had made me something close to superhuman, spending time with her felt harder than facing three goblins at once.
When classes ended, we walked toward the bus stop. Peter and Ned were arguing about tungsten conductivity, while MJ complained about the noise.
—See you tomorrow, Blake —Gwen said, lightly tapping my arm.
—See you —I replied, trying to keep the smile natural.
When they turned the corner, I waited a few seconds and took the next bus.
The Way Home
The ride back was quiet.
The city looked the same, but I didn't.
I stared out the window, thinking about the dungeon — the monsters, the fights, the rush.
I couldn't tell anyone about it, and somehow, that made it even more addictive.
When I reached my stop, I climbed the stairs to the third floor and unlocked the door to my apartment. Silence. Perfect.
I dropped my backpack, closed the curtains, and took a deep breath.
[Ding!] Dungeon Portal Available.
Enter Floor 2?
—Let's do this.
The floor glowed with a blue light — and the world vanished.
Ancient Catacombs
The air was damp and heavy, the ground cracked stone.
Unlike the first floor, there were no screams or roars here — just an oppressive silence and the faint sound of bones scraping rock.
[Ding!] Interdimensional Dungeon: Floor 2 – Ancient Catacombs
Objective: Clear the area and defeat the floor boss.
Difficulty: Medium-Low.
A skeleton armed with a rusted sword lunged from the dark.
Its attack was clumsy but fast. I dodged, countered with a clean slash — the skull split in two, and the body crumbled.
[Ding!] Skeleton defeated.+10 XP | +5 $.
The next minutes blurred together in a steady rhythm of combat.
Three, six, ten, twenty enemies.
At first it was exhausting, but my body adapted fast — every motion smoother, every strike sharper.
When a dozen skeletons surrounded me, I activated Shadow Step.
The world slowed down. Their movements became predictable — sluggish, like a dream.
I struck three times in a blink.
When the ability faded, they were already collapsing to the floor.
[Ding!] You have reached Level 4.
I opened my panel.
[Player Status]
Name: Ethan Blake
General Level: 4
Class Level (Scout): 2
Experience: 62/200
Credits: 126 $
Strength: 12
Agility: 16
Constitution: 12
Energy: 11
Class Bonus per Level: +1 Strength / +1 Constitution / +3 Agility / +2 Energy
Skills:
Accelerated Healing (Passive)Instinctive StrikeShadow Step (Lv. 1)The Floor Guardian
After more than an hour of fighting, I reached the final chamber.
A larger skeleton stood there, glowing red runes carved into its bones, wielding a broken sword.
Its first strike was brutal — it grazed my shoulder, and the wound closed seconds later.
I countered — dodge, spin, slash.
The fight lasted barely a minute.
When the guardian fell, a surge of blue light spread through the stone floor.
[Ding!] Boss defeated: Skeletal Guardian (Lv. 5).
+50 XP | +40 $.
Item obtained: Magic Energy Core (Uncommon).
You've reached Level 5.
Scout Class Level +1.
[Status Update]
General Level: 5
Class Level: 3
Experience: 12/300
Credits: 166 $
Strength: 13
Agility: 19
Constitution: 13
Energy: 13
New Class Skill: Instinct Vision – Detects nearby hostile movements for 3 seconds.
I smiled.
This wasn't luck anymore — it was evolution.
The portal closed, and I was back in my room.
[Ding!] Sufficient credits accumulated for materialization.
Convert to physical currency?
—Yes.
A small stack of bills appeared on my desk.
I touched them. Real.
—Perfect.
Then I looked at the glowing object in my hand — the Magic Energy Core.
A faint blue pulse radiated from within.
[Item Description:] Condensed energy fragment. Can be sold, used as a catalyst, or absorbed via compatible ability.
—Catalyst, huh? Sounds risky.
I stored it inside a metal box.
I didn't have the knowledge to handle it yet — maybe later, when I learned more… or picked a class that could.
I laid back on my bed, body relaxed but mind restless.
Gwen, Midtown, the dungeons — my life was running at two different speeds.
[Ding!] Side Mission Unlocked: "Shadows in Queens"
Description: Reports of disappearances and violent robberies near Queensboro Plaza subway.
Police suspect a local gang, but the system has detected an unusual energy signature possibly linked to advanced technology.
Investigate and resolve the incident.
Objectives:
Explore the area, locate the source of the attacks and neutralize those responsible
Reward: Experience + Random Skill (High chance: Observation/Analysis type)
I read it twice.
This wasn't a dungeon — this was the real world.
And that made it far more interesting.
—Time to see how useful I am outside the game.
I turned off the lights, though my heartbeat refused to slow down.
A new mission had just begun… and something told me it wouldn't be the last.