Zack stood in the gray void, his body thrumming with new power. He had just crushed 30 red cubes, and the energy was still settling in. The poison was gone, his wounds were healed, but he was breathing hard. The fight had been difficult.
He looked at his stats, the uneven numbers glowing in the air.
Strength: 38.4
Agility: 38.9
Stamina: 38.3
Spirit: 37.5
Defense: 37.1
He was stronger, but he still wasn't at 40.0. He was still a long way from his goal of 50.0. He needed more.
[System Rank Update: Host stats are 10-20 points below D-Rank requirement (50.0).][Host Sub-Rank promoted: E-Rank (Intermediate).]
The new rank felt good, but it wasn't enough. It just confirmed how far he had to go.
"I'm not done," he said, his voice hard. "Send me the next wave."
[E-Rank (High) Assessment Wave 2 Initiated.]
Zack planted his feet, his hands glowing with dark energy. He was ready for the final push.
A new portal tore open. This time, the monsters were different. Two Orc Ravagers (E-Rank High) stormed out. They were bigger than the Brutes, unarmored, and carried two axes each. They were Berserkers. Behind them, four Goblin Trappers (E-Rank High) fanned out. They didn't have daggers; they had small bags, and their hands were full of what looked like metal caltrops and small snares. And in the back, a single, tall, thin goblin in dark robes held a staff topped with a skull. A Goblin Hexxer (E-Rank High). It was a Warlock or Shaman that specialized in curses, not fireballs.
This was another tactical nightmare. The Ravagers were pure damage. The Trappers would try to lock him in place. The Hexxer would weaken him.
The Hexxer's skull-staff began to glow with a sickly purple light. It pointed at Zack. [Host has been afflicted with: Minor Curse of Weakness.][All stats temporarily reduced by 10%.]
Zack suddenly felt heavy. His 38.4 Strength felt like 34. His 38.9 Agility felt sluggish. "No!" he yelled. This was the worst possible thing that could happen. The two Orc Ravagers roared and charged, their axes raised. At the same time, the four Trappers threw their hands out, scattering dozens of sharp metal caltrops on the floor between Zack and the Hexxer. They were building a "kill zone."
Zack was now weaker, and his path to the caster was blocked by traps. He had to make a choice. Fight the Orcs while weakened, or risk the traps to kill the Hexxer. He chose the Hexxer.
He sprinted forward, ignoring the charging Orcs. He ran right onto the field of caltrops. SKRCH! The sharp metal points, designed to pierce Hunter boots, tore through the bottom of his sneakers. A sharp, intense pain shot up his legs, but his 37.1 Defense (now 33.4) kept the points from going deep into his bone. It hurt, but it didn't stop him.
He pushed through the pain, his feet bleeding. He was a ruthless animal. The Goblin Trappers looked shocked. They hadn't expected him to just run through their trap. The Hexxer looked terrified. Its main protection was gone.
Zack, his feet on fire, reached the Hexxer. The monster tried to jab him with its staff. Zack's dark [God-Eater] hand grabbed the staff, and the wood crumbled to dust under his power. He grabbed the Hexxer's head. "Your curse is broken," he snarled. He drained the monster. It dissolved instantly.
[You have killed an E-Rank (High) Goblin Hexxer. Spirit Cube (Red) x5 obtained.][Curse of Weakness has been lifted. Stats restored.]
The power flooded back into his limbs, just in time. The two Orc Ravagers, having turned, were charging him from behind. The four Trappers were now pulling out small snares.
Zack spun, his feet screaming in pain. He was done playing games. He met the charge of the first Orc. The monster swung both axes in a horizontal "X" shape, a move designed to cut a Hunter in half. Zack didn't dodge. He ducked. He dropped so low that both axes whistled over his head. Now he was under the Orc's arms, inside its guard. He drove both of his fists, glowing with dark power, upwards into the Orc's unguarded armpits. CRACK! He felt the bones in its shoulders shatter. The Orc roared in agony, its arms going limp. It was disarmed and helpless. Zack finished it with a brutal kick to the chest.
[You have killed an E-Rank (High) Orc Ravager. Strength Cube (Red) x4, Stamina Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
The second Ravager, seeing its partner die so quickly, hesitated. Zack used his 38.9 Agility. He was on the Orc in a flash, his dark hand chopping at its neck before it could even raise its axes. [You have killed an E-Rank (High) Orc Ravager. Strength Cube (Red) x4, Stamina Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
Now, only the four Trappers remained. They were not fighters. They looked at each other, terrified, and scattered, running in four different directions. Zack was a predator hunting his prey. "You can't run," he whispered. He chased them down, one by one. His speed was too much for them. It was a simple, brutal execution.
[You have killed an E-Rank (High) Goblin Trapper x4... Agility Cube (Red) x8 obtained.]
The dimension fell silent. Zack stood there, panting, his feet bleeding through his ruined shoes. He used [Minor Soothe] on his feet. The green light, powered by his 37.5 Spirit, was potent. The skin stitched itself back together, and the pain faded. He looked at the pile of red cubes. 8 Strength cubes. 8 Agility cubes. 4 Stamina cubes. 5 Spirit cubes. Total: 25 cubes.
He crushed them all. The warm jolt was welcome. [Stats Updated.]
Strength: 38.4 -> 39.2 (+0.8)
Agility: 38.9 -> 39.7 (+0.8)
Stamina: 38.3 -> 38.7 (+0.4)
Spirit: 37.5 -> 38.0 (+0.5)
Defense: 37.1 -> 37.1 (+0.0)
He was so close. His Agility was almost 40.0. His other stats were lagging, especially Defense. But he was tired. He could feel the exhaustion. Not just in his body, but in his mind. He had one more fight in him. The last one.
"Send the boss," he said, his voice quiet.
[E-Rank (High) Assessment Wave 3 Initiated.][E-Rank (Peak) Boss: 'Alpha Shadow-Stalker' has spawned.]
Zack's blood ran cold. The floor in front of him darkened, and a thin, man-shaped shadow rose from the ground. It had no face, just two glowing red dots for eyes. Its fingers were daggers, made of a bone-white material.
The Stalker tilted its head. And vanished. It didn't run. It was just gone.
"Where?!" Zack yelled, spinning. He closed his eyes, focusing, trusting his senses over his eyes. Scrape. A tiny sound, from his left. He spun, his right hand swinging, cloaked in darkness. CLANG! His fist hit the monster's bone-dagger. The impact sent a painful jolt up his arm. He had blocked it. The Stalker was shocked. It hadn't expected a Healer to block its attack. It vanished again.
It's too fast, Zack thought, his heart hammering. My 39.7 Agility is nothing. This thing's Agility must be 45, maybe even 50.
He didn't wait. He held up his left hand. [Minor Soothe]! The emerald light-bomb exploded. He wasn't trying to blind it. He was trying to see it. In the flash, he saw the shadow moving, using the light to hide. It was lunging at him. He threw himself to the side, rolling. The bone daggers cut the air where he had been. The Stalker stumbled, its attack missing. It was his only chance.
"RAAAH!" Zack roared. He tackled the monster from behind, wrapping his arms around its thin body. It was like holding a bundle of sharp, thrashing wires. He clamped his right [God-Eater] hand onto the back of its head. "DIE!" he screamed, draining it. The Stalker shrieked, a sound like metal on glass. It bent its body in an impossible way and stabbed backwards, plunging one of its bone daggers deep into Zack's shoulder.
"GAAAAH!" Zack roared in agony. The pain was blinding. A new poison, a cold numbness, spread from the wound. His vision started to go dark. His grip was failing. The Stalker tried to pull its dagger out for another strike. But Zack, in his pain, held on. He was ruthless. He ignored the dagger in his shoulder. He ignored the poison. He held on, his hand still on the creature's head. And he squeezed.
The Stalker's shrieking stopped. Its body went stiff. The red light in its eyes flickered, and it dissolved into a cloud of black particles.
Zack collapsed, falling onto his face, his shoulder on fire. He had won. He looked up. The ground was covered in purple cubes. The 1.0 stat point cubes. There were ten of them.
[You have killed an E-Rank (Peak) Boss. Massive rewards granted.][Agility Cube (Purple) x3 obtained.][Strength Cube (Purple) x2 obtained.][Stamina Cube (Purple) x2 obtained.][Defense Cube (Purple) x2 obtained.][Spirit Cube (Purple) x1 obtained.]
He had his 10.0 points. He smiled and crawled to the pile, his wounded arm dragging. He gathered the cubes. He crushed them.
A tsunami of pure power surged into him. The pain vanished. The poison was evaporated. He felt... perfect. He stood up.
[Stats Updated.]
Strength: 39.2 -> 41.2 (+2.0)
Agility: 39.7 -> 42.7 (+3.0)
Stamina: 38.7 -> 40.7 (+2.0)
Spirit: 38.0 -> 39.0 (+1.0)
Defense: 37.1 -> 39.1 (+2.0)
He had done it. He had smashed through the 40.0 barrier. [System Rank Update: Host stats are 10 points below D-Rank requirement (50.0).][Host Sub-Rank promoted: E-Rank (Advanced).][Congratulations, Host. You have unlocked the D-Rank Dimension.]
A new, dark blue portal opened. A Kobold Warrior (D-Rank Beginner) stepped out, holding a spear. Zack looked at the monster. He felt his new 42.7 Agility. He was ready. He took a step forward. And his legs buckled.
He fell to one knee, a wave of dizziness hitting him. "What... what's happening?" he panted. His body was healed. His stats were high. But his mind... his soul... it was empty. He had been training for hours. He had fought three brutal, back-to-back waves. The last fight had taken every drop of his mental energy. His body was a perfect engine, but the driver was asleep.
The Kobold Warrior saw his weakness. It snarled and charged. Zack tried to stand. He couldn't. He tried to summon his dark aura. It fizzled. He was completely, totally exhausted.
"No... not like this," he stammered. The Kobold was ten feet away. "EXIT!" Zack screamed, his voice cracking. "EXIT DIMENSION!"
The world froze. The Kobold vanished. [Host has exited the dimension. Training session complete.]
Zack reappeared in his dark bedroom. He collapsed onto the carpet, gasping. He was drenched in sweat, his heart hammering. He had failed. He had only reached 40-42. His goal was 50.0. He had failed. He wouldn't be ready for the dungeon. He would be a liability.
He tried to stand. He couldn't. He crawled and flopped, face-down, onto his bed. "Just... five minutes," he muttered into his pillow. "Just... rest..." He was asleep before he could finish the thought.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. His alarm. Zack's eyes peeled open. The room was bright. 9:03 AM. "The exam..." he groaned. His rank-up exam was at 10:00 AM. He had to go. He tried to sit up. "GAAAAH!" A bolt of agony shot through his entire body. Every muscle screamed in protest. He flopped back down. He couldn't go. He physically could not move. He lay there, staring at the ceiling. What's more important? he thought. A fake test... or being 1%... just 1%... more rested for a real dungeon with Emily? He knew the answer. He hit the "Off" button on the alarm. "The exam can wait," he mumbled. "I need... more time..." He was back asleep in seconds.
BZZZT. BZZZT. BZZZT. His phone. It was vibrating, loud and angry. Zack jolted awake, his body screaming. The sun was high in the sky. He grabbed the phone. It was Emily. He answered, his voice thick and rough. "Uhh... hello?" "Hey, sleepyhead!" Emily's voice was bright and cheerful. "You alive up there? I'm downstairs by the front door. You ready to go hunting?" Zack scrambled to sit up, his muscles protesting. He looked at the clock. 12:30 PM. He had missed his exam. "Yeah!" he lied, trying to sound awake. "Yeah, I'll be right down. Just... putting my gear on." He hung up and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked awful. He was exhausted. He was not at 50.0. And he was about to walk into a D-Rank dungeon. He splashed cold water on his face. "This is it," he whispered. "Time for the real thing."
[Reader's Note: Zack's Stats ]
(Grind: 1 E-Rank (High) Wave, 1 E-Rank (Peak) Boss)
Rank: E (Advanced) / (System Rank: E (Advanced))Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 41.2
Agility: 42.7
Stamina: 40.7
Spirit: 39.0
Defense: 39.1