Aki wiped bone dust off his blade and opened his system panel for a moment. Level up. He didn't assign any stat points yet. Skills depend on points… I need to know what I'm lacking first, he thought. Now wasn't the time to experiment. He pushed open the flap of the last tent they hadn't checked. It was barren—no treasure, no chests, not even scrap gear. Every camp he had seen in games gave rewards. This one? Nothing. Aki's stomach tightened. This is wrong… too wrong.
He crouched, lifting a nearly-empty weapon rack—and beneath it, a square panel of wood shifted. When he pulled it aside, a narrow staircase descended into darkness.
[Aki calling out]:" Soe! Mia! You need to see this." They gathered around the opening. A faint, cold air drifted upward, carrying the scent of earth and something... rotten. They exchanged a tense look. [Soe]:" We check it. Anything hidden is never good news." They descended together.
The underground chamber they entered was massive—far larger than the camp above. Torches lit with eerie purple flames lined the stone walls. Strange runes pulsed with energy. Dust and fragments of shattered bones covered the floor like scattered leaves. Then—Aki froze. His Danger Sense exploded in his head like alarms screaming all at once. They spun around—and towering behind them stood a level 35 Skeleton Warrior. Its armor was cracked but thick. A massive greatsword dragged behind it, carving a faint groove through the stone floor. And inside its hollow eye sockets lit a deep purple glow swirled, unnatural and malevolent.
Aki's system flared:
[WARNING! ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY. TARGET FAR EXCEEDS USER LEVEL.]
His breath hitched. But there's no way out. Soe's jaw clenched.Sweat trickled down his cheek. Even as an Iron Elite, this thing was above him—maybe far above. Yet instead of backing away, a crooked grin slowly formed on his face. [Soe]:" Aki,Mia. This is gonna be rough… so let's hit it with everything we've got." Aki nodded sharply, drawing his sword with trembling hands.
Mia swallowed hard. Her knees shook, her staff quivered—but seeing Aki and Soe standing firm in front of her made her chest steady. She stepped behind them, planting her staff into the ground, her lips already beginning to shape a spell.
The Skeleton Warrior lifted its greatsword with a creaking, grinding sound, purple light leaking from the cracks in its bones.
The Skeleton Warrior moved first. With a roar-like rattle, it swung its greatsword horizontally—so fast the air cracked. Aki barely ducked in time, the blade carving a trench in the stone behind him. Soe charged.
His fist glowed with raw mana as he slammed it into the Skeleton's ribcage. The impact echoed, the monster stumbling half a step back—but only half. It lifted a heavy, cracked arm and backhanded Soe with enough force to send him skidding across the ground.
Aki darted in, slashing across the Warrior's leg joints. Sparks flew as his blade collided with bone as tough as metal. The Warrior pivoted toward Aki immediately, swinging its sword down in a devastating overhead strike. " Aki, move!" Aki rolled aside just as the greatsword smashed the ground, shaking the entire underground chamber. Soe leaped onto its back, locking an arm around its skull. [Soe yelling]:" Break already!"
The Skeleton grabbed him and hurled him away like a ragdoll. Soe crashed into a pillar but got up with a grin [Soe]:" Heh… tough bastard." They kept at it—Aki slashing, Soe punching through bone fragments—but the monster's health barely dropped. After minutes of relentless fighting they had only managed to cut it down to around three-quarters HP.Soe clicked his tongue. [Soe]:" This isn't working. Aki, cover me." A dangerous smile crept across his face.
[Soe yelling]:" Rage Mode!" Mana erupted from Soe like an explosion. His muscles tightened, veins glowing red with energy. His eyes turned sharp, wild—his entire aura became that of a beast unleashed. He blurred forward. His first punch cracked the Skeleton's sternum. His second shattered the entire left side of its ribs. His third blow launched the monster into a wall, bone fragments spraying like shrapnel. Aki watched in awe. Soe's speed… he tripled it!?
The Warrior roared, swinging wildly, but Soe was everywhere—dodging, striking, ripping bone apart with bare-handed fury. For a moment, Aki believed Soe alone could finish it. But Rage Mode had a limit. Soe staggered. The red aura flickered. The Skeleton seized that moment, grabbing him by the face and slamming him into the stone wall so hard the surface cracked like glass. Before it could crush him completely, Aki charged in, striking the monster's wrist. [Aki]:" Let him go!" The Warrior tossed Soe aside like debris and raised its sword toward Aki.
Mia aimed her staff towards Aki. A yellow aura surrounded him. [Mia]:" Aki, this is a boost that drains 90% of my mana finish it off quickly!" A surge of magic shot into him. His body felt light—electric—like lightning was crawling under his skin. Aki inhaled sharply. [Aki exhaling]:" Blitz!" He vanished. A streak of light tore through the chamber as Aki reappeared behind the Skeleton, blade slightly drawn then he fully sheathed it. The Skeleton Warrior split in half, its purple glow flickering… then fading into nothing as its bones collapsed. Aki dropped to one knee, panting. [Aki faintly smiling]:" We… did it…" Then the world tilted. He collapsed. Last thing he had was Mia calling out his name.
Aki's eyes fluttered open. The world swayed gently. The sky above him glowed orange with the fading sunset. Warm air brushed against his face… and then he realized—He was being carried. Soe trudged along the dirt path toward the Western village, Aki slung carefully over his back. His clothes were torn, his arms bruised, but his steps were steady. When he noticed movement, he glanced back. Soe slowed to a stop and gently set Aki down on his feet.
Aki blinked, surprised.
His body… didn't hurt at all. No broken bones, no open wounds. Though his limbs felt like jelly, he was physically fine. [Soe]:" So how do you feel, Mia poured her heart out to heal the both of us." Aki looked around but she was nowhere insight. [Soe]:" She already left to take her brother home. She can heal the body but can't wake you up if your mind's exhausted." Aki was Aki tried to take a step forward but nearly stumbled. His legs shook from fatigue. Soe instantly steadied him. "Easy. You used up everything you had." Aki sighed, embarrassed. "Yeah… kinda feels like it." Soe gave a quiet chuckle. "Listen, you should head home for now. I'll go to the guild, explain everything, and collect your reward." Aki blinked. "You… will?" "Of course. We fought together. Leave it to me. But—"
He extended his hand. "I'll need your adventurer card."
Aki hesitated. The card was important. But after everything they had gone through—nearly dying together—he trusted Soe. Slowly, he placed the card into his hand. "Alright… Let's meet at the Midnight Café." [Soe smirking]: "Sounds good. Tomorrow, eight in the morning." They reached the Western gate and parted ways—Aki toward his hotel and Soe to the guild.
Aki didn't bother with the lights. He dropped onto the bed, sinking into the sheets with a long breath. He opened his system. Level 5. He stared at the blinking stat points but his mind was too clouded to think. [Aki tiredly]:" I'll deal with that… tomorrow…" He shut the system off, crawled under the blanket, and sleep claimed him instantly.
Somewhere in an unknown area, a round table in a dark room surrounded by six chairs. On the main seat, a single shadowed figure leaned back, fingers tapping slowly against the armrest. Its voice echoed like a whisper buried in darkness. "So… they found it already." A pause. Then a low, amused chuckle. "No matter. There are more where that came from." The darkness swallowed the room once again.