Obi grinned, resting his sword on his shoulder. The chest floated on the water's surface, beckoning them forward with a faint glow.
Finally, they reached the chest.
Obi froze, an idea clearly hitting him, then pointed dramatically at Zack.
"Open it! You're a Priest, so your karma should be solid."
Point rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me that's the new meta good karma = better loot?"
His calm gaze met theirs, a faint trace of amusement dancing in his eyes.
He stepped forward and reached out. The chest shivered under his touch, a metallic pulse traveling up his fingers. For a moment, silence hung in the air, broken only by the soft creak of its hinges as the lid began to rise.
A faint glow seeped from within, spilling light across the clearing, hinting at the treasures concealed inside.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Server Achievement Unlocked!
[Zack] [Obi The Shield-Breaker][Point and Shoot]
Title: Pioneer of Loot +10 HP and +1 DEF per chest opened.
Drops-
Ring of Minor Vitality — +10 HP, +50% Healing Rate
Magic Wand (Uncommon)— +30-35 Magic Attack, +8 INT
Skill scroll: Fireball — (150% Magic Damage)
Skill scroll: Detect — (Effect: Show's opponent weak points)
Not bad, Zack thought, tilting his head a little. He hadn't seen that one coming.
A title reward. Even better, it automatically went to everyone in the party.
Obi let out a booming laugh, already checking his stats. "Ha! Told you we'd get something good!"
Point blinked at the notification, then grinned. "You should get killed more often, it's good for the team"
He remained calm, examining the drops in detail. One item caught his eye — a Detect skill. He could already see its potential in PvP and solo play.
"Mind if I take this one?" Zack asked, pointing towards the skill. "It'll help with solo'ing and I might need it soon"
He knew that if he could see the skill's potential, the others probably would too.
He figured it was worth a try, fully expecting them to reject him but to his surprise, Obi just chuckled.
Zack hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by Obi's calm chuckle then suddenly, the Detect Skill Scroll and Ring of Minor Vitality were placed in his hands.
"You're a Priest. You'll probably be keeping me alive more than once. Take this too— no need to say thanks."
So this was a Priest's early-game power? Obi definitely wanted a pocket healer, that much was obvious. Zack shook his head slightly but he wouldn't say no, having strong allies worked in his favor too. He still didn't know much about the game and the contents of the mysterious letter lingered in the back of his mind.
That wrapped up the loot distribution. The mage ended up with a Fireball skill and a Magic Wand, completing her setup.
With everything sorted, the trio turned their attention to the inside of the mill, curiosity and caution guiding their steps.
The mill was quiet— too quiet.
Zack's boots pressed against the creaking wooden floor as he stepped inside. Dust motes floated in the air, disturbed by every cautious movement.
At first, there was nothing unusual. Then, beneath the sound of the turning blades, a faint thud echoed from below.
"Something's under us," Zack murmured.
Obi drew his sword, the steel reflecting faint blue light that flashed between the cracks of the floorboards. PointAndShoot crouched and found a wooden hatch.
They pried opened the broken hatch and climbed down into a dimly lit cellar. There, hovering in midair, was a swirling vortex, pale blue and pulsing like a heartbeat.
[SYSTEM]: You have discovered a Hidden Dungeon — Haunted Caves (Recommended Level: 1–3)
Excitement flashed across the group. Their first dungeon.
Zack took a deep breath. "Let's go."
Obi grinned, clearly too excited to test his new skills and weapon.
One by one, they stepped into the portal.
***
Inside the Dungeon
A sharp chill greeted them. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the faint scent of moss and decay.
Cold air, faint whispers, cracked stone walls; torches flickered in endless corridors.
Stone steps stretched ahead, the flickering torches along the walls lighting automatically as they entered, illuminating ancient carvings and broken columns.
[Dungeon: Haunted Caves]
(50% bonus exp 20% bonus drop rates awarded for first discoverer)
Torches casted long, trembling shadows. The floor was uneven, scattered with debris and small puddles and every step echoed ominously in the silent corridors. The faint sound of gnawing echoed from deeper within, making Zack's hand tighten around the hilt of his dagger.
"Feels spooky" PointAndShoot whispered, voice echoing softly in the hollow chamber.
They moved forward carefully, weapons drawn, until a sudden growl broke the silence.
From the darkness ahead, two red eyes glimmered. A massive creature stepped out, half the size of Obi, yet thick with muscle and dripping saliva from its jagged fangs.
[Enemy Detected: Gnawfang Vermin – Level 3]
HP: 225
Obi The Limit-Breaker positioned his sword. "I'll draw its attention. Let's test our new abilities."
Zack nodded. "Understood"
The vermin lunged first, claws scraping against the stone floor. Obi intercepted with a fast strike, pushing it back.
Zack decided to check his new skill and activated [Detect] — the world gleamed briefly, outlines forming over the creature's body.
[Detect Active]
Weak point identified: Chest region.
"There!" Zack pointed. "Its chest, strike there!"
Obi launched Fast Strike, his blade moving in a rapid flurry.
Fast Strike – Damage: -50 -55
Without hesitation, he began charging his new skill — Explosive Impact. A glowing aura surrounded him as he prepared the strike.
The Gnawfang Vermin retaliated, slashing with its claws.
[Damage Received: -35 HP]
[Damage Reduction Active: 40% while charging]
Despite the reduced damage from the skill's effect, the hit still landed hard.
Obi finished charging, his body glowing with the power of Explosive Impact. With a forceful slam, he crushed the Gnawfang Vermin like an insect, sending it crashing into the wall.
[Damage: -140 HP]
The creature's form dissolved under the dim lights, leaving only floating EXP and coin notifications behind.
The mage blinked, still frozen in shock. She hadn't even gotten a chance to use her basic magic attack, let alone the Fireball skill she'd just acquired.
Point lifted her staff, eyebrows raised and muttered softly. "Wow… Obi really doesn't mess around, does he?"
Obi grinned, brushing off the impact like it was nothing. "Sometimes, you just have to end things before they start."
He bounced forward, trying to move like a hero from some epic film but both Point and Zack exchanged a glance, silently agreeing it would have looked impressive only his stride wasn't so hilariously uneven.
Zack shook his head, muttering inwardly that a skill like that would come in handy for him too, then raised his hand mumbling "Heal" and a soft golden light enveloped Obi, restoring the damage he had taken earlier.
Let's push forward — time to clear this dungeon.
Shadows stretched along the uneven stone walls as the party stepped deeper into the cavern. A faint drip of water echoed in the distance, blending with the low thrum of mana pulsing through the dungeon's veins.
Zack followed behind, eyes sharp beneath the faint glow of his interface.
[Zack – Priest | Level 2]
HP: 190/190 MP: 80/80
Attack Power: 17–22
He'd just leveled up after their last skirmish, the faint glimmer of light still lingering around his body. The game's realism was uncanny, each fiber of his body responded with VR-enhanced clarity.
Ahead of him, Obi The Limit-Breaker adjusted his stance, sword glinting, his figure outlined by the dungeon's deep orange glow. PointAndShoot trailed close, her fingers ready to cast another spell at a moment's notice.
Zack lifted his hand slightly. "Stop. Three ahead."
His voice was calm, steady. The faint shimmer of his [Detect] skill pulsed outward, forming outlines within the mist.
[Enemy Detected: Cave Vermin – Level 3 (x3)]
HP: 240 each
The faint glow faded. The rest they'd have to learn themselves.
Without hesitation, Obi stepped forward, sword raised. "Same formation. Let's clear them fast."
The creatures burst from the darkness, oversized rats with matted fur and glowing red eyes. One shrieked and lunged, jaws wide.
Obi The Limit-Breaker met it head-on, his sword flashing twice in a practiced rhythm. Sparks scattered as metal clashed against claw.
He grunted. "As he was a fighter and not a tank so taking aggro from all three vermins would prove to be dangerous so he just positioned himself in such a way as to not take unnecessary damage."
PointAndShoot raised her staff, mana flaring to life. A glowing arrow of light shot forward — [Magic Arrow] — piercing the second vermin's shoulder dealing a huge 97 dmg (apparently the mage already allocated the int stat to boost her magic dmg). It staggered but didn't fall.
Zack glanced around, eyes cold as he assessed the battlefield. The first vermin feinted low, then suddenly spat something green towards Obi The Limit-Breaker.
Acid hissed on the ground. "Watch the spray" Zack warned.
A damage of -50 popped while it had some poison damage affect as it dealt additional damage -5,-10, -10 already raising a hand, a soft glow enveloped his ally. [Heal] — 60 HP restored.
Obi The Limit-Breaker exhaled, shaking his arm. "Alright, that stung."
Before he could advance, the third vermin disappeared into the ground with a muffled screech. The vibrations beneath their feet told them where it went.
"Under" Zack blurted out, urgency lacing his voice to make sure they noticed.
He stepped back as the earth cracked open, the creature burst upward, claws first. PointAndShoot reacted instantly, releasing a fireball that exploded point-blank. The creature shrieked, smoke rising from its charred fur.
The air filled with the smell of burning and the sound of chittering. Obi The Limit-Breaker charged again, bringing his sword down with force. Two clean hits and the first vermin dissolved into faint blue lights.
The other two fell soon after; one struck cleanly with a precise dagger to the neck, the other silenced by a burst of flame dealing 149 magic damage.
[Enemy Defeated – 145 EXP]
PointAndShoot laughed, imagining herself wielding an AoE skill and raining havoc on the monsters alone. "This is going to be fun!" she exclaimed.
"Let's move further" Zack said . With their level 2 stats, HP and mana were sufficient; there was no need to pause for recovery.
"Try not to melt this time" he said quietly, more a note of caution than mockery. Obi just laughed softly behind him.
The walls narrowed, torches flickered more weakly and the whirring of mana thickened heavy, almost alive.
The cave was filled with damp air and a thin mist clung to the uneven stone floor and seeping into every crack and crevice, while faint skittering sounds whispered from the shadows ahead.
Somewhere ahead, a faint growl echoed, low, resonant and far heavier than anything they had heard before.
The next chamber wasn't empty.
Zack raised his hand. "Stop". His voice steady but low, almost blending with the cave's stillness. A faint pulse of [Detect] spread outward, flashing through the mist like ripples over water.
[Enemies Detected: Multiple Hostiles]
Cave Vermin – Level 1 (x5)
Tunnel Beetles – Level 2 (x3)
Cave Bat – Level 2 (x2)
Obi gave a short whistle. "Ten in total. That's more like it."
"Confined space," Zack said calmly. "Hold here. I'll keep an eye on health."
The first wave struck almost instantly — five vermin rushing in, eyes gleaming red. Obi The Limit-Breaker stepped forward, his blade a blur [Fast Strike] cut through two at once.
A third leapt at him; he turned smoothly, blocking and countering in a single motion.
PointAndShoot lifted her staff, laughing softly. "Alright, let's clean house."
As her starter spell, [Magic Arrow] flew across the cave, glowing streak cutting down a vermin mid-charge.
Overhead, a pair of Cave Bats swooped down screeching. PointAndShoot reacted instantly — [Fireball] ignited midair, catching both in a flare of orange light. Ash-like fragments scattered through the gloom.
"Two for one" she said smugly, a small smile curling at the corner of her lips..
Zack's focus stayed centered. His dagger gleamed as he intercepted a beetle crawling toward her. One strike after another, then another precisely angled hit under the shell.
Critical Hit.
"Nice" Obi called out, finishing off the next beetle with a heavy swing that cracked its carapace.
The last of the vermin lunged for Zack, claws aimed for his neck. He turned aside to dodge but he still got hit, his HP bar dip slightly before channeling [Heal] in the same motion.
The faint green glow mended the wound instantly. His counterstrike ended the fight in silence.
A few seconds later, the echo faded. Only the faint buzz of ambient mana remained.
[Enemies Defeated: 10 total]
+1120 EXP gained.
Zack raised his hand. "More ahead. Seven targets."
He spoke calmly, but his words were enough to get the others on edge and ready.
[Enemies Detected: Multiple Hostiles]
Cave Vermin – Level 3 (x3)
Stone Crawler – Level 3 (x2)
Cave Bat – Level 3 (x1)
Tunnel Scorpion – Level 4 (x1)
[Enemies Defeated: 7 total]
+1,140 EXP gained
The last of the enemies fell. The cavern fell silent, save for the soft drip of water from the ceiling.
"These low-level monsters go down in just a few hits" Zack thought.
Obi The Limit-Breaker wiped his blade on his gauntlet just for the dramatic effect.
PointAndShoot stretched her arms, smirking.
[Enemies Detected: Cave Vermin ×7(Lv 3) | Stone Crawler ×5 (Lv 3) | Cave Bat ×5(Lv 3) | Tunnel Scorpion ×1 (Lv 4)]
The enemies continued to surged from the shadows, vermin squealing, crawlers clattering, a scorpion whipping its tail.
They didn't mind, the experience gain here was far better than anything outside. Obi was the first to strut, meeting the charging Vermin head-on. His blade cut through the dim light, each swing sharp and heavy, carving clean arcs through the swarm.
PointAndShoot rained magic from above, Fireballs and Arrows scorching bats and Crawlers alike.
Zack struck with pinpoint accuracy, hitting weak points while mending his teammates.
One by one, the monsters fell. Explosions of sparks and fragments marked their defeat. Even the massive Tunnel Scorpion couldn't withstand the trio's rhythm of coordinated strikes, its thrashing body finally collapsing into glowing remnants.
The cavern fell quiet once more, their steady breaths filled the air. A soft glow blinked across their interfaces, confirming the victory.
A warm, golden radiance lit up around Zack and the interface flashed briefly with a soft chime, signaling his LVL up.
[ All Monsters Defeated! +2795 EXP ]
ZACK – Priest- Lv3
HP: 240/240
MP: 110/110
Skills:-
Heal — Restores 40 HP to an ally (10 MP, 5s cooldown)
Detect — Reveals surrounding enemy and their weak points (5 MP cost)
Titles: Pioneer of Loot (+10 HP, +1 DEF per chest opened)
Zack's steady gaze swept the tunnel ahead. He muttered. "Things are about to get interesting."
The dungeon itself seemed alive, a quiet pulse of menace syncing with the rapid beat of their hearts.
Up ahead, the passage widened, the air thick with foreboding. Whatever lay beyond wouldn't offer an ounce of mercy.