The morning sun of Riverwatch was unforgiving. It pierced through the thin curtains of the Rusty Spoon, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air and the worn wood of the floorboards.
Ren sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his reflection in a cracked mirror propped against the wall.
The person looking back didn't match the numbers on his status screen.
[Strength: 76]
[Agility: 18]
[Intelligence: 62]
He was a monster in human skin. A C-Rank Assassin—no, a 4-Star Elite—who could catch a Drake's claw with his bare hand. Yet, looking at the mirror, he saw a refugee. His tunic was frayed at the hem, stained with the soot of the Magma Drake and the mud of the forest. His boots were held together by goblin leather and hope.
"I look like a beggar," Ren muttered, tugging at a loose thread on his sleeve.
He had money—117,510 Yen. It wasn't a fortune compared to what he had before his stat-spending spree, but it was enough to buy a small house in the outer district. Yet, he was walking around looking like he'd just crawled out of a dungeon gutter.
'Gear,' Ren thought. 'I need clothes that don't tear when I move at full speed. I need armor that doesn't scream "target." And I need to test this 4-Star Card.'
He stood up, stretching his limbs. His joints popped—a satisfying sound of dense, reinforced bone settling into place.
"Guild first. Then the dungeon. Then shopping."
He grabbed his cloak, hiding the Dagger of the Void at his waist, and stepped out into the hallway.
The Adventurer's Guild was already bustling. The morning rush was a chaotic symphony of shouting party leaders, clanking armor, and the smell of cheap coffee.
Ren weaved through the crowd, his Assassin passive making him slip through gaps that shouldn't exist. He reached the reception counter without brushing a single shoulder.
"Good morning, Ren-san!~"
The voice cut through the noise like a bell. Mina, the receptionist from the night before, was leaning over the counter, beaming at him. She looked impossibly fresh, her uniform crisp, a stark contrast to the hungover adventurers groaning at the nearby tables.
"You're early!" Mina chirped. "Did you sleep well? Did you dream of crushing monsters? Or maybe cookies?"
Ren blinked. Her energy was exhausting, but efficient. "I need information."
"Ooh, straight to business! I like it!" She pulled out a colorful diagram from under the counter and slammed it down. It looked like a child's drawing of a stick figure fighting a blob.
"So, here is the breakdown!" she said, tapping the paper with a stick that had a cute cat paw on the end. "You have the 4-Star Card now, which means you can skip the queue for quests. But you want money, right?"
"Yes."
"Two ways!" She held up two fingers. "Method One: Field Work. That's what you did with the Hobgoblins. Monsters wander into our world, attack villages, or block roads. The Guild pays a bounty. It's heroic! But... unpredictable."
She tapped the second drawing—a stone tower plunging into the ground.
"Method Two: Dungeon Diving! Dungeons are managed by the Kingdom. They are stable environments with 60 Floors. The Boss is always on the 60th. Monsters inside respawn, so they are perfect for training!"
"And the pay?" Ren asked.
"The Guild doesn't pay you to enter Dungeons," Mina wagged her finger. "You pay us! It's a training facility, after all. The entry fee is 10 Yen per hour. You go in, kill monsters, collect their mana stones and loot, and sell them back to us. It's high risk, but stable income!"
Ren nodded. It made sense. Field work was for fame and public safety. Dungeons were for grinding.
"I need to test my new stats," Ren muttered. "And I need loot."
"Then the C-Rank Dungeon: Hollow Caverns is perfect for you!" Mina handed him a map. "But be careful! Most parties stop at Floor 30. Anything below Floor 50 is considered the 'Deep Zone.' Only crazy people go there!"
Ren took the map. "I'll be back."
"Don't die!" Mina waved enthusiastically. "I still owe you a tour of the VIP lounge!"
The entrance to the Hollow Caverns was a massive stone archway carved into the side of the mountain, guarded by two knights in heavy plate armor. A magical barrier shimmered across the entrance, acting as a clock for anyone who entered.
Ren approached the gate. The morning wind whipped his ragged cloak around his legs.
The guard on the left, a man with a thick mustache and tired eyes, scoffed. He held up a hand, his gauntlet clanking.
"Oi, kid. This isn't a playground. This is the C-Rank Gate. The E-Rank training grounds are back in the city."
Ren didn't stop. "I know."
"You know?" The guard laughed, looking at his partner. "He knows, he says. Look at you. You're wearing rags. You got a weapon under there, or are you planning to tickle the trolls to death?"
"Entry fee," Ren said, ignoring the taunt. He held out a 10 Yen coin. "One hour."
The guard's smile vanished. "One hour? Kid, it takes an hour just to reach the safe zone on Floor 5. If you go in for just one hour, you're wasting your money. Or you're planning to die quickly."
Ren reached into his pocket. He didn't pull out a weapon. He pulled out the 4-Star Guild Card.
The gold surface caught the sunlight, the four diamond stars glittering dangerously.
The guard choked on his spit. His eyes bulged. He looked at the card, then at Ren's ragged clothes, then back at the card.
"A... A 4-Star?" the guard stammered, his face paling. "But... you look like... I mean... My apologies, sir! I didn't realize an Elite was conducting an inspection!"
The guard elbowed his partner, who hurriedly began cranking the mechanism to lower the barrier.
"One hour, sir! Logged and noted!" The mustache guard bowed, sweating profusely. "Please, proceed!"
Ren stepped through the shimmering barrier without a word.
As he vanished into the darkness, the second guard whispered, "One hour? Is he speed-running it?"
"He's a 4-Star," the mustache guard wiped his forehead. "He's probably just going to kill the first thing he sees and leave. Weirdos, all of them."
[Floor 1]
The air was damp, smelling of wet fur and mildew. Giant Rats (Level 3) scurried in the shadows, their red eyes glowing.
Ren ignored them. He activated Speed (26).
The world blurred. He didn't run; he flowed. He moved so fast that the rats didn't even register his presence until the wind of his passing knocked them over.
[Floor 10]
Kobolds. Level 8. They yipped and threw spears. Ren caught a spear in mid-air, spun, and threw it back, pinning the attacker to the wall. He didn't stop to loot.
[Floor 20]... [Floor 30].
Other adventurers were trudging through the mud, fighting in groups of four or five. They saw a streak of black shadow shoot past them, leaping over traps and bypassing monsters.
"What was that?" a Ranger asked, lowering his bow. "A ghost?"
Ren checked his internal clock. 'Twenty minutes. Too slow.'
He reached Floor 45.
The monsters here were Cave Trolls (Level 15). Lumbering beasts with regenerating health. Ren killed one with a single strike to the neck, severing the spinal cord before the regeneration could kick in.
[System Notice: Enemy too weak. Experience Gained: Minimal.]
Ren frowned as he wiped troll blood off his cheek. 'Just as I thought. The System scales XP based on relative strength. I'm Level 7 now, but my stats are effectively Level 40. Killing these things is like stepping on ants. I need to go deeper.'
He looked down into the abyss of the stairwell leading to the Deep Zone.
[Floor 54]
The atmosphere changed instantly. The air was heavy, smelling of ozone, crushed rock, and ancient dust. The walls were lined with luminescent moss that cast eerie green shadows, making everything look sickly.
Ren slowed down. He had been running for forty minutes. His Stamina (26) was holding up, but the constant exertion was starting to burn his lungs.
Clang. Smash. Scream.
The sounds of battle echoed from a large cavern ahead. It wasn't the rhythmic sound of farming; it was the chaotic, desperate noise of a party falling apart.
Ren approached silently, his Assassin stealth making him invisible in the gloom.
In the center of the cavern, a party of five was being slaughtered.
They were a standard C-Rank party—the "Silver Wind," judging by the crest on their shields. But right now, they looked like children fighting a tank.
The Tank's shield was shattered, his arm hanging limp. The Healer was slumped against a wall, bleeding from a head wound. The Mage was frantically casting small firebolts that fizzled out against the enemy's armor.
The enemy was a Dungeon Guardian.
[Appraisal]
[Monster: Mithril Golem]
[Rank: C+ (High Defense)]
[Status: Combat Mode]
It was a hulking construct of silver metal, three meters tall. It didn't have flesh; it was solid, enchanted ore.
The party's Swordsman lunged, screaming a war cry, striking the Golem's chest.
PING.
His sword shattered on impact. The Golem didn't even flinch. It backhanded him, sending him flying into the wall with a sickening crunch.
"We can't scratch it!" the Mage screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Its defense is too high! We need a B-Rank weapon! We need a blunt force specialist!"
The Golem raised a massive fist, gleaming in the moss-light, ready to crush the fallen Tank into paste.
Ren watched from the shadows.
'I have 15 minutes left on my hour,' he calculated. 'If I intervene, I lose time. If I don't, they die.'
He sighed. 'I just wanted to test my leveling speed. Now I have to play hero.'
He stepped out of the shadows.
"Move," Ren said. His voice was calm, cutting through the panic.
The Mage looked up, startled. She saw a small figure in ragged clothes. "Run, kid! It's immune to physical attac—"
Ren vanished.
He appeared in front of the Tank, directly under the falling fist.
He didn't use his dagger yet. He wanted to test his Strength (76) against pure metal.
Ren planted his feet. He raised his left hand.
BOOM.
The impact shook the cavern. The shockwave blew the Mage's hair back. Dust rained from the ceiling.
But Ren stood firm. The ground beneath his boots cracked into a spiderweb, but his arm didn't buckle. The Golem's fist stopped dead.
"Heavy," Ren muttered.
The Golem's eyes flashed red. It tried to push down, but Ren's arm was like an iron pillar.
"You guys are noisy," Ren said to the stunned party over his shoulder. "Get back."
Ren pushed the Golem back—actually shoved the three-ton monster—creating space.
He drew the Dagger of the Void.
'Defense is high? Let's see.'
He channeled Mana (60) into the blade. The purple aura flared to life, humming with dangerous energy. His Intelligence (62) guided the flow, finding the microscopic imperfections in the Mithril plating.
Ren lunged.
He didn't aim for the joints. He aimed for the thickest part of the chest plate.
[Skill: Power Strike (Improvised)]
SHING.
The dagger didn't just cut; it erased the resistance. The combination of A-Rank Weapon, 76 Strength, and Mana Enhancement tore through the Mithril like it was wet paper.
Ren sliced diagonally.
The Golem froze. A line of purple light appeared across its torso.
Ren sheathed his dagger and turned around.
CRASH.
The top half of the Golem slid off and hit the floor with a sound like a bell tolling. The bottom half collapsed a second later.
[Enemy Defeated: Mithril Golem]
[Experience Gained]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 8]
Ren exhaled. 'Finally. A level up.'
He looked at the party. They were staring at him with mouths wide enough to catch flies. The Tank was trembling, clutching his broken arm.
"You..." the Mage whispered. "You cut Mithril... with a dagger? Who... who are you?"
"It was a weak spot," Ren lied smoothly. He walked over to the Golem's remains and picked up the Mithril Core. It pulsed with silver light. "I'm taking the loot. You guys take the exit."
Four hours later.
The sun was high in the sky when Ren walked out of the dungeon gate.
He wasn't alone. He was supporting the injured Swordsman on his shoulder. The rest of the battered Silver Wind party limped behind him, looking like they had been chewed up and spat out by the earth itself.
The guard with the mustache dropped his clipboard.
"He... He's back?" the guard whispered. "And he's carrying the 'Silver Wind' party? They've been missing for six hours!"
Ren walked up to the checkpoint. He gently set the Swordsman down on a bench.
"I went over time," Ren said.
"Uh... yes," the guard checked the magical clock, his hands shaking slightly. "You paid for one hour. You were in there for four. That's... uh... 30 Yen extra."
Ren fished out three coins and flicked them to the guard.
The leader of the rescued party, the Mage, stepped forward. She bowed deeply, wincing from her injuries. "Thank you! We... we thought we were dead. We'll pay you back! We promise! Please, tell us your name!"
Ren looked at them. They were weak. They had relied on numbers and gear, and when those failed, they crumbled.
"Just don't go to Floor 54 if you can't cut metal," Ren said simply.
He turned and walked away, his ragged cloak billowing behind him, leaving the guards and the adventurers staring at his back in awe.
Night fell over Riverwatch.
Ren lay on his bed at the Rusty Spoon, staring at the wooden ceiling. His body ached—not from damage, but from the sheer exhaustion of mana depletion and physical exertion.
He had leveled up to 8. He had a Mithril Core worth maybe 20,000 Yen. He had saved a party.
But something felt off.
"The System," Ren whispered to the empty room.
It had been quiet. Too quiet.
Back in the forest, when he was weak, the System had been a constant nag.
Task: Survive the Night.
Task: Kill the Alpha.
Task: Find Shelter.
But since he entered the city, since he became "civilized," it had gone silent. It was just a shop and a stat sheet now.
"Did I break it?" Ren mused. "Or does it only care when I'm about to die?"
He closed his eyes, thinking about the tasks. He missed the direction. He missed the clear goals.
'I haven't received a task in weeks,' Ren thought. 'Maybe I'm on my own now.'
Ping.
The sound was so loud in his mind that Ren flinched.
A blue holographic window materialized directly in front of his face, illuminating the dark room.
[System Alert]
[The System acknowledges the User's desire for guidance.]
[Analyzing User Potential vs. Current Assets...]
[Conclusion: User is hoarding potential. Power requires circulation.]
Ren sat up, his heart pounding. "It heard me?"
The text scrolled, turning from blue to an urgent red.
[Urgent Task Generated]
[Task: The Economy of Power]
[Description: You have accumulated wealth and stats, but you lack the equipment to utilize them. A King does not fight in rags.]
[Objective: Spend 1,000 Stat Points worth of currency (1,000,000 Yen) within 48 Hours.]
[Current Progress: 0 / 1,000,000 Yen]
[Penalty for Failure: Stat Reset to Level 1.]
Ren stared at the screen. The blood drained from his face, leaving him cold.
"One... million... Yen?"
He checked his funds.
[Funds: 117,470 Yen]
He was nearly 900,000 Yen short.
"This is impossible," Ren whispered, his voice trembling with a rare flash of panic. "A C-Rank dungeon run pays maybe 20,000 Yen in loot if I'm lucky. I'd need to run it forty-five times in two days. There aren't enough hours."
He looked at the penalty again.
[Penalty: Stat Reset to Level 1]
It wasn't just a game mechanic. In this world, Level 1 meant death. It meant losing his Strength (76), his Speed, his Mana. It meant that the next time a goblin looked at him, he wouldn't be a predator; he would be meat.
Tick.
A red digital clock materialized in the corner of his vision. It wasn't on a screen; it was burned into his retina.
[47:59:59]
[47:59:58]
The countdown had started.
Ren gripped his hair, his mind racing. He couldn't farm it. He couldn't earn it legally. The Guild wouldn't have enough high-paying bounties available instantly.
He was trapped. The System had finally given him a task, and it was a noose.
'Think,' Ren commanded himself. 'There has to be a way. High risk, high reward.'
His hand brushed against his pocket. He felt the cold, heavy metal of the card Vargus had given him. Not the 4-Star Card.
The Black Card.
"Access to the Shadow Market," Vargus had said. "And a direct line to me."
The Shadow Market. A place where legality was a suggestion and fortunes were made or lost in a single night. It was the only place in the city where a million Yen might move fast enough.
Ren stood up. He didn't feel tired anymore. The adrenaline of survival had washed away the fatigue.
Ren walked to the window and looked out at the city of Riverwatch. Beneath the peaceful lights of the main streets, he saw the darker, twisting alleys of the lower district.
"If I fail, I die," Ren said to the reflection in the glass. "So I just have to break the bank."
He opened the window and leaped out into the night, the red timer counting down every second of his remaining life.
[End of Volume 2 – Chapter 24]
He grabbed his cloak and the Mithril Core.
[47:58:10]
The numbers ticked down, relentless and cruel.