Chapter Ten: Goblin Dungeon – Rank F
A gate leading to another world.
A place ruled by no laws, where mercy holds no meaning.
As Alice walked beside him, she said,
"A low-level dungeon, but still an important source of income—depending on its type."
Akira glanced at her sideways and said with determination,
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in."
Alice shook her head lightly.
"No. We need to prepare first. Show me your stats."
Akira hesitated for a second, then summoned his mental interface.
The next moment was decisive—because what followed… might never be forgotten.
A translucent blue screen appeared before Akira, like a ghost emerging from nothing.
Name: Akira
Age: 15
Experience: [0 / 400]
Level: [3]
Health: [20 / 30]
Mana: [170 / 220]
Strength: [6]
Speed: [5]
Intelligence: [8]
Defense: [5]
Endurance: [16]
Affinity: [Darkness]
Skills: [Void Spear, Enhanced Health]
Items: [None]
Unique: [Exchange Contract]
Titles: [Survivor of Death]
Alice scanned the stats quickly and commented in an indifferent tone,
"Your defense is weak… and your mana isn't promising."
Akira raised an eyebrow in irritation but said nothing.
"But still," Alice continued,
"You've done well staying alive this far."
"So?" Akira asked. "What should I do?"
"Did you forget you have six unassigned stat points?"
His eyes widened slowly, embarrassment creeping in.
"I was going to… I just didn't know how."
Alice smiled mockingly.
"It's simple. Just think about where you want to allocate them. The system will handle the rest."
Akira took a deep breath and focused.
Two points into Defense… and four into Intelligence.
Defense increased by +2
Intelligence increased by +4
Mana increased by +80
A new notification appeared.
Mana: [170 / 300]
Akira felt as if his body had finally breathed. His mana flowed smoothly, more naturally than ever before.
He sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes, activating the Meditation Technique—one of the methods Alice had taught him to absorb ambient mana.
An hour passed.
When he opened his eyes, another notification appeared:
Mana: [300 / 300]
He stood up calmly, examining his right hand as if it were new, then looked at Alice.
"I'm ready."
She pointed toward the glowing gate—a blue vortex floating in the darkness, unsupported and illogical.
"Enter," she whispered.
He didn't hesitate.
The moment he touched its boundary, the air trembled, and a strange voice echoed in his mind:
[You have entered the Goblin Dungeon — Rank F]
As Akira passed through, the ruins vanished behind him.
He found himself inside a narrow, dark natural cave. A foul stench mixed with damp earth filled the air. The ceiling was low, the walls uneven, with dried roots hanging down. His footsteps echoed through the stone corridors.
"So… this is the inside?" Akira muttered, raising his flashlight.
Alice's voice echoed in his head, sarcastic as ever:
"Just the beginning. If we encounter monsters, we kill them. If not—we look for mana resources."
Thirty minutes into their exploration, Alice suddenly raised her hand and pointed at the stone wall.
"There's one, Akira. That right corner—near the crack."
"Where?"
"There. Can't you see it? Look near the bottom."
Akira approached, pulled out his dagger, and began carving at the wall. Moments later, a glowing blue stone was revealed.
"What's this?"
"A mana stone. Pure and concentrated. It sells well—especially if it's large."
Akira examined it briefly, then stored it in his leather bag.
"Nothing else here… maybe deeper inside."
After some time, Akira suddenly slowed and whispered,
"Four goblins incoming… they haven't noticed us yet."
He hid behind a flat rock, eyes fixed on the shadows. Short figures with green skin and grotesque features emerged, moving erratically and making guttural sounds.
Alice spoke cautiously in his mind,
"How do you plan to deal with them?"
"Wait until they get close," he replied calmly.
"Take out the first two quickly, then finish the rest before they realize what's happening."
"Good. Remember—the first strike is everything. This is a cave. Running isn't a good option."
Akira waited until they were close enough.
Then he jumped from behind the rock and unleashed his only skill.
"Void Spear!"
The dark spear shot forward, piercing the first goblin's chest. It collapsed instantly without a sound.
The others froze in shock—before Akira struck again, killing the second.
Chaos erupted.
One goblin fled deeper into the tunnel, while another vanished behind the rocks.
"Where is it?!" Akira asked, scanning the shadows.
"There—behind that rock!" Alice warned.
Akira rushed forward and climbed it swiftly—but found only small footprints.
Then he saw it.
The goblin was hiding behind him.
Akira fired again, but the goblin dodged at the last second.
"Predict its movement! Don't fire randomly!" Alice shouted.
Akira steadied his breathing, focused, and fired again.
The spear struck its back.
The goblin collapsed, crawling and whining.
Akira approached coldly, drew his dagger, and stabbed it through the head—ending it.
Then he turned his attention to the last goblin fleeing down the tunnel.
A high-pitched scream echoed before it collapsed, dead.
System notifications rang in his mind:
You have slain an unclassified monster – Level 3
+100 EXP
You have slain an unclassified monster – Level 2
+100 EXP
You have slain an unclassified monster – Level 3
+100 EXP
You have slain an unclassified monster – Level 4
+100 EXP
Congratulations! You have reached Level 4
+2 Stat Points
"Well done!" Alice exclaimed proudly.
Akira didn't respond.
He simply stared at the corpses—expecting something.
Alice understood exactly what was going through his mind.