Chapter 5 – The First Encounter
As the bright light faded, Drake felt an immediate rush of vitality flood through his body. He stretched, his limbs feeling lighter, stronger—reborn. The first thing he did was check his available stat points and, without hesitation, poured them into Agility.
STATUS
Name: DrakeRace: KoboldLevel: 8EXP: 2200/36000STR: 14AGI: 23MAG: 0CHRM: -1
Possible Evolutions: Dungeon Lizard / Frog Shooter / War Shadow
Abilities:• Sprint• Steal• Evolution• Lunge (NEW) – Allows the user to dash-attack or dodge with enhanced agility and perception. Highly effective when combined with the Sprint skill.
Standing tall, Drake glanced down at his compact grey body. He flexed his claws, instinctively learning how they retracted and extended. "No more scavenging for weapons. These claws are sharper than any rusty sword. Time for a test drive."
He moved in silence, adjusting to his enhanced speed and balance, until familiar sounds tickled his ears. Goblins. Five of them, roaming carelessly.
He dropped to all fours, claws extended, and activated both Sprint and Lunge, propelling himself forward like a living projectile. In an instant, the first two goblins were decapitated before they could even raise an alarm.
DING
With the sound still echoing in his mind, he blitzed the next pair, slashing at their legs and disabling them. The final goblin tried to retreat, but Drake was already upon him, tearing him apart in a blur of motion. He turned back to the two immobilized goblins and drove his claws into their skulls. As their bodies crumbled to dust, he scooped up their crystals and consumed them.
DINGHidden Quest Completed: Kill 500 GoblinsReward: Inventory Function Unlocked
A grin spread across Drake's monstrous face. "Finally. Hey, System—how does the inventory work?"
SYSTEM:To store a non-human object, point at it and think the word "Store."
Eager to try, Drake searched for the goblin's dropped weapon. Spotting a rusty longsword, he pointed at it and focused.
A shadow engulfed the blade.
Item Stored: Rusty Longsword. Would you like to view your inventory? Y/N
"Yes," he thought.
A translucent, black screen appeared before him—divided into multiple segments. One showed a sword icon. He selected it, and the weapon materialized in his hand. Thinking "Store" again, the sword vanished back into the interface. Drake hummed with satisfaction and continued collecting crystals, wondering aloud, "How can I level up faster?"
His musings were interrupted by a curious sight—a group of five kobolds wandering near an unfamiliar structure: a stone doorway leading to a stairwell. His eyes gleamed.
"A rematch, huh?"
With both Sprint and Lunge activated, he slammed into the group like a battering ram, smashing one kobold into the wall and knocking two more off their feet. Without slowing, he ripped into the fourth kobold, then pivoted to slice the fifth's throat. The remaining three tried to regroup, but he ended them before they could strike back.
DINGDINGDING
He stored their crystals and approached the stairway.
DINGCongratulations: You have discovered the Second Floor. Reward: 3000 EXPLEVEL UP
Drake grinned. "Second floor already? System, how many floors are there?"
SYSTEM:Unknown. User must explore and discover the answer.
"Of course… figures."
Descending the stairs, he noticed the same bluish walls. "Same look, different danger. Let's hunt."
He didn't need to search long. Ahead, three goblins and two kobolds stood huddled together. "Monsters are starting to mix? Let's see how they taste."
He leapt into their ranks, claws spinning in deadly arcs. The goblins dropped first, followed by the kobolds, who barely had time to react. Crystals collected, Drake advanced.
As he turned a corner, he noticed movement—commotion. He paused.
A lone human—small and white-haired—was struggling against two goblins. Drake watched silently as the human barely managed to kill one. The other goblin fled… directly toward Drake.
With no hesitation, Drake lunged, driving his claw into the goblin's heart. The body turned to dust.
He picked up the crystal and looked up—meeting the stunned gaze of the human.
"...A monster… killing another monster?" the boy muttered. "How is that even possible?"
Drake approached slowly. There was something oddly calming about this human—an aura, barely visible, but strangely inviting. Drake raised his clawed hands, showing he meant no harm.
"What... are you doing?" the boy stammered. "Are you... not going to attack?"
Drake gave a slow nod, then backed up a few steps. He summoned the rusty sword from his inventory and pointed it to the ground. Carefully, he began to carve letters into the dirt.
The human approached cautiously, eyes wide with disbelief.
"HELLO. I UNDERSTAND YOUR SPEECH. MY NAME IS DRAKE. WHAT IS YOURS?"
"Umm... hello, Drake. I'm Bell Cranel. Nice to meet you?"
Drake tried to smile. Unfortunately, kobold jaws weren't built for that. Bell flinched.
"Whoa—uh, please don't eat me..."
Realizing what had gone wrong, Drake scratched another message on the wall.
"I was trying to smile. Sorry if I scared you. I'm lonely. Want to be friends?"
Bell blinked, then broke into a laugh. "Your smile's terrifying—but sure. I've never met a monster that can talk or write before. Why not?"
Just as joy welled up in Drake's chest, a voice broke through his thoughts.
"D-Drake… behind you…"
Bell's face had gone ghost-white.
Drake turned.
A towering beast loomed behind him—a humanoid monster with a bull's head, nearly two meters tall. Its muscles rippled with power, and its growl rumbled like thunder. Above it, a crimson-black screen appeared:
[MINOTAUR – LVL 50]
"Oh no…" Drake's mind froze. This was far beyond him. Bell stood paralyzed in fear. He had to act.
With a burst of Lunge, Drake dove between the minotaur's legs, slashing at its knee—but barely left a scratch. The beast roared, and its massive fist swung like a boulder. Drake dodged by a hair's breadth.
Then, a new alert appeared.
WARNING:A High-Level Entity Is Rapidly Approaching. Hide Immediately. Your companion will be protected.
Every hair on Drake's body stood on end. Death was coming.
Without a second thought, he sprinted to a nearby rock and ducked behind it.
Peeking out, he saw the minotaur turn to Bell and approach slowly. The boy was cornered, back to the wall.
Then—flash.
A blade pierced the minotaur's back, clean through its chest.
The monster exploded into dust, painting Bell red with its remains.
Standing over the remains was a tall blonde woman, her expression unreadable. She looked down at Bell.
"You alright?" she asked.
Bell screamed like a terrified child and sprinted away, arms flailing.
The woman watched him without a word, then turned and walked off.
Drake stayed hidden, trembling. That sword... he remembered it. It had pierced him once before. He prayed she hadn't noticed him.
Only when she disappeared from sight did Drake exhale, trembling in relief.
DINGDING
A/N hope you guys will enjoy the chapter