Reikazu stood in the hospital room, his body still aching from his injuries, but the pain had dulled. The system's warm energy had spread through him the moment he completed the mission.
He stared at the floating status window in front of him.
---
[ Name: Reikazu ]
[ Level: 1 ]
[ Strength: 10 ]
[ Agility: 10 ]
[ Endurance: 10 ]
[ Mana: 10 ]
[ Skills: None ]
---
It was simple. Too simple.
This looked exactly like the Hunter Association's status screens, but those were only for awakened Hunters. He wasn't one.
His heart pounded.
"...What is this?" he whispered.
The system didn't respond. The screen simply hovered there, waiting.
Then—
Ding!
A new notification appeared.
[ New Mission Available. ]
[ Mission: Take a Step. ]
[ Reward: +1 Stat Point ]
Reikazu frowned. Take a step?
That was it?
It sounded ridiculous, but his first mission had been just as simple, stand up, and it had worked.
Without hesitation, he lifted his foot and stepped forward.
Ding!
[ Mission Completed. ]
[ +1 Stat Point Earned. ]
Suddenly, he felt a tiny change in his body. It wasn't much, but it was there, his legs felt just a bit lighter.
Then, another notification appeared.
[ Stat Points Unlocked. ]
[ You have 1 unassigned Stat Point. ]
Reikazu stared at it.
"So… I can distribute stats?"
A new screen popped up.
---
[ Strength: 10 ]
[ Agility: 10 ]
[ Endurance: 10 ]
[ Mana: 10 ]
[ Available Points: 1 ]
---
He hesitated. Strength? Agility? Endurance? Mana?
Without thinking too hard, he placed the point into Agility.
The moment he did—
A warm sensation rushed through his body, focusing in his legs. He felt… slightly lighter.
It wasn't a major difference, but it was noticeable.
His fingers clenched.
This was real.
The system was real.
And no one else knew about it.
The doctor arrived not long after.
"Oh! You're already standing?" The man blinked in surprise. "That's unusual. You had a fractured leg just last night."
Reikazu quickly sat down. "Ah… yeah, I guess I'm healing fast."
The doctor frowned but didn't press further. "You were lucky. The dungeon break could have been much worse. You should take it easy for now."
"I will," Reikazu said quickly.
The doctor scribbled notes and checked his vitals before giving him discharge papers.
"If you feel any lingering pain, come back for a check-up. Otherwise, you're free to go."
Reikazu nodded. "Thanks, doc."
As he left the hospital, the city was still buzzing about last night's unexpected dungeon.
Large screens displayed footage of the event.
"An unregistered dungeon appeared in District 7 last night, bypassing all known detection methods. The Hunter Association is still investigating…"
Reikazu narrowed his eyes. Bypassing all detection?
That was impossible. The Hunter Association had advanced radar systems that picked up dungeon fluctuations before they even formed.
But last night's dungeon?
It had just appeared.
Just like the system.
His fists clenched.
He didn't believe in coincidences.
But he didn't have answers either.
Not yet.
Reikazu returned to his small apartment. The moment he stepped inside, the system sent another notification.
Ding!
[ New Mission Available. ]
[ Mission: Do 10 Push-Ups. ]
[ Reward: +1 Strength ]
Reikazu's eyebrow twitched.
He sighed. "Really?"
Was the system treating him like some beginner at the gym?
Still, he had no reason to refuse.
He dropped to the floor and started pushing.
The first few were fine, but by the eighth rep, his arms burned.
He gritted his teeth, pushing through the last two.
Ding!
[ Mission Completed. ]
[ +1 Strength Earned. ]
A rush of warmth filled his arms. The soreness in his muscles faded slightly, replaced by a small but noticeable increase in power.
Reikazu sat up, flexing his hand.
It wasn't a huge change.
But it was real.
If he kept doing this… how strong could he become?
The next few days followed a pattern.
Every morning, the system issued new missions.
[ Mission: Run for 5 Minutes. ]
[ Mission: Do 30 Sit-Ups. ]
[ Mission: Hold a Plank for 1 Minute. ]
The rewards were small increases to his stats, +1 Strength, +1 Endurance, +1 Agility.
Nothing overpowered.
But progress was progress.
And then, after a full week—
Ding!
A new mission appeared.
[ Mission: Defeat an E-Rank Monster. ]
[ Reward: 100 XP, Skill Unlock. ]
Reikazu's breath hitched.
A combat mission.
For the past week, everything had been basic training. Now, the system wanted him to fight.
But where the hell was he supposed to find a monster?
As if answering his thoughts—
Ding!
[ Hidden Dungeon Detected. ]
Reikazu's heart pounded.
A hidden dungeon?
Then, something shimmered in the corner of his small apartment.
A black doorway.
Just like the dungeon he had seen that night.
But this one was only visible to him.
Cold sweat ran down his back.
This was insane.
Should he enter?
He stared at the swirling darkness.
If he stepped through, there was no guarantee he'd come back alive.
But then—
His fingers clenched.
What did he have to lose?
He had no family. No special future waiting for him.
If this system was truly a chance to become stronger
Then he wouldn't waste it.
Taking a deep breath—
He stepped into the dungeon.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a rush of air slammed into him.
The world shifted.
When he opened his eyes—
He was in a dark forest.
Tall, twisted trees surrounded him. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth.
A notification appeared.
[ Hidden Dungeon: Goblin's Nest ]
[ Difficulty: E-Rank ]
A rustling sound.
Reikazu's breath caught.
From behind the trees, something moved.
Then—
A small, hunched figure stepped forward.
Green skin. Yellow eyes. A crude dagger in its hand.
A goblin.
It snarled, baring its sharp teeth.
Reikazu's body tensed.
The system wanted him to defeat it.
He had no weapons. No skills.
Just his bare hands.
The goblin let out a screech and charged.
Reikazu's heart pounded.
There was no time to think.
He had to fight.
Now.