Ethan stretched his arms, the warmth of the morning sun spilling into his room through the window above the café. He rubbed his eyes, sore from yesterday's grind, but mentally prepared. Today was going to be a different kind of challenge. Not a flashy dungeon or powerful loot. Today was about discipline. Experience. Growth.
He stared at the ceiling a moment, then muttered to himself, "No E-rank stuff today. Just clearing F-ranks. Learn the patterns, earn some quick cash. Tomorrow, I'll start looking for new spells and equipment."
He thought briefly of the boots he'd earned in Moonfang Thicket—the Direfang Striders. Part of a set, surely. He'd love to complete it, but the odds weren't in his favor. Boss drop rates were notoriously low, around ten percent, and equipment only ever dropped from the final boss monster. It could take ten clears—or more—just to find another matching piece.
Still, one thing at a time.
He sat down at his desk and pulled up his system interface, browsing dungeon listings.
Whispering Hollow – Located near the edge of the Northern Forest. Populated by shadowy monsters called Whisperlings. Agile, silent, and dangerous in groups. Not ideal.
Broken Foundry – Deep in the ruins of an old mana-forge. Home to slow-moving but durable constructs called Rustborn. Resistant to fire.
Ethan sighed.
"Both terrible matches for me. Let's go."
…
Whispering Hollow – First Clear
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
The entrance to Whispering Hollow was tucked behind a curtain of weeping trees, their bark blackened with a thin coat of moss. Mist drifted over the forest floor like ghostly tendrils. As Ethan crossed the threshold, a chill rolled over him, unnatural and sudden.
Inside, the dungeon was dim, lit only by pale blue fungus clinging to the trunks and rocks. The air was damp, almost oppressive, and every step he took was muffled by the thick moss carpeting the ground. It was like the dungeon itself was trying to stay silent.
His first encounter came only moments in.
A pair of glowing eyes blinked into existence between the trees. Then another. Then five more.
Whisperlings.
They moved like liquid shadow, flickering between trees and stone, barely making a sound. The first one lunged—Ethan dodged.
"Fireball!"
The glowing orb exploded against its midsection, revealing its twisted form: a shadowy beast with too-long limbs and a gaping jaw. It screeched and evaporated.
"Only 100 HP. Should go down in one hit."
But more came.
Three converged at once.
He used Surge Step, vanishing with a blue flicker and reappearing to the side, hurling fireballs in quick succession. They exploded in bursts of heat and light, disorienting the creatures.
He realized something: they always circled before attacking. Always tried to isolate him.
Pattern: Swarm tactics. Keep moving. Don't get surrounded.
He adapted quickly, using the environment to limit their angles. Trees became barriers. Fallen logs became choke points. He learned to bait them, hit them when they committed.
After twenty exhausting fights, he finally reached the boss.
The Whisperling Matriarch was huge—easily three meters tall, her form flickering like a corrupted wraith. She didn't screech like the others. She moved with intelligence.
She sent out illusions—copies of herself. Ethan quickly learned they didn't have shadows. Only the real one did.
He used Fireball to destroy the fakes, and waited.
The real Matriarch lunged.
Surge Step!
He blinked behind her and launched two consecutive fireballs at point-blank range. She howled.
But she didn't go down.
Two more fireballs. One grazed her as she leapt away.
Then she turned, her claws glowing with dark mana.
Ethan gritted his teeth, waited until she jumped again—
Surge Step!
She flew past him, and he launched the final fireball into her back. Her HP dropped to zero, her form unraveling in the dungeon's gloom.
[F-Rank Boss Defeated - Whisperling Matriarch]
He dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
Then, he spammed Fireball and Surge Step until his mana hit zero.
[Mana Exhaustion Detected]
[Mana Overflow Activated]
[+1 Mana, +1 Spell Power]
Repeat once more.
Exhausted but proud, Ethan left the dungeon.
$5.100 richer than before.
…
Whispering Hollow – Second Clear
This time he knew the layout.
Knew the ambush spots. The circling tactic.
He tore through the Whisperlings with precision. One fireball per creature. Minimal movement. Efficient casting. His spell timing and movement were sharper.
He dispatched the Matriarch before she could summon illusions.
Mana exhausted. Overflow activated twice.
$5.100 more in the bank.
…
Broken Foundry – First Clear
The entrance to the Broken Foundry yawned like a mechanical grave.
Twisted metal pipes jutted from the ground like skeletal fingers. The air smelled of rust and old oil. Echoes of clanking metal reverberated even though no enemy was in sight.
Inside, it was a mess of scorched halls, broken conveyor belts, and hanging chains. Steam vents hissed occasionally, and sparks crackled from exposed wires. Everything had a dull orange hue, the walls bathed in old emergency lights.
The Rustborn made their appearance slowly—one limping from the shadows, its body plated in patchy, heat-resistant alloys. Its eyes flickered like dying lightbulbs.
Ethan launched a Fireball.
The spell hit but didn't incinerate. Damage halved.
"Damn it. So they really are resistant."
It took two hits to drop one. Three if his aim wasn't perfect.
They were slow, but they didn't come alone. Always in pairs or threes.
And they didn't stagger.
He learned quickly:
Pattern: Unflinching. Slow but relentless. Fire weak. Positioning critical.
He used the broken conveyor belts to create distance, the chains above to swing around corners faster with Surge Step. He kited them, slowly, methodically.
Then came the Rustborn Overloader.
Twice the size. Four arms. Each limb crackled with electricity.
Ethan launched a fireball. Barely a dent.
He used Surge Step to avoid its arcing slam, then immediately cast two more fireballs.
The Overloader slammed its fists down, causing a shockwave.
Ethan was thrown back, HP dropped by 15.
He growled, stood up, and channeled three fireballs in rapid succession. They hit its core.
The boss shuddered. Glowed.
Then exploded in a burst of light and smoke.
He dropped to one knee, panting.
[F-Rank Boss Defeated - Rustborn Overloader]
He emptied his mana pool again. Twice.
[+2 Mana, +2 Spell Power]
Another $5.400 in the bank.
…
Broken Foundry – Second Clear
By now, the path felt like home.
He avoided damage. Only used Surge Step once.
The Overloader died before it could charge its first slam.
Clean.
Efficient.
Another $5.400.
…
By the time Ethan returned home, the sky was painted in hues of pink and gold. His legs ached, his mana was drained, but his spirit burned with clarity.
He had fought monsters that circled and swarmed. He had fought monsters that tanked and crushed.
He had adapted.
And tomorrow, he'd finally go shopping—for gear, for spells, and for an ally.
He glanced at his system, and his bank account.
Mana: 170 → 183
Spell Power: 155 → 168[1]
Bank: $42.350
"Getting there."
He smiled, headed into the café below his home, and caught a glimpse of Alice drawing again.
But this time, no stick figures.
Only a wolf-hooded boy standing on fire.
He chuckled.
"Maybe she's starting to get it. Looks like she liked what I experienced in the dungeon–I refrained from telling her about me getting thrashed though."
//Authors Corner
Hi again with another chapter! I could maybe do with some help, I don't really know if the pacing is good... So what do you think? I am looking to improve, so please tell me if you like it so far, or what I could do better! I appreciate feedback a lot<33
Also tell me if you would rather see the entire system page each time, or just snippets of the improvements like I did this chapter, I can do either one!
Anyways, see you tomorrow as always brothers and sisters, have a lovely day!
[1] He got +5 yesterday after clearing the E-rank dungeon, and then he did +8 today, +2 after each dungeon run!