Chapter 4: Physical Restriction and the Dungeon
POV: Narrator
Akira stared carefully at his options. He was tempted to choose the Physical Restriction.
To be honest, MP was useless to him — he didn't have a single ability that required it. He let out a sigh before his lips curved into a faint smile.
"I choose the Physical Restriction," he said firmly, locking eyes on the glowing system screen.
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[You have chosen the Physical Restriction. All MP will be revoked in exchange for superhuman physical and mental abilities.]
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The moment the message disappeared, Akira felt a surge of energy rush through his body.
It was as if every fiber of his being had suddenly awakened.
All at once, he felt stronger, faster, tougher.
He blinked a few times and lifted his gaze — everything around him looked sharper: the colors, the lights, the movements of the people… he could see every tiny detail with astonishing clarity.
The air carried scents he had never noticed before — some pleasant, others not so much.
And the sounds… he could hear distant conversations perfectly, the rustle of people's clothes, even the wind brushing against the building windows.
His senses had been elevated to an entirely new level.
Curious, Akira looked at his hands. He opened and closed them several times, feeling the difference in his own body. Every movement felt more natural, more fluid, more efficient. His strength hadn't just increased — he felt total control over every muscle in his body.
A confident smile spread across his face. Now he felt ready.
If he'd had doubts before about entering the dungeon instance, they had completely vanished. Whatever waited for him inside, he was sure he could handle it.
Without wasting any more time, he began walking toward the nearest subway station.
If the key could teleport him to the dungeon, then it was time to find out.
.
.
.
.
He walked for several minutes until he finally found a station. He stopped a few meters from the entrance, watching the people coming and going. He didn't want to draw attention, so he decided to wait until the station was a bit emptier before testing the key.
Now, he just had to see what kind of challenge awaited him.
When the opportunity finally came, Akira pulled the dungeon key from his inventory. His hand trembled slightly — not from fear, but from the thrill of the unknown.
Then, out of nowhere, a floating keyhole appeared before him, waiting to be unlocked.
He exhaled softly and inserted the key, turning it decisively. The sound of the mechanism clicking echoed in the air, and once the turn was complete, both the keyhole and the key vanished.
Before him, the entrance to the dungeon materialized.
"As Toji Fushiguro would say, you have to work on the failure." he muttered with a smirk.
Without another second of hesitation, he started down the stairs. He didn't even flinch when the entrance behind him slammed shut, sealing him inside.
With a fluid motion, he drew his katana from his inventory, gripping it firmly as he continued his descent.
The path led him to a large corridor that split into several branching tunnels. His sharpened senses immediately picked up details:
— The smell of wet dog mixed with iron.
— Faint growls echoing in the distance.
Akira narrowed his eyes and walked forward cautiously.
He wasn't alone.
From the ceiling above, a pair of glowing red eyes snapped open. Before the creature could lunge at him, Akira instinctively shifted to the side, dodging the bite of a beast that crashed down exactly where he'd been a second ago.
He quickly stepped back, fixing his gaze on his attacker — a wolf.
But it wasn't a normal wolf.
Its fur was a dark crimson, and its mouth — instead of regular teeth — was filled with sharp, metallic fangs.
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[Ironfang Wolf]
[Threat Level: None]
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Akira raised an eyebrow at the system's assessment.
"So it marks them as 'not dangerous' because I'm stronger than them, huh?" he muttered mockingly.
Still, he didn't lower his guard.
He wasn't foolish enough to trust the system blindly.
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End of Chapter