Chapter 2: The Warrior's Rise
When Mark opened his eyes, he wasn't in the dungeon anymore.
He was in a small, private room, with soft light filtering through a window. Above him stood the instructor and Issy.
"What… happened? Where am I right now?" Mark asked, rubbing his head and blinking away the haze of exhaustion.
"You're in a private room in the Warrior Association," the instructor said calmly. "As for what happened… you saved yourself—and Ms. Ling here—by defeating a Hobgoblin in battle."
"Ms. Ling?" Mark echoed, his curiosity piqued. "As in… the Four Great Families Ling?"
Both the instructor and Issy shook their heads, a faint smile on Issy's lips. Mark's stomach tightened. He had heard of the Four Great Families countless times but had never met one in person. The Ling family was among the most influential, producing high-rank warriors for generations. Their names carried weight that could sway politics, commerce, and wars alike.
"The Four Great Families," the instructor explained, "were some of the first to receive Ability Seals. Their warriors are unmatched, and their ranks go as follows: Moral-1, Moral-2, Moral-3, Divine, Supreme, Immortal, Heavenly, Angel, and God. There aren't many Angels or Gods, so you can imagine how powerful they are."
"I'll leave you two alone for a bit," the instructor said, turning toward the door. "But be quick—the young man still needs to register."
Mark blinked, still processing everything, while Issy lowered her head. "I… I want to thank you for saving my life," she said quietly.
"It's okay. I'd do it anytime," Mark replied, trying to sound casual.
"Well… next time, I'll be the one saving you," she said with a small smile. She placed three energy crystals on the bed. "After you register, come by my family's office. I'd like to give you something as thanks."
Mark stared at the crystals. "Where did you get these?"
"You were unconscious and couldn't collect the Hobgoblin's Energy Crystal. I also noticed you missed the ones from the normal goblins. The third one is mine." She smiled faintly.
Mark frowned, realizing he had been so focused on leveling up his skills that he had forgotten about the crystals entirely.
"I have to go now," Issy said, giving him a small nod before leaving the room.
Mark sat on the edge of the bed, still thinking about the seal, Issy, and the fight. The Ling family's element was fire, he recalled, and that matched the flames she had ignited along her sword during battle. He instinctively opened his Status Window.
Status Window:
Name: Mark Song
Age: 18
Rank: Level 5
HP: 125/125
MP: 60/120
Strength: 39
Speed: 26
Agility: 26
Defense: 39
Mental Strength: 31
Ability Seal: Demonic Devil
Fighting Arts:
Demonic Stair [Lvl 1]
Demon Rage [Lvl 1]
Items Equipped: Standard Sword, ________, ________
Whoa… why did my stats go up so much? Mark thought, eyes wide. Normally, leveling increased stats by only 2 points per level. At this rate, he could reach Supreme Rank in no time.
A few minutes later, the instructor returned and escorted Mark down to the main floor.
"We usually test your strength before issuing a rank," the instructor explained as they walked. "But since you defeated a Hobgoblin, we've already made you a Moral-1 ID card. You'll need it to enter any dungeon. You cannot enter dungeons three ranks higher than your own alone. For one-rank higher dungeons, you may go solo. For two ranks higher, you must have a companion of that rank or higher."
He handed Mark the ID card. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Mark said, bowing slightly.
The instructor paused. "If you don't mind me asking… what seal did you receive?"
Mark raised his sleeve, allowing the instructor to examine the demonic mark.
"Hm… never seen this one before," the instructor muttered. "Best of luck. Do you plan on joining a clan or the Warrior Association?"
"No, sir. Not at the moment," Mark replied.
He stepped out into the streets of Silver Rise, the capital of the nation. Crowded, noisy, and alive with activity. Merchants shouted their wares, children ran between stalls, and warriors in training walked the streets, ID cards flashing proudly.
Mark made his way to the marketplace, seeking a place to sell the energy crystals he had collected. He had no intention of wasting time—money was tight, and rent was due soon. Eventually, he found a small shop: Mike's Warrior Shop.
The shop looked a little run-down, but Mark didn't care. He placed the crystals on the counter.
"Hey, welcome. How can I help you today?" a man with patches of gray hair asked from behind the counter.
"I'd like to sell these energy crystals," Mark said.
The old man examined them. "I'll give you 10 silver for the two smaller ones, 30 for the larger."
Mark's rent was only 30 silver. That was more than enough. Without hesitation, he accepted the payment.
"Also, do you have a storage pouch for sale?" Mark asked.
The man quickly grabbed a brown storage pouch, placing it on the counter. "Holds up to ten items. Costs 10 silver."
Mark handed over the coins and left the shop. Now that he was a warrior, possibilities seemed endless, yet he decided to call it a day and returned to his apartment.
The next morning, Mark scoured the internet, searching for information about his Ability Seal. Nothing came up. That wasn't surprising—he had grown up as an orphan and had always been weaker than others. Now, with his power, he decided it was time to test himself inside a dungeon.
After eating a simple breakfast, he placed 30 silver in his mailbox for the landlord, leaving himself with nothing, then headed toward the Moral-1 Goblin Dungeon. This time, guards from the Warrior Association stood at the entrance, checking IDs. Mark showed his card and was allowed entry.
Inside, the dungeon was quiet, almost eerily familiar. He began hunting goblins. Groups tried to resist, but Mark's sword moved like lightning, slicing through their bodies. Soon, he felt confident enough to take on a Hobgoblin.
After slaying nearly ten normal goblins and leaving some energy crystals behind due to his storage limit, he finally spotted a Hobgoblin. It charged with its axe, and Mark dodged easily. The next swing, he blocked with his sword, feeling the gust of air as their weapons clashed. He pressed the attack, slicing its arm, then drove his sword into its stomach. Blood gushed.
The Hobgoblin roared, but Mark pressed on, swinging with all his strength. His sword shattered against the Hobgoblin's axe, but he didn't stop. He picked it up and finished the beast in a single, powerful blow.
[Level Up] [Level Up]
Mark checked his Status Window.
Status Window:
Name: Mark Song
Age: 18
Rank: Level 8
HP: 125/125
MP: 60/120
Strength: 51
Speed: 38
Agility: 38
Defense: 51
Mental Strength: 43
Ability Seal: Demonic Devil
Fighting Arts:
Demonic Stair [Lvl 1]
Demon Rage [Lvl 1]
Items Equipped: Standard Sword, ________, ________
Mark noticed that his stats increased by 4 per level—double the normal rate.
He collected crystals from the Hobgoblin and left behind normal goblin ones due to storage limits, then pressed deeper into the dungeon. After an hour of slaying, he finally encountered the Goblin Boss: a muscular, human-sized goblin wielding a club in one hand and a staff in the other.
Before he could strike, fireballs shot from the staff. He dodged the first, but three more followed. One hit him directly, sending him flying back. He gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tighter. This would be a challenge.
Moving at full speed, he dodged and blocked, then activated both Demonic Stair and Demon Rage, charging the Goblin Boss with relentless strikes. He cut off its club arm, broke his sword in the process, but picked it up and delivered a final blow, decapitating the boss.
[Level Up] [Level Up] [Level Up] [Level Up] [Level Up]
The boss dropped a necklace and an Energy Crystal.
Dungeon Cleared. You will be teleported in 10 seconds.
Back in the real world, the guards were stunned. Mark had cleared the dungeon alone, despite only being a new warrior.
He immediately inspected the necklace.
Goblin Chief Necklace
Rank: Moral-1
Quality: Green
Mental Strength Required: 50
Effect: Reflects 10% of fire damage to the attacker
It wasn't powerful, but it was useful. Mark stored it, imagining one day finding higher-quality artifacts—blue or purple—for even stronger effects.
Exhausted, he returned to Mike's shop, selling the crystals he collected. The old man rewarded him handsomely, and Mark also bought a cheap replacement sword.
That night, he scrolled online again. The Moral-2 games were approaching—a chance for new warriors to be scouted by clans. But only Level 25 could enter, and he was Level 13. Three weeks to climb twelve levels.