Kael stepped out into the hallway, pulling the classroom door shut behind him. The lock clicked, sealing the terrified students inside. They would be safe there for at least three hours.
The hallway was a slaughterhouse.
Lockers were painted with fresh blood. Three regular green Goblins were crouched over the body of a hall monitor, tearing at his flesh.
Normally, a Level 1 human wouldn't stand a chance against three Level 2 Goblins. But Kael had a decade of combat experience and +2 extra Strength from his Devour skill.
Lesser Bloodlust: Activate.
Kael's vision tinted red. His fear vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating rage. He dashed forward, moving completely silently—a trick he learned from a master assassin in his past life.
He closed the distance in three seconds. Before the Goblins could react, Kael drove the sharp, splintered end of the desk leg straight through the back of the first Goblin's neck.
One.
The other two shrieked, dropping their meal and lunging at him with rusty daggers. Kael sidestepped the clumsy stab of the left one, grabbed its wrist, and twisted it until the bone snapped. Using the creature as a meat shield, he pushed it into the path of the third Goblin's blade.
Two.
As the third Goblin struggled to pull its dagger out of its ally, Kael delivered a crushing roundhouse kick to its temple. The +2 Strength made a massive difference. The Goblin's neck snapped backward at a sickening angle.
Three.
[You have slain three Level 2 Goblins.]
[Level Up!]
Kael ignored the level-up prompt and quickly extracted the white orbs from the three corpses.
[Devour successful. Agility +1. Stamina +1.]
He could feel his body optimizing, shedding the sluggishness of his teenage years. But he didn't have time to savor it. He needed to move to the basement.
In his past life, the military arrived on the third day of the Tutorial to clear the high school. During the cleanup, they found a hidden dungeon portal in the boiler room. Inside was the 'Hidden Boss' of the tutorial area. The guild that claimed the first clear rewards from that boss became one of the top ten guilds in the world.
This time, Kael thought, stepping over a puddle of blood, that reward is mine.
He navigated the chaotic stairwells, bypassing groups of terrified students and pursuing monsters. He only fought when necessary, efficiently dispatching enemies and Devouring their stats. By the time he reached the heavy steel door of the boiler room, he was already Level 4.
The basement was pitch black, smelling of rust and decay. But at the center of the room, a swirling purple vortex illuminated the shadows.
A Hidden Dungeon Gate.
[Warning! You are about to enter a hidden zone: 'The Spider Queen's Nest'.]
[Recommended Level: 15]
[Party Size: 5 to 10]
[Will you enter?]
Kael was Level 4. He had no armor, a splintered piece of wood for a weapon, and was entirely alone.
He didn't even blink.
"Enter," he commanded.
The purple vortex flared, sucking him into the abyss.
A/N: Kael is jumping straight into the abyss! Can he solo a Level 15 boss at Level 4? Drop a comment if you think he will survive!