Ten years ago, a gate appeared out of nowhere and monsters spilled out, while a small number of people awakened to superhuman abilities. These people were called "Players". They became humanity's sword and shield as if they were heroes.
Sometimes a big gate can appear out of nowhere. These are called "Catastrophe Gates", and only players with high stats or rank can enter.
My name is Satori, and I was just a normal high school student when a system screen suddenly appeared in front of me, saying "Congratulations! You have become a player!" I was surprised and filled with happiness. I clicked on the screen, and it changed to a status screen that showed my stats. I was very excited to tell my parents about this, as it had always been my dream to become one of the players. With this newfound ability, I could finally help my parents with their bills and debts.
I went to the AP Holder, also known as the Ability Power Holder, a building where new players can register. As soon as I finished registering my name, I immediately headed to the tutorial to learn the basics. There were many things to know about becoming a player.
Stats: Your stats increase each time you level up. These include Player Level, HP, Mana, ATK, DEF, Agility, Resistance, Magic Resistance, Critical Chance, Evasion, CD Reduction, and Healing Bonus.
Experience: Each monster kill, quest, or dungeon raid can give you a lot of experience, both in real life and in stats. However, it also depends on the player to choose how to grind their experience.
Some monsters are ranked from F to SSS. You can get items from monster drops and exchange them for yen. F-class monsters can give you 5,000 yen, E-class monsters 10,000 yen, D-class monsters 20,000 yen, C-class monsters 30,000 yen, B-class monsters 40,000 yen, and A-class monsters 50,000 yen. I haven't seen what SSS monsters look like, as they are hidden from the public, but there are rumors that you can easily see one for yourself at Catastrophe Gates.
After completing the tutorial, I managed to kill my first monster. It was pretty tough at first since It was my first time, but I kept fighting monsters every day. At this point, I still hadn't checked my stats since I was either too lazy to check or just wanted to surprise myself.
Two months later, I finally checked my stats. My player level was now 50, with HP 10,311, Mana 15,000, ATK 1, DEF 1, Agility 90%, Resistance 120%, Magic Resistance 130%, Critical Chance 5.0%, Evasion 90%, CD Reduction 50%, and Healing Bonus 35%.
It was already strange enough for me to point out my ATK and DEF, which were still in single digits. "No wonder I feel my attacks only do 1 damage," I sighed as I swiped around the system panel.
"I'm bored, I should go to a raid boss and grind EXP as well as try and party up with other groups." He decided to try partying up with other players. With that thought, he got up from his chair and headed to the global player guild building. Once there, he was randomly invited to join a party and quickly accepted.
"My name is Satori Kikuchi, I use a dagger as my main weapon and I mainly use telekinesis since it's very useful, and the rest is secret." he introduced himself to the party.
The other party members nodded in agreement. The one with heavy armor and a two-handed sword stepped forward, introducing himself, "My name is Ken. I'm a tanker, so whenever you need something to block on, don't hesitate to call my name."
Next, the girl with a staff introduced herself, "Yumi, I'm a healer and debuff mage," followed by the boy with a katana and a bow, "I am Miko. It may be a girl's name, but I'm a boy, so please don't misunderstand."
Satori and Ken exchanged a look, and Yumi whispered to them, "He does seem to look like a girl." They both nodded in agreement.
Miko cleared his throat and took charge of the situation. "Anyway, we're doing a raid boss, correct? I'll be the leader of this party since I have defeated this boss many times... So let me explain the information, and listen carefully." The group gathered in front of the door and focused on Miko.
"The boss's name is Acidspewer. This boss uses acid magic, basically, it's poison. This boss only has two phases. The first phase is Ranged Mode, where Acidspewer will stand at a distance and spit acid projectiles that travel quickly toward us. These projectiles deal moderate damage and also leave a trail of acid on the ground, which can slow down the player if they step on it.
The second phase is Close Combat Mode, where Acidspewer will charge toward us and start using melee attacks. Its attacks will be enhanced with acid, causing them to deal extra damage and also leave acid trails on the ground. The boss will also periodically spit acid puddles on the ground that can deal damage and slow down the player.
"Remember, try not to get hit, since even if this boss is a C-rank, each acid deals 20 damage total per 10 seconds." After he explained the information, he opened up the inventory box and took out three poison-resistance potions.
"I want everyone to drink this as soon as we enter. Yumi, please focus on debuffing the boss. Ken, remember to dodge and not only block. And Satori, try to damage it when it starts targeting us, but also use your telekinesis."
The three nodded. "What about you?" Satori asked, preparing himself.
"I will damage it from far away with my bow," Miko replied confidently.
"I trust your skills, Leader-chan," Satori said playfully.
"Hey, I said I'm not a girl," Miko replied, annoyed.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this done," Satori said with a smile.
The party slowly opened the gate and entered the room cautiously. The room was filled with a dark void, except for the sphere on the ground.
"Leader Miko, is this what the boss room looks like?" Ken asked, gripping his shield tightly.
"No, this isn't what the boss room is supposed to look like. It's supposed to be a mountain," Miko replied, confused.
"Huh? Did we perhaps enter the wrong dungeon room?" Satori says with a hint of worry in his voice, eyeing the eerie darkness that lay before them.
"Perhaps... Anyway please let's proceed with caution," Yumi replies, her hand tight on the hilt of her staff
Ken, on the other hand, seems excited despite the looming danger. "This is exciting but at the same time I'm worried!" he grins, trying to reassure the rest of the party.
"But this is my first time," Satori says, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Everyone, Look over there! There's a person standing at the end of the corridor!" Yumi points, her eyes focused on the mysterious figure.
A dark figure appears to be standing at the end corridor of the dungeon room. It turns around and faces them revealing the figure's face with a red face smile. Then a system appears on top of the figure's head saying, "Name: ??? - Rank: SSS - HP: 120/120."
"An SSS boss rank with 120 HP?! Did the system break or something? This is gonna be easy!!" Ken says with a smug grin.
"No, wait! We have to be cautious just because its HP is low," Yumi retorts, his tone laced with concern.
"What are you saying, Leader... That boss is just holding a knife! With our equipment it should be-" He then stops speaking, his eyes going wide with shock.
"Ken?" Yumi looks at him with concern. Suddenly, Miko shakes Ken as his head falls off the ground, the rest of his body collapsing in a heap. Panic spreads through the party, their hearts racing with fear and confusion as they realize the true danger that lies before them.
Miko's eyes widened with fear as he saw the figure's knife coming straight at his throat. The sharp pain and warmth of blood gushing out from his wound were the last sensations he felt before collapsing on the ground. Yumi's body shook uncontrollably as she tried to run away, but the intense pain and shock from the red blade projectile that hit her from behind caused her to collapse in agony.
Satori's heart raced with adrenaline as he watched his party members fall one by one. Fear and anger welled up inside him as he realized he was the last one standing against this seemingly unbeatable foe. "I won't go down without a fight!" he thought to himself as he unsheathed his dagger.
As he charged toward the figure, Satori's body trembled with both fear and determination. His heart raced with each step, knowing that any wrong move could mean his death. The figure's swift movements were too fast for Satori to keep up with, but he refused to give up.
With a surge of energy, Satori's hand began to glow with a bright blue light as he channeled his telekinetic powers. The figure was forced to the ground, caught off guard by Satori's sudden attack.
"Amusing," the figure says as it immediately gets up from the ground after Satori plunges his dagger into the spot where the figure had been lying.
Satori grits his teeth as he realizes his attack missed. "Dammit!" he curses under his breath, frustration boiling inside him and sighs deeply. "Ahh, I guess I don't have any other
He closed his eyes and focused his energy, channeling it through his body. Two enormous skulls, each resembling a dragon, appeared on either side of him, their fiery eyes fixed on the figure before them. Satori's left eye glowed with an intense blue and yellow light, a sign of his formidable power.
"I hope you're ready for round two," Satori said, his voice low and serious. "Because right now, I promise you something... I'll kill you." The system then appears in front of him. "You have reached your agility to 100% causing your body to move faster than the light, You have unlocked <"Instant Teleport within 500 meter radius">.
The figure's smile widens. "Entertain me."