Life is miserable.
Working hard won't change it.
Working 15 hours per day, from 6 am to 9 pm, I am still in the broken apartment.
Lu Chen pondered his life. He let out a deep sigh and glanced at his apartment.
Colors had already faded, and many cracks adorned the walls. The furniture was minimal, consisting of just a small desk, bed, and kitchen appliances.
It was a single room with a small bathroom, and Lu Chen had been residing there for over 6 years now.
"So tired!" He stretched his body, accustomed to this exhaustion.
Working as a manual laborer, he simply survived.
"What's in the news today?" He retrieved his small mobile phone that he found on the road years ago when he was returning home.
Browsing the internet, he read a news article.
"New D rank dungeon discovered on Yang Mi road. Hunters are mobilizing!"
"Hunter Su Feng ventures into the S rank dungeon alone. Will he return alive?"
"New rank S hunter emerges! All guilds are scrambling to recruit this individual!"
As he read these articles, he sighed and then moved on to VidTube to watch some ordinary videos.
Envy? Jealousy?
Lu Chen's only wish was to become a hunter and fight monsters. He was fed up with poverty.
Every hunter, even the lowest-ranked ones, earned thousands of times more than him.
[Ding!]
[Supreme Dungeon Overlord System initializing]
System?
Lu Chen widened his eyes, but his heart remained calm.
He was unlike an ordinary person; he knew how to adapt and react to situations.
[This system has two objectives: Challenge a dungeon and own a dungeon.]
...
What?
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect his system goal to own a dungeon.
[System's first objective: You must undertake a dungeon challenge. Challenging entails defeating the dungeon alone. Successfully conquering the dungeon grants abundant rewards.]
[System's second objective: Own a dungeon. The dungeon you challenge will become your possession. Any monsters killed there, their experience points will belong to you. You can modify the dungeon, monsters, and customize it according to your preferences.]
Lu Chen tilted his head as he read through it all.
Own a dungeon? What on earth?!
Twenty years ago, the apocalypse struck.
It began with ordinary calamities—floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and so on. Then meteors rained down.
When humans faced these challenges, circular energy formations appeared in various locations. Known as portals or gates, they spewed out monsters.
Chaos engulfed the world. His birth coincided with the day of the apocalypse.
He had heard his father boast about surviving the apocalypse with his mother.
The apocalypse was different from what one might imagine.
Instead of a dark, smoke-filled sky, the sky remained clear as if nothing had happened.
Monsters, both large and small, with various appearances, wreaked havoc in the cities.
Just the day after the apocalypse, people awakened superpowers. No one knew the source of these superheroes, but according to theories, a new energy had entered the Earth. This energy was given the name Mana.
Some referred to it as Qi, Astron, and so on.
However, since it was their first time awakening superpowers, they couldn't control them properly.
In the first year, chaos reigned as humans struggled in the fight.
But by the second year, they began to fight back. Humans managed to push the monsters back.
During that time, ordinary humans had no homes. The sky became their quilt, and the earth became their bed.
Food didn't pose a problem. The government developed food pills, small capsules that provided enough nutrients for people to survive. Despite being tasteless, it was enough for survival.
These pills were mass-produced as they required minimal resources and distributed to the cities.
Water was not an issue either. The apocalypse posed problems for humans, but it turned out to be a blessing for nature.
All the pollution in the world vanished. Pollution levels dropped to zero, resulting in the purest water one could find.
After the third year, the number of monsters on the surface decreased.
By the fifth year, the monster only remained in the dungeon.
After seven years, a Hunter government known as the Hunter Association emerged in the world.
They became the new governing body, controlling the world. Anyone with awakened abilities had to register with the Hunter Association.
Various guilds also came into existence, all operating under the Hunter Association and following their rules.
After the tenth year of the apocalypse, the world began to rebuild. New technologies emerged, and progress was made at a remarkable pace.
After 20 years, the world had returned to a sense of normalcy. Being a Hunter had become the most popular and dangerous occupation, offering the highest income.
Of course, other jobs were still available, but for those born during the apocalypse, they didn't have the opportunity for education. Therefore, like Lu Chen, many people took on odd jobs.
Unlike now, where education has become commonplace once again, back in those days, only the children of awakened individuals or those deemed important to society received an education.
Shaking his head, Lu Chen gazed at the floating hologram with mixed emotions.
_______
[Name: Lu Chen]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Dungeon Owner]
[Level: 1]
[EXP: 0/1000]
[Dungeon Coins (DC): 0]
___
[Strength: 12]
[Defense: 10]
[Stamina: 15]
[Speed: 8]
[Mana: 1]
___
[Active Skill: None]
[Passive Skill: None]
[System Skill: Evolution, Command, Temporarily Takeout]
____
[Dungeons]
System Dungeon - The World
____
Other functions are locked.
_____
"Hm…" He examined the skills intently. "These skills... they seem unique."
[Evolution: The more dungeons you own, the higher the chances of evolution. Evolution brings exponential changes to your stats, appearance, and skills.]
[Command: All monsters you own will obey your commands, even at the cost of their lives.]
[Temporarily Takeout: Remove your monsters from the dungeon temporarily. Time limit is 2 hours. Cooldown: 1 day]
Of course, none of the skills could be used in combat except for the third skill. But even that required him to own a dungeon.
However, he is just starting and has no dungeons. So, how will he challenge a dungeon?
"Can the monsters in the system dungeon work?"
He contemplated. A small sigh escaped his mouth before his eyes fell on the system dungeon.
"Should I try this?" He clicked on the dungeon.
[Do you want to enter the dungeon - The World?]
[Yes] / [No]
He pondered. "Is it really okay? Won't I be in danger?" Just because his life is boring doesn't mean he will sacrifice his life for anything.
He wants to live. But he also wants his life to be rich.
"Let's try this later." After thinking for a long time, he gave up.
No skill, no strength, going into the dungeon is nothing but suicide.
He fell onto the bed. His eyelids were heavy. A surge of exhaustion surrounded his body, and his world was enveloped by darkness.
The next day-
The street was bustling with various people. Most of them may have worn normal clothes, but not many had a digital wristband on their hands.
Those with wristbands are hunters. Lu Chen wore a black t-shirt and shorts. He walked slowly toward the construction site.
Even though the world was now normal, there weren't many buildings.
The city he lived in was called Living Night City with a population over 100,000 and hundreds of buildings with more than 200 floors.
Due to new technology, the buildings were fixed to the foundation. The buildings could float, sink in the ground, and even their floors could be dissected one by one to shift them to another place.
As he walked, he glanced at the huge metal wall in the distance. Looking futuristic, it had more than ten machine guns mounted on top of the wall.
Inside these walls was a gate that led to the dungeon. Many individuals walked in and out of the gate.
It was as peaceful as ever.
___
At the construction site, there was a massive hole in the ground, reaching down to 8 km. The walls of the hole were being replaced by black metal known as orxodie.
Orxodie was a metal found in dungeons. It was an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and the toughest metal one could find.
These were the foundations, and after some fitting, they would help the houses sink inside the hole and even protect them from natural disasters.
Outside the hole, countless blocks of black metal were being piled up.
These blocks were 3m in height, 5m wide, and 7m long.
These blocks were the rooms. Inside the blocks was a large space.
There were no windows or doors. But as Lu Chen reached the block, he swiped his worker card on it.
Ding!
The block emitted a small sound, and a green light flashed in front of Lu Chen.
A small part of the block in the center moved up, creating a space to enter inside.
The part that moved up didn't cross the ceiling instead it disappeared as it moved up.
Every part of the wall was customizable. Any part the room owner wanted could be a window or a door.
Seeing the empty space inside, he closely inspected the walls.
Inspecting them meticulously, he found not a single error. After that, he opened several holes in the room to check for any defects.
Not finding a single problem, he heaved a sigh of relief. Then he closed the entire room.
As every part of the room was sealed, the light disappeared, and darkness enveloped the space. Suddenly, the light switched on the ceiling, illuminating the entire room.
There was also no air, but as the light appeared, wind began to flow in. The wind could be both hot and cold according to the room owner's preference.
"Phew. There are no problems. I should report to Mr. Wang."
He exited the block. Each employee there had a specific block. They built, inspected, and then placed the block to create a building. Since his block was now completed, his part of the work was finished.
Since everyone had their own tasks, there was no need to go and sign up. As one entered the block, that would be considered registration.
Lu Chen looked at the other people. Some were building the blocks and installing lighting inside.
Some were inspecting the doors, and some were already near Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang was the construction supervisor. The workers who finished their work came to report to him.
Lu Chen also joined them.
"You all finished your work." Mr. Wang was an old man in his sixties, but he was very fit and appeared strong.
His body was tall and muscular. However, his wrinkled face and white hair made him look older.
"Yes." There were five workers, including Lu Chen. Since most of them would be busy with their own tasks, they didn't know each other.
Lu Chen was a quiet person. He didn't like conflicts or troubles, so he stayed at the back.
When the workers received their payment and signed the papers, they returned to their blocks.
Lu Chen's turn came after two minutes.
"Good morning, Mr. Wang. You look as fit as ever." Lu Chen was familiar with Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang had helped him many times, and sometimes he had taken care of him like his own son.
"Don't flatter me, young man." He appeared somewhat grumpy but smiled. "You are as hardworking as ever."
"Of course. I need to feed myself, after all."
"Is that all? When will you think about marriage? You're already 25 this year, and yet I don't see a single female around you."
"Well... you know how bad I am with girls. I don't think I will marry anyone in this life. You know my situation." Lu Chen smiled wryly.
"You look quite handsome. Don't think so low of yourself. Have some confidence."
"Well, I may have confidence, but my wallet doesn't. I barely survive on my own, let alone having to support another person."
"Ahem. That's why I am saying, leave this job and join the hunter academy. As long as you pass with flying colors, you will acquire a skill. Also, don't worry about money; I will invest in you."
Lu Chen smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle Wang. I can fend for myself. I don't want to trouble you anymore. Also... I am sure I won't pass the hunter exams, so why waste time and money?"
"Young man," Mr. Wang shook his head. "I won't pester you then. But if you change your mind one day, I'll be here. Just think fast, as I may not have much time left."
"What are you saying? I'm sure you'll easily live another 100 years."
The two of them chatted for a while.
"Here's your money." His card swiped with Lu Chen's card.
[Ding!]
[1,000 credits received.]
This message appeared on his card.
After the apocalypse, physical money disappeared, and only credits became the currency.
Cards as digital as this one were normal. Building a 200-floor building didn't take more than a month. If needed, it could be built in a single day too.
"Now go and finish your work."
"Okay." Lu Chen hurried to his block.
"This boy... When will he learn to depend on others sometimes?" Seeing Lu Chen's fading back, Mr. Wang sighed.
Lu Chen hurried to the storage room. The storage room was a single pink block that was twice as big as the black blocks.
Inside, there were various types of equipment: black metal, chips, digital lines, and even a pocket crane.
He grabbed the pocket crane. It was a small pouch located in the middle of the waist.
Taking it with him, he rushed to his block. Then, he pressed the button on the side of the pouch.
Two large mechanical arms emerged from the pouch, along with a control box near his arm for controlling the arms.
Using the controls, the mechanical arms lifted the large, heavy block. He then carried it to the hole.
The hole was covered by a metal panel that could be opened and closed using controls. There were already ten carefully placed rooms inside.
Each floor had five rooms, and there were two floors in total.
In the middle of the hole, there was a long, large rod. The blocks were arranged around the rod.
He placed the block on top, and after that, he left the area.
He went straight to his house. He had only worked for an hour today, but it was his last day at work.
Looking at the thousand credits on his card, he smiled.
[10 hours have passed since the system was activated.]
[Please enter the system dungeon within 2 hours, or else the system will shut down.]
Note: This chapter may be uneventful, but its purpose is to introduce the world, its technology, and other details. The next chapter will be filled with action!