Eren stood in front of the Rift that marked the entrance to *The Slime Dungeon*. The portal shimmered faintly, its green glow reflecting off the cracked pavement. Around him, hunters moved about, some preparing for their own dungeon runs, others chatting in groups about recent hunts.
"So, this is the Slime Dungeon," Eren muttered, tilting his head as he eyed the unassuming portal.
**[Pathetic.]**
The System's voice cut in, dripping with disdain.
**[I told you slimes are worthless prey. Weak, slow, and barely worth the effort. Why don't you ever listen to me?]**
Eren sighed, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "Because weak is what I need right now. You think I can handle anything better than this? I'm not exactly rolling in combat skills, you know."
**[There's a lovely E-Rank Scobold Dungeon nearby. Now *that* would be a real test of strength, not this puddle of mediocrity.]**
Eren shook his head. "I don't want to test strength I don't have. Scobolds would chew me up and spit me out."
**[Coward.]**
"Call me what you want. I'd rather live to see tomorrow."
Eren turned back toward the gate, but before he could take a step forward, someone collided into him, nearly knocking him off balance.
The offender was a young man with striking silver hair, styled as if he spent more time grooming than training. His expensive combat gear glinted under the lights, more ornamental than practical.
"Watch where you're going, bastard," the man snapped, glaring at Eren like he'd just committed a crime.
Eren blinked in confusion. "Excuse me? You're the one who crashed into me."
**[Kill him.]**
'Kill him?' Eren thought incredulously. 'For bumping into me? You're insane.'
But he couldn't let it go entirely. A sly smirk crept onto his face as he bent down, picked up a small stone, and casually tossed it at the man. The rock sailed through the air and hit its target squarely on the head.
The silver-haired man froze, touching the back of his head as if he couldn't believe what just happened.
"You—YOU RUINED MY HAIR!" he bellowed, spinning around. "Do you know how much time I spent on this?"
**[This is how you retaliate? Throwing rocks? Truly, I am cursed with the weakest host in existence.]**
"Hey, I'm not weak. It's called tactical response," Eren muttered, ignoring the System's taunts.
The silver-haired man charged at him, his fists swinging wildly.
The silver-haired man's attacks were uncoordinated and fueled entirely by anger. Eren dodged easily, sidestepping each punch with a bored expression.
"Stop moving, you rat!" the man yelled, his face red with frustration.
Eren yawned dramatically. "This is your idea of a fight? Maybe spend less time on your hair and more on learning how to throw a punch."
The crowd that had gathered to watch chuckled, whispering amongst themselves.
"Isn't that Leo? He's one of Alex Blaze's lackeys."
"Yeah, Alex—the heir to the Blaze family. They're bigshots. His dad's an S-Rank hunter, a real monster."
"This guy's crazy to mess with someone like Leo."
Eren tuned out the murmurs, rolling his eyes as Leo swung again, this time with a wild haymaker. Ducking under it, Eren planted his foot firmly and delivered a sharp jab to Leo's stomach.
Leo doubled over, wheezing.
"Done yet?" Eren asked, stepping back.
Before Leo could respond, another voice cut through the air.
"Leo."
The crowd parted as a tall man with fiery red hair and a commanding presence strode forward. His combat gear bore the Blaze family , and his sharp, calculating eyes swept over the scene before landing on Eren.
"Who's this guy?" Eren asked casually, glancing at Leo, who was still recovering.
Leo straightened, pointing an accusatory finger. "He hit me with a rock, Alex! My hair—"
Alex raised a hand, silencing him. He turned to Eren with a faint smirk. "You're an interesting one. Most wouldn't dare lay a finger on someone connected to me."
Eren shrugged. "Didn't know who you were, and frankly, I don't care. Your buddy here ran into me and started yelling. I just gave him a taste of his own medicine."
The crowd gasped at Eren's nonchalant tone, but Alex's smirk only grew wider.
"Bold. I like that," Alex said, his voice low and measured. "Have a safe day, then."
There was something unsettling about the way he said it, but Eren didn't flinch. He simply watched as Alex turned and walked away, Leo trailing after him like a kicked puppy.
---
[Inside the Slime Dungeon]
The dungeon was damp and sticky, its walls covered in a faintly glowing green slime that dripped onto the floor. Puddles of goo splattered with each step Eren took, and the air smelled faintly of mold and decay.
"Well, this is disgusting," Eren muttered, his knife drawn as he scanned the area.
It didn't take long for him to encounter his first enemy—a small, blob-like creature with a faintly glowing core at its center.
"Alright, slime," Eren said. "Let's see what you've got."
The slime quivered and began inching toward him at a painfully slow pace. Eren sighed, stepped forward, and drove his knife into its core, watching as it dissolved into a puddle of goo.
[Killed F-Rank Slime. EXP +30.]
[DEVOURED 1 F-Rank slime. EXP +40
Eren pressed on, encountering groups of slimes as he explored deeper into the dungeon. Though they were easy to kill, the System never failed to remind him of their insignificance.
[Killed F Rank Slime. EXP +30.]
...
..
[Killed 20 F Rank Slime. EXP + 600]
[DEVOUR 20 F Rank Slime for stat Successful. Endurance +21 , Intelligence +15]
**[Updated Stats: Strength: 31 | Agility: 25 | Endurance: 50 | Intelligence: 36 | Mana: 180.]**
"This isn't so bad," Eren muttered.
But his optimism was short-lived.
As Eren moved deeper into the dungeon, the air grew colder, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed around him. His instincts prickled. Something was off.
Before he could react, a dagger whistled past his head, embedding itself in the wall.
"Nice reflexes," a voice said, smooth and cold.
Three figures emerged from the shadows, clad in dark armor and masks that concealed their faces.
"Who are you?" Eren demanded, raising his knife.
"Doesn't matter," the leader said, drawing a blade. "Alex Blaze sends his regards."
Eren raised an eyebrow. "Alex who?"
The leader paused, clearly not expecting the question. "You really don't know?"
"No clue. But I'm guessing you're here to kill me."
The leader nodded. "Sharp. Too bad you won't live long enough to learn anything else."
Eren smirked, tightening his grip on his knife. "We'll see about that."
.....
..
Eren : "How was that last smirk, Readers?? ;)"
A/N : "It was absolutely disgusting"
Eren : "Iam not talking to you, Bast-"
System : [Kill him, host]
A/N & Eren : "W-What"
A/N : "You also breaking the 4th wall??"
A/N & Eren: "I'm sorry reader's, I wasn't anticipating this"
System : [Thank you for having me]