The entrance to the Dungeon of Decay loomed before Jin like the gaping maw of some forgotten god. Vines crawled along the cracked stone walls, and an ominous green mist seeped from the doorway, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of mildew and regret.
"Why do I smell feet?" Jin muttered, holding his nose.
The NPC janitor had conveniently disappeared the moment Jin accepted the quest, leaving him standing there with nothing but his broken broom, moldy shirt, and a deep sense of existential dread.
"Well, you wanted adventure," Jin said to himself. He gripped the broom, now duct-taped together in what he called "battle-ready condition." "Time to show this dungeon who's boss."
…..
Inside, the dungeon wasn't exactly what he expected. Instead of traps and monsters, the floor was covered in piles of debris: broken pottery, old bones, cobwebs the size of blankets, and… was that a half-eaten sandwich?
The quest objective lit up in his vision:
[Objective: Sweep 100% of the dungeon.][Current progress: 0%.]
Jin sighed and got to work, sweeping the first patch of dirt. The broom, to his surprise, didn't disintegrate upon contact. Instead, it glowed faintly, and the dirt vanished into thin air.
"Huh," Jin said, pausing mid-sweep. "Magic broom. Neat."
Encouraged, he began sweeping with more vigor. The progress bar in the corner of his HUD slowly ticked up: 1%… 2%… 3%.
"This isn't so bad," he said, clearing another pile of cobwebs. "I might actually finish this without dying for once."
That was when the first enemy appeared.
The air grew colder, and Jin felt the hairs on his neck stand up. From the shadows emerged a Dust Golem, a hulking creature made entirely of dirt, grime, and the shattered dreams of people who didn't finish cleaning their rooms.
"Oh, come on," Jin groaned, backing away. "I'm just here to sweep!"
The Dust Golem roared, bits of dirt flying everywhere, and charged. Jin dove out of the way, rolling into a pile of moldy rags. His health bar dropped slightly from the contact.
[You are mildly disgusted. -2 HP]
"Seriously?!" Jin yelled, scrambling to his feet.
The golem swung a massive, dirt-covered arm at him. Jin ducked, grabbed his broom, and swung wildly at the creature's leg. To his shock, the broom emitted a small burst of light, and the golem stumbled, losing a chunk of its grime-covered shin.
"Oh!" Jin exclaimed, holding up the broom. "It's super effective! Dirt versus broom—classic matchup!"
The fight devolved into what could only be described as a choreographed cleaning frenzy. Jin darted around the room, sweeping at the golem's legs and arms with precision. Each sweep seemed to weaken the creature, as though the broom's magical properties were specifically designed to counter grime-based enemies.
"You want some of this?!" Jin shouted, leaping onto a broken table and swiping at the golem's head. "Nobody beats the janitor of justice!"
The golem roared again, but this time it sounded less like a threat and more like a toddler having a tantrum. Jin took advantage of its confusion, running in circles and sweeping up bits of dirt it left behind. The progress bar ticked up to 15%… 20%…
Finally, with one last dramatic sweep, Jin struck the golem in the chest. The creature exploded into a harmless cloud of dust, leaving behind a pile of shiny copper coins.
[You have defeated Dust Golem. +10 Copper Coins.]
[New Item Acquired: Soapstone.]
"Soapstone?" Jin muttered, examining the glowing rock. "What am I supposed to do with this? Buff the broom?"
…..
Feeling confident after his victory, Jin continued his quest deeper into the dungeon. As he swept, he encountered more enemies: animated cobwebs that tried to entangle him, a swarm of dust bunnies that nipped at his ankles, and a particularly aggressive sentient mop bucket that tried to eat his broom.
Each encounter forced Jin to think on his feet. Against the cobwebs, he discovered that the soapstone could emit a cleansing wave, burning through the sticky threads like a hot knife through butter. The dust bunnies were lured into a corner with crumbs from the moldy sandwich, where he promptly swept them into oblivion.
The mop bucket, however, required some unconventional tactics. Jin managed to kick it into a pool of stagnant water, where it flailed helplessly until he finished it off with a flourish of his broom.
By the time he reached the final chamber, the progress bar read 98%.
The final room was a grand hall filled with pillars covered in grime and an absolutely massive pile of dirt in the center. Sitting atop the pile was the King of Filth, a grotesque amalgamation of trash, broken furniture, and what looked like someone's leftover lasagna.
Jin sighed, gripping his broom. "Of course. A boss fight. Why wouldn't there be a boss fight?"
The King of Filth roared, launching a volley of garbage in Jin's direction. He dodged, barely avoiding a flying tin can, and charged forward.
"Alright, big guy," Jin said, sliding under the creature's arm and sweeping at its base. "Let's see how you like my Ultra Mega Broom Combo!"
To his surprise, the broom began glowing brighter with each swing, as though responding to his determination. He leapt onto the creature's back, sweeping furiously and carving clean streaks into its filthy surface.
The King of Filth thrashed, trying to shake him off, but Jin held on, using the soapstone to unleash a burst of cleansing light. The creature howled as chunks of grime and trash fell away.
With one final, dramatic sweep, Jin slammed the broom into the creature's head. The King of Filth exploded into a rain of coins and cleaning supplies.
[You have defeated the King of Filth. Quest Complete: Clean the Dungeon of Decay.]
[Reward: 10 Copper Coins, Magic Broom (Polished).]
Jin collapsed onto the now-spotless floor, panting. His health bar was nearly empty, and his shirt was somehow even more tattered than before. But for the first time, he felt… accomplished.
The polished broom in his hands gleamed faintly, a symbol of his hard-fought victory.
"Alright," Jin said, grinning. "Maybe this game isn't so bad after all."
As he left the dungeon, he could've sworn the janitor NPC was watching from the shadows, chuckling to himself.