The air in the dungeon shifted as the third wave approached. Leon could feel it in his bones—an ominous chill that crept beneath his skin. The hum of the dungeon grew louder, like a heartbeat accelerating in tempo. His eyes darted around, scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.
His hand gripped the hilt of his sword with white-knuckled intensity. He was exhausted from the spider fight, but he couldn't afford to rest. Not yet. He had only just begun to understand the true danger of these dungeons. He couldn't let his guard down.
> Wave 3 Begins
Monsters: 3
The first to appear was a goblin shaman—a slight variation of the one he had fought before. Its skin was a deep shade of blue, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural, arcane energy. In its hands, it held a staff crowned with a jagged crystal. The air around it shimmered with raw magic, and Leon's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't like the goblins he had faced before.
The goblin shaman cackled, raising its staff. Leon quickly dropped into a defensive stance. A bolt of lightning shot toward him from the staff.
He didn't have time to dodge. The bolt struck him square in the chest. Pain surged through his body, and for a moment, everything went numb. He stumbled backward, gasping for air.
> Damage Taken: 40
Status: Stunned
His vision swam, and he struggled to regain control of his body. His instincts screamed at him to move, but his muscles refused to respond. He could barely make out the goblin shaman's next incantation as it began to charge another spell.
This was it. If he didn't do something now, he was going to die.
Then, a strange sensation—an almost imperceptible pull—spurred him forward. Something deep inside him stirred.
For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to slow. The pain in his chest faded, his mind cleared. Leon's grip on his sword tightened, his muscles igniting with newfound strength. With a roar, he pushed himself to his feet, drawing on whatever power he could muster.
The lightning bolt shot toward him once again. This time, Leon didn't hesitate. He raised his sword, blocking the bolt with the flat of his blade. A crackling shock ran through the metal, but his sword held firm, as though it had a will of its own. He could feel a strange warmth emanating from the blade, a connection he couldn't explain.
In that moment, his instincts took over. He dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the goblin shaman. The creature's eyes widened in shock as Leon's sword sliced through the air, cutting clean through its staff and into its chest.
The goblin shaman let out a strangled gasp and collapsed to the ground.
> Goblin Shaman Defeated
EXP Gained: 150
Item Drop: Magic Crystal, Shaman's Staff
Leon stood over the fallen creature, his chest heaving with the exertion of the battle. The surge of power that had helped him overcome the goblin shaman still buzzed in his veins, though it felt fleeting, like something not entirely his own.
> Status: Unawakened
Wave 3 Completed
The dungeon hummed again, and the stone walls seemed to shake as if in approval. Leon felt a strange sensation—something he couldn't name. It was as though the dungeon itself recognized his victory, pushing him further into its depths.
Something was changing inside him.
---
The dungeon seemed to grow more complex the deeper Leon ventured. The corridors twisted and turned, and the monsters grew stronger, each more formidable than the last. But Leon was no stranger to challenge. After all, he had no choice but to survive.
He fought through wave after wave of monsters—goblins, trolls, and giant snakes—his blade becoming faster, sharper, more instinctual with each battle. Yet despite his increasing strength and the strange sense of power that surged through him after each fight, Leon was still unawakened.
Each time he fought, he felt a tug deep within his chest, a call that whispered of something greater, something he had yet to fully grasp. He couldn't understand what was happening to him, but one thing was certain: the dungeon was changing him.
After another grueling fight, where Leon had barely survived a skirmish with a troll, he stumbled into a small chamber. This room felt different from the others. The air was heavy, and the walls were lined with ancient symbols and runes.
In the center of the room stood a pedestal, atop which rested a strange crystal. It pulsed with a soft, blue glow, and Leon felt a compulsion to approach it. Without thinking, he reached out, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the crystal.
> System Alert: Awakening Process Initiated
Warning: Unknown Effect Detected
The crystal reacted to his touch. The blue glow intensified, and the world around him seemed to dissolve into a blur. Leon's vision swam as if he were falling through an endless void. For a moment, he thought he was dying, but the feeling was more surreal, like he was being reborn.
Then, with a sudden jolt, the world snapped back into focus. Leon gasped, falling to his knees as a surge of power coursed through him. His mind felt clearer, sharper. He could feel the raw energy of the dungeon itself pulsing around him. He was no longer just a man with a sword—he was something more.
> Awakening Complete
New Status Window Available
New Skills Unlocked
The dungeon, it seemed, had chosen him.