The next day, news about the five guilds spread across Graythorne Country like wildfire, shocking the masses with their reports. The sudden surge of dungeons was spiraling out of control, leaving people in a state of unease.
Before the Hunter Association departed, Henry Stone stepped forward to address the citizens of Graythorne. His words carried strength and reassurance, offering a glimmer of hope amid the growing chaos.
"I, the Head Hunter of the Association, along with the five guilds, will do everything in our power to resolve this crisis. So, do not be afraid!"
Henry exclaimed as he stood up before the interviewer, clenching his fist.
"Even if they are the strongest, they cannot handle multiple dungeons at once."
Although he wasn't sure if they could truly manage the situation, he still gave hope to the citizens to prevent them from panicking.
On the other hand, after Ares woke up in his bed, he felt his calves were heavy. As time passed, they grew even heavier until—
"It hurts!" Ares shouted, clutching his calves. A sudden, agonizing tightness gripped his muscles, refusing to let go—even though he was completely at rest.
For the next hour, he waddled around his room like a penguin, desperately searching for something—anything to ease the pain. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his eyes landed on a warm compress.
Without hesitation, he pressed it against his calves, hoping for relief.
As he held the compress in place, the pain gradually eased, and he let out a deep sigh of relief. Once the discomfort finally faded, he shifted his focus to the system screen—but his mind lingered on the agony he had just endured.
"I trained to be stronger, not to be taken down by my own legs!" Ares muttered, his eyes fixed on the system screen, frustration flickering in his gaze.
Name: Ares Voldigoad
- Level: 15 [50%]
- Class: None
- HP: 100
- MP: 100/100
- Strength: 30
- Agility: 12
- Sense: 8
- Intelligence: 10
- Fatigue:
- Skill(s): None
A month had passed since Ares began his journey, and his relentless training was finally paying off. He had reached level 15, his stats had significantly improved, and his stamina had grown stronger—if only slightly.
While absentmindedly staring at his status screen, Ares considered entering a dungeon to farm equipment he could sell for profit.
"Can I get some equipment that I can sell?"
[Yes, but you must defeat the dungeon boss to obtain it.]
Ares sighed, cracking his knuckles. "Of course, nothing comes easy..."
Determined, he set his sights on the dungeon boss, wondering if he stood a chance against it.
After 30 minutes inside the dungeon—armed only with his steel dagger—he opened the system screen.
Suddenly, a new quest appeared.
[Kill The Midgard Serpent – Level 30]
[0/1]
As Ares read the quest, his eyes widened in shock.
"Thirty!?" Ares shouted, his heart is beating loudly.
This monster was no joke—the Midgard Serpent was poisonous, and each of its attacks could be fatal. Ares hesitated, carefully weighing his options.
"Nah, never. I'm not facing this thing. I just need some money, not a death sentence. If this is a high-risk exchange, there's no way I'm going for it," Ares muttered, shaking his head.
He turned his back, ready to leave.
But just as he took a step away, a system notification popped up.
[You Must Defeat The Monster Before You Can Leave This Dungeon.]
"Defeat? Why would I need to face that monster just to leave?!" Ares muttered, quickly reaching for the teleportation stone. "I'll just use this and get out of here—simple.
However, before he could activate it, another notification flashed before him.
[You are not allowed to leave until you have defeated the boss Teleportation is now restricted in this dungeon.]
Ares' eyes widened in disbelief. "Tch... Are you serious?!" It was as if the system was taunting him, forcing him to push past his limits.
He clenched his fists. He wasn't ready. Not yet.
But at the same time, this was his chance—his chance to test his strength after a full month of relentless training through the daily quests.
His heartbeat quickened. This was it.
No more running.
Ares had no choice but to face it, He swallowed hard and focused.
As he walked forward, the Midgard Serpent finally appeared—a massive monster looming before him. Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
TSSSS...
The monster's status appeared.
[Midgard Serpent – Level 30]
[Skills: Poisoning – Each attack can lead to death.]
Ares stared at it, his body tense.
"It's huge!" he thought, swallowing his saliva again.
Ares tightens his grip on the dagger as he gazes at the massive Midgard Serpent. Its scales glisten under the dim cave light, each one like a steel plate. The serpent's golden eyes lock onto him, unblinking.
His heart raced, pounding so fast it felt like it might burst from his chest. Doubt crept in. Could he really kill this thing?
His hands trembled slightly as he tightened his grip on his dagger. The Midgard Serpent wasn't just any monster—it was a boss, a creature designed to push him to his limits.
He observed the serpent's movements, his eyes widening as he scanned every possible way to kill it.
He quickly dashes toward the serpent without a plan. The serpent lunges, and Ares rolls to the side just in time, slashing the serpent's body.
He slashed at it, but the serpent's body was tough, and one strike wasn't enough to bring it down.
"Shit, it's tough," Ares said, cursing.
Before Ares could land on the ground, the serpent's tail swung toward him, sending him flying into a rock wall.
Pain shoots through his back, and his health bar drops by a quarter. Gritting his teeth, he pushes himself up and stands.
HP: 65%
'Th-this won't be easy,' he mutters, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
As the next attack comes toward him, he barely dodges it, rolling to the edge of the rock.
Continues for an hour, dodging the serpent's attacks, and Ares starts to run low on stamina.
After an hour, Ares got another idea. 'My dagger doesn't seem to be working on you, huh?' He sheathes his dagger and clenches his fist.
As the serpent lunged again, Ares punched its face, landing a blow that stunned the serpent for a few seconds and made it shake its head.
PUNCH
"It's working," Ares grinned, clenching his fist.
He delivered another punch to the serpent's face, and it worked. Ares got an idea and quickly looked through the system's equipment.
After a few minutes of searching, he found what he was looking for: an artifact that explodes.
It was a flare bomb, a small metallic device that released a blinding flash of light when detonated, followed by an explosive blast.
"This is it," Ares said, smirking at the serpent.
He planned to use it against the serpent, waiting for the right moment to throw it at its face. He held his steel dagger tightly in one hand while his other hand gripped the flare bomb.
As he waited for the right moment, the serpent suddenly dashed toward him, lowering its head. Ares didn't let the opportunity slip—he swiftly threw the flare bomb and immediately covered his eyes.
'Catch this, you monster!' Without hesitation, Ares dropped the bomb in the serpent's path as it charged.
A low buzz filled the air, growing louder until—
BOOM!
An explosion ripped through the cave, illuminating the darkness as light spread in all directions.
Only Ares could see his surroundings—the serpent was blinded for a moment.
'This is my last chance,' Ares muttered before quickly dashing toward the serpent.
He targeted the serpent's eye, piercing it with his dagger. The serpent's body writhed, and its tail rampaged wildly.
But it was only a matter of time before the serpent fell. Ares delivered his final attack, his face full of determination, his mouth widening as he let out a battle cry.
"WAAAAAAH!"
He pierced his dagger deeply into the serpent's head, and then, with a powerful slash, he severed its head from its body.
The system rang, signaling that the serpent had been killed.
PingPong
[You Have Successfully Killed The Level 30 Serpent][You Have Received A Reward][You Have Gained Exp][You Have Obtained A Serpent's Dagger]
Serpent's Venom Fang
Grade: Rare
Effect: Coated with deadly serpent venom, each strike has a 20% chance to poison the target, dealing continuous damage over time.
Bonus Effect: Increases attack speed by 10%.
This weapon was ideal for swift, precise attacks, allowing Ares to weaken his enemies over time while striking faster in combat.
"Damn, this item is good. It's worth as much as my life," Ares said leisurely, holding his new dagger. He then checked the other rewards.
As Ares opened his reward, three options appeared.
Skill - Random
Accessory - Random
Random - Random
After seeing the three options, he immediately chose a skill.
"Skill," he thought, and then a random skill appeared on the screen.
[Congratulations, You Have Acquired A New Skill]
[Void Manipulation]
Description: Creates a rift that generates a powerful gravitational pull, dragging enemies toward its center. The closer enemies get, the slower and more fatigued they become.
Ares was dumbfounded as he gazed at his new skill, his eyes sparkling despite how hard he had struggled to defeat the ridiculous monster. However, he didn't obtain any equipment and couldn't earn money after all. This was the one thing on Ares' mind when he went to the dungeon.
A wave of disappointment washed over his face.