Abe groaned as he pulled himself up from the ground, his body aching from the dragon encounter. Dust covered his clothes, and blood trickled from a gash on his forehead. Luke and his men approached, their boots crunching against the gravel. Luke's cold gaze locked onto Abe.
"So, you made it out alive," Luke said, his tone flat, though his lips curved slightly in what could only be described as a smirk.
Abe dusted himself off and stared at Luke, anger bubbling under the surface. He remembered Luke's callous words earlier: "I don't care if he dies."
Luke stretched out a hand toward Abe, his expression unreadable. Abe hesitated before shaking it briefly. No words were exchanged. Luke nodded, turned on his heel, and walked off with his men.
As Abe watched them leave, the familiar robotic voice echoed in his head.
System:
"You should be careful of that man. I sense evil intentions coming from him."
"Wait...you can sense people's intentions?" Abe asked, his voice low, not wanting to draw attention.
System:
"Currently, I can sense anything within fifty feet of you."
"Fifty feet? That's...incredible," Abe muttered.
System:
"Level up, and this skill will be yours."
Abe let out a tired sigh, shaking his head as he trudged toward his apartment. The faint glow of streetlights illuminated his path as the city buzzed quietly around him.
When he finally reached his dingy apartment, he stopped at the door and muttered to himself, "Home sweet home." He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
Collapsing onto his worn-out couch, he stared at the ceiling.
System:
"Scanning area. This apartment is very small."
"You don't have to remind me," Abe groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"How many others out there have a system like me?"
System:
"I do not know. However, based on my scans, you are the only system wielder in this world."
Abe paused, processing the weight of those words. "I'm the only one, huh? I guess that's...something."
"Alright, System, give me a list of all the skills I've unlocked."
System:
"Quick Step, Fire Fist, Sword Master Level 1."
"I guess I'll need to enter that dungeon again," Abe muttered.
By the way, I think I should give you a name. Calling you 'System' doesn't feel right."
System:
"Understood."
"From now on, you're Ava."
System:
"Name changed to Ava."
Abe smiled faintly and dragged himself off the couch. He showered, changed into fresh clothes, and collapsed into bed. His eyes caught his outdated XPhone on the nightstand, and he groaned.
"I need a new phone. This thing sucks," he muttered. "Guess I'll need to earn some money first."
Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep.
The Next Morning
Abe awoke to the persistent chime of his XPhone alarm. He groaned, slamming his hand onto the cracked screen to silence it.
Ava:
"Good morning, Abe. Your current condition is 70% recovered."
"Yeah, good morning to you too," Abe muttered, sitting up and stretching. He winced as the soreness from yesterday's ordeal still lingered in his muscles. "Seventy percent? Feels like fifty at best."
Ava:
"Consistent use of your skills in the dungeon will increase your stamina and endurance."
"That's just a nice way of saying I'm out of shape, isn't it?" Abe rolled his eyes and shuffled to the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of stale coffee, he leaned against the counter, staring at the bridge visible in the distance from his apartment window.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Luke's words from the day before carried a deeper weight. The way the man spoke so coldly—it wasn't just apathy; it was something darker.
Ava:
"Your vitals indicate increased stress. Are you anxious about re-entering the dungeon?"
"Anxious? No. Terrified? Yeah," Abe admitted, sipping his coffee. "But if I don't go back in there, I'll never get stronger. And Luke… I need to prove him wrong."
He set the mug down, grabbed his gear, and headed toward the bridge.
At The Bridge
Abe approached the towering structure, its eerie glow casting strange patterns on the ground below. The bridge's ominous energy was enough to make anyone think twice before stepping through it.
As Abe stood there, mentally preparing himself, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Well, well, look who's back. The loser's actually got the guts to try again."
Abe turned and sighed. "Nice to see you too, Max."
Max was one of the city's hunters, a skilled fighter who always seemed to have something to prove. The smug grin plastered on his face was as infuriating as ever.
"Didn't think you'd survive your first run," Max said, crossing his arms. "Guess I underestimated you. Or maybe you just got lucky."
"Call it whatever you want," Abe replied. "I'm here, aren't I?"
Max chuckled. "You're braver than I thought. But don't get too cocky. That dungeon doesn't care about bravery—it eats people alive."
"Thanks for the pep talk," Abe said dryly, stepping closer to the bridge.
Max smirked, stepping aside. "Good luck in there, loser. Try not to die this time."
Abe ignored him, focusing on the glowing light of Gate 2—the entrance to the dungeon. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Inside the Dungeon
The shift in atmosphere was immediate. Abe emerged into the first floor of the dungeon, a vast cavern lit by an otherworldly blue glow. The air was damp, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance.
Ava:
"Welcome to Floor 1. This level is relatively low risk. No dragons are present."
"No dragons? Sweet," Abe muttered, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Let's hope it stays that way."
He began walking cautiously, his eyes scanning every shadow and corner. The cavern stretched endlessly before him, with jagged rocks and strange glowing plants dotting the landscape.
After what felt like an hour of walking, Abe spotted movement in the distance. A small group of goblin-like creatures skittered across the path, their shrill voices echoing in the cavern.
Ava:
"Hostiles detected. Goblins. Threat level: low."
"Low, huh?" Abe whispered, tightening his grip on the sword. "Let's see if I can handle this."
He approached carefully, staying low to avoid drawing attention. But as he closed the distance, one of the goblins turned, its beady eyes locking onto him.
With a guttural shriek, the creature charged, a crude dagger clutched in its hand.
Abe's instincts kicked in. His feet moved before he could think, dodging the goblin's wild slash with ease.
Ava:
"Skill 'Quick Step' activated."
Abe spun around, slashing the sword across the goblin's chest. The creature let out a pained cry before collapsing to the ground.
The remaining goblins shrieked in alarm, rushing toward Abe.
"Great, here we go," he muttered, bracing himself.