Alter pulled himself up through the jagged opening of the pit, stepping cautiously onto solid ground. The air here was heavier, thick with dampness and the scent of aged stone. As his vision adjusted to the dim light, a system prompt flickered before his eyes.
[New Area Discovered: Sleeping Mountain Ruins]
The text faded, leaving him alone in the eerie silence of the corridor ahead. The stone walls were cracked and ancient, wrapped in thick vines and moss, as if nature had been reclaiming the structure for centuries. Water dripped from cracks above, the quiet plip-plip echoing into the unknown depths beyond.
Alter swallowed, his throat dry. The path stretched into darkness, illuminated only by faint shafts of pale light filtering through the collapsed sections of the ceiling. The further he went, the more the place resembled a ruined temple swallowed by time.
The murals along the walls were faded, almost unreadable, depicting humanoid figures in battle against monstrous creatures.
He moved forward slowly, his footsteps muffled by the layers of dust and dirt covering the ground. His ears caught distant sounds, low, guttural growls mixed with echoes of metal clashing against stone.
Other people? Or more monsters?
The corridors twisted and turned, some passages leading to dead ends, others looping back on themselves as if designed to confuse intruders. He ran his fingers along the moss-covered walls, trying to steady his breathing.
The faint carvings felt worn, their meanings lost to time.
Then, a sound, soft, barely more than a whisper of movement.
Alter froze.
A crack.
He crouched slightly, every muscle in his body tensing. His breath slowed as he scanned his surroundings. The corridor stretched ahead, empty, yet something about the air felt... wrong. It was as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something to strike.
He turned, eyes darting to the shadows behind him. The flickering light made the vines and cracks seem like shifting figures. He exhaled, rubbing his temples.
'I'm getting too paranoid.'
Another sound. This time, closer.
His body went rigid. He wasn't imagining it.
Something was there.
His grip tightened as he tried to pinpoint the source, but the acoustics of the temple played tricks on his ears. Every direction felt like a possible threat. His heart pounded against his ribs, his skin prickling with unease.
He took a slow step forward.
Silence.
Then, a sudden rush from the darkness.
A beast lunged at him, red eyes gleaming with hunger.
Another one of those wolf-like creatures.
The beast lunged with terrifying speed, its claws swiping where his throat had been moments before.
"Shit!" Alter twisted his body out of the way at the last possible second, the rush of air from the attack sending a chill down his spine.
He staggered back, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The monster was fast, faster than the last one.
It didn't give him time to recover. With a guttural snarl, it pivoted, using its momentum to launch another assault. Alter raised his arms in a desperate defense, but the sheer force of the impact sent him stumbling.
Pain flared as its claws raked across his forearm, drawing fresh streaks of blood. He grit his teeth, shoving the beast back with whatever strength he could muster.
But it was relentless.
Another charge, another dodge, barely. His body felt sluggish, his reactions slower than he wanted. The temple's uneven stone surface made it even harder to move freely. The beast's snarls echoed, mixing with the pounding of his heart.
The next attack came too fast. The creature lunged low, aiming for his legs. Alter braced himself, but the force sent him toppling onto his back. He barely managed to roll away as the beast's claws scraped the ground where he had just been.
Gasping, he scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from his fresh wounds.
This thing was toying with him.
His vision blurred with sweat and exhaustion. His breathing was ragged, his body burning with pain. He needed to fight back. Fast.
The beast lunged again, and this time, he didn't dodge completely. Instead, he met its charge with a desperate swing, his fist connecting with the side of its skull.
A loud crack echoed through the temple.
The impact sent the beast crashing into the ground, its body rolling across the dust-covered stones. It lay still for a second, stunned.
Alter's knuckles throbbed, his entire arm trembling from the force of the punch. He exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.
It worked. He could actually hurt it.
The beast let out a pained snarl, shaking its head as if trying to clear its vision. It was disoriented but still standing.
A rush of adrenaline flooded through him. He lowered his stance, planting his feet firmly. This was his chance. If he could strike again...
But the beast recovered faster than expected. It leaped forward, dodging his counterattack. Alter felt sharp agony rip through his side.
Teeth sank into his abdomen.
A ragged scream tore from his throat. The creature's fangs buried deep into his flesh, white-hot pain flooding his senses. His vision darkened at the edges, his legs wobbling beneath him.
"D-damn... I was too careless..."
Through the haze of pain, he saw an opening. His hands shot forward, grabbing the beast by the neck. He pulled it in, forcing it deeper into his own wound, locking it in place. It snarled, struggling, but Alter didn't let go.
His free fist came crashing down on its skull.
"Stay..." Another punch. "Down!" Another sickening crunch. "Dammit!" His knuckles burned, but he didn't stop.
The sickening crunch of impact filled the corridor, his knuckles splitting open from the force. The beast writhed, its claws raking across his arms, but Alter didn't stop. Pain was secondary. All that mattered was survival.
He kept striking.
Blood, his and the beast's, spattered onto the stone floor. The snarls weakened, turning into whimpers. The creature's grip on his flesh loosened, its body trembling under the repeated blows.
One final strike. A sickening snap echoed.
The beast went limp.
Alter's hands trembled, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Holy hell..." His vision swam, exhaustion slamming into him. He shoved the carcass away, barely keeping himself upright. "This is... Ouch... way harder... than grinding in a freaking game..."
A familiar chime rang in his ears.
[You have defeated a Rabid Fangbeast.]
[+10 XP Earned.]
[+5 Gold Acquired.]
[Level Up!]
A new wave of warmth surged through his body as the system registered his growth. His wounds still burned, his muscles still ached, but the knowledge that he had survived settled deep in his mind.
Alter opened his system screen, eyes scanning over the updated stats. A sense of accomplishment mixed with exhaustion settled over him as he took in the changes.
[Main System Interface]
→ Welcome, Alter
→ Current Class: Explorer
→ Level: 3
→ Resources Available: SP: 5 | Gold: 10
Select an Option:
[ Status Tab ] | [ Character Customization ] | [ Shop ] | [ Quests ] | [ Classes (Locked) ] | [ Gacha (Locked) ] | [ Item Bag ]
[Status Tab]
Name: Alter
Current Class: [Explorer]
Level: [3]
HP: [32/120]
MP: [10/10]
Stamina: [14/28]
Strength: 15
Resilience: 10
Speed: 10
Intelligence: 10
Luck: 0
XP Progress: [2 XP remaining to next level]
Currency: 10 Gold
Special Titles: None
His HP was dangerously low. Too low. He frowned, a sense of unease creeping up his spine. If he encountered another beast now, he might not be able to take another hit.
"So leveling up doesn't replenish my health…" he muttered, pressing a hand against his side where the beast had bitten into him. The pain was dulling, but the wound was still there. He needed to do something about it, fast.
Just as he was about to act, another pop-up flashed before him.
[Daily Quests Unlocked!]
[New Feature Available: Complete daily missions for additional rewards.]
His eyes lingered on the message, intrigued, but he shook his head.
"Later. Right now, I need to deal with this mess first."
His fingers hovered over the system's menu before he selected the [Shop] tab. The screen shifted, revealing a list of available items. His eyes landed on the [Minor Health Potion] for 5 Gold.
[Minor Health Potion – 5 Gold]
Restores 20 HP.
It was the safest option. If he drank it, his HP would recover, and he wouldn't have to worry as much about the next fight. His finger moved toward the purchase button... but he hesitated.
His eyes flicked back to his stats. Even with another potion, he was just buying time. Was that really the smartest play?
"If I just keep spending gold on potions every time I get injured, then what?" he murmured.
The beasts were dangerous, but he had already taken two down with his bare hands. Now that he had five extra stat points, wouldn't it be more beneficial to strengthen himself? His gaze dropped lower to another tab.
[Weapon Store]
[Wooden Club – 10 Gold]
Attack: +3
Durability: Low
A crude but heavy wooden weapon. Good for smashing things.
The club wasn't much, but it was better than fighting with just his fists. If he could do that much damage barehanded, then with this and a few well-placed stat points, he could make sure he didn't end up relying on potions just to stay alive.
It was a gamble, but if it worked, he'd be in a much better position for the next fight.
"…Yeah. Let's do it."
He selected the [Purchase] button. The screen flashed, confirming the transaction.
[Wooden Club Acquired.]
A second later, a weight settled into his hand. He looked down, fingers wrapping around the rough wooden grip of the club that had materialized before him. It was heavier than expected, but sturdy enough to do damage.
"Alright, not bad," he muttered, giving it a few test swings. The motion sent a dull ache through his arms, but he could already feel how much more impact this would have compared to just using his fists.
Now for the stats.
With five points to distribute, he decided to take a more balanced approach. He needed to be able to take more hits without dropping like a fly, but he also needed to move better in battle.
He assigned three points into Resilience and two into Speed.
[Status Tab]
Name: Alter
Current Class: [Explorer]
Level: [3]
HP: [32/120]
MP: [10/10]
Stamina: [14/28]
Strength: 15
Resilience: 13
Speed: 12
Intelligence: 10
Luck: 0
XP Progress: [2 XP remaining to next level]
Currency: 0 Gold
Special Titles: None
The adjustments locked into place. He took a slow breath, feeling the slight difference. His body felt… more solid. His steps felt a little lighter.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
With his club resting against his shoulder, he took one last glance at the system screen before closing it. The cavern stretched ahead, dark and filled with unknown dangers. But this time, he was ready.
With a determined smirk, he stepped forward.