Ethan stood, breath ragged and chest heaving, staring at the translucent blue screen in front of him. The faint hum of the dungeon's eerie atmosphere filled his ears, but it was drowned out by the pounding of his heart. He blinked rapidly, half expecting the message to disappear, but it didn't. It hovered there, like a glitch in reality itself.
Skeleton Soldier lvl 3 - killed
Rewarded 300 experience points
The words seemed to pulse, as if mocking him. His mind raced.
'Experience points? What kind of twisted game is this?'
His eyes flicked back to the advancing undead, their hollow eyes locked onto him with an unnerving focus. The ones in the back moved slower, but the front ones were closing in, their steps deliberate and determined. They were slow but relentless, and now they were aware of him, like predators scenting prey.
A deep growl rose from one of the shadowy figures, and it took a step forward, its fingers twitching as if eager to rip into him. Ethan gritted his teeth, trying to keep his nerves in check. He glanced down at the shovel, its worn handle slick in his grip, the rusted metal edge catching the flickering torchlight.
Suddenly, another blue screen popped up in his vision, nearly startling him to the point of panic.
New Quest: Survive the Dungeon
Objective: Defeat the Undead Horde and find a way out.
Rewards: Unknown
"Great," Ethan muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. Like I needed more weirdness.
The growls drew closer, pulling him from his thoughts. The first of the undead lunged at him, its twisted limbs jerking in unnatural movements. Ethan sidestepped, narrowly avoiding its boney claws, and swung the shovel upward with all his might. The force of the strike knocked the creature back, but it wasn't enough to stop it. It staggered, but before it could regain its balance, Ethan was already on the move again.
Another one appeared at his side, a grotesque, emaciated figure dragging its broken body toward him. Its jaw snapped open with a hungry hiss. Ethan barely had time to react before it lunged, but this time he was ready.
With a battle cry, he swung the shovel down with all his weight behind it, the heavy metal head connecting with the thing's skull. There was a sickening crack as the creature crumpled to the floor, lifeless once again.
Skeleton Soldier lvl 3 - killed
Rewarded 300 experience points
leveled up lvl 2: +3 unallocated status points
The screen popped up again, but Ethan barely registered it. His mind was focused on survival, his body moving on instinct now.
He swung again, the shovel connecting with another skull. Crack. It collapsed to the ground. His breath was labored, his muscles aching with each swing, but adrenaline kept him going.
Skeleton Soldier lvl 3 - killed
Rewarded 300 experience points
Skeleton Soldier lvl 3 - killed
Rewarded 300 experience points
Each time he defeated one of the undead, he could feel the pull of something deep inside of him—the sensation of power building, of something unlocking. It was like the experience points were doing more than just keeping track of kills. Something… was changing.
Another arrow whizzed past him, narrowly missing his head. He ducked instinctively, his eyes darting toward the source of the shot. A figure, shrouded in darkness, stood on a raised platform in the far corner of the room. A bow was trained on him, the archer's glowing yellow eyes visible even in the dim light.
'Shit'. Ethan's gaze locked onto the platform. The archer was no mere undead soldier. The way it moved, the precision of its aim—it was something far more dangerous. And that meant he was nowhere near out of the woods.
The growls and shuffles continued around him, but his focus remained on the archer. He couldn't let himself get distracted again. The shovel in his hands felt heavier now, its weight pressing down on him as if to remind him that he wasn't just fighting for his life—he was being tested.
Survive the Dungeon. The quest's objective looped in his mind. But how?
He needed a plan.
Suddenly, the blue screen appeared again.
New Skill Acquired: "Shovel Mastery"
Passive: Increased damage with shovels.
Active: "Ground Slam" - Perform a powerful ground-based attack that knocks back enemies within a 5-meter radius. Consume 15 mana upon activating.
"Well, that's... something," Ethan muttered. The screen disappeared, and he quickly assessed his situation. He wasn't just some random guy anymore. It seemed like the world—or whatever this place was—was handing him the tools to survive.
And survive he would.
Without a second thought, he took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the shovel, and sprinted toward the nearest undead. He'd dealt with a few of these things already, but this next part would require more than just brute force.
It was time to test out his new skill.
Ethan slammed the shovel down into the stone floor with all his strength. A shockwave rippled through the air, and the ground trembled beneath his feet. The undead nearest to him were knocked off their feet, some tumbling backward, others crumpling like ragdolls into the dust.
Skeleton Soldier lvl 3 - killed
Rewarded 300 experience points
Skeleton Soldier lvl 3 - killed
Rewarded 300 experience points
leveled up to lvl 3: +3 unallocated status points
The archer on the back staggered, momentarily thrown off balance by the quake. Ethan saw his chance. Without hesitating, he bolted toward the undead, his muscles burning with the effort.
The air was thick with the sound of arrows whizzing past him, but he ducked and weaved, his focus laser-sharp. The archer nocked another arrow and drew it back, but before it could be released, Ethan reached the undead.
He dove forward, the shovel raised high above his head, and with a roar, he swung it down onto the archer's arm.
The impact was brutal. The archer howled in pain, but Ethan didn't stop. The undead creature staggered backward, clutching its wounded arm, and in that moment, Ethan drove the shovel into its chest.
The archer's eyes went wide, and it collapsed, crumbling into a pile of bones and dust.
Skeleton Archer lvl 5 - killed
Rewarded 500 experience points.
leveled up to lvl 4: +3 unallocated status points
The screen flashed in front of him again. Ethan grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow.
He had no idea what was going on, but for the first time since he'd woken up in this nightmare, he felt like he had a fighting chance.
And he would take every chance he could get.