Prologue: The Fall of an Ordinary Man

Ethan Cross was nothing special. A 24-year-old office worker stuck in the endless cycle of paperwork and coffee-fueled exhaustion. One rainy night, while rushing home, he was struck by lightning—except instead of dying, he woke up floating in a pitch-black void.

A voice, ancient and powerful, echoed around him.

"You have perished, but your fate has been rewritten. In the Age of Gods, you shall rise anew."

A brilliant light enveloped him, and when he opened his eyes… he wasn't human anymore.

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Chapter 1: Awakening as a Dungeon Core

Ethan found himself embedded in the center of a dimly lit cavern. His body was gone—he was now a glowing, crystalline orb pulsating with energy. Confused, he tried to move but realized he could only send out waves of energy.

[System Activated.]

A screen appeared before him.

Dungeon Core Initialized

Mana Supply: 100/1000

Territory: 10 meters

"Wait… am I a dungeon?" Ethan thought, barely holding onto his sanity.

Suddenly, a small creature scurried before him—a goblin, weak and trembling.

[Would you like to bind this creature as your first dungeon minion?]

With no other choice, Ethan mentally confirmed. The goblin's eyes glowed, and it knelt.

"Master," it rasped.

A rush of information flooded Ethan's mind. He could create monsters, expand his dungeon, and set traps. But more importantly… he could evolve.

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