Zane stretched his arms and stepped into the dungeon.
From the outside, it had looked like an ordinary cave—rough, dark, and quiet. But inside, the contrast was jarring. The space opened up into a wide corridor, its walls lined with sleek panels and soft lighting that cast a warm glow over polished stone floors.
It wasn't a natural cave at all. It was a hidden facility.
"Whoa…" Zane muttered, blinking in surprise. "This place has been completely reworked. No way this is untouched."
The air was cool and sterile, humming faintly with energy. Lights embedded in the ceiling flickered to life as he passed, illuminating the path ahead.
"The Temple must've already cleared this dungeon. They've remodeled everything like it's their private training ground."
Still muttering under his breath, Zane moved forward cautiously, one hand near his sidearm, the other resting on the hilt of his broadsword. Every step echoed faintly in the corridor as he scanned his surroundings for danger.
Before long, he reached a towering, metallic door—its surface etched with arcane patterns and pulsing faintly with energy.
Ding!
The System chimed, and another notification appeared in his vision:
[Dungeon Scan Completed]
[Dungeon Rank: E – Special Class]
[Clearance History: 13 Previous Attempts]
[Warning: Every time a dungeon is cleared, stronger and more intelligent species are transported into it within a set time-frame. For this dungeon, the interval is 30 minutes.]
[Dungeon Summary]
Eighty years ago, a variant alien life-form—Codename: Tree—escaped from a research facility belonging to an ultra-intelligent alien race known as the Titans.
The Titans, in pursuit, tracked Tree across galaxies and finally to the Solar System, where a brutal battle of magic and technology unfolded.
The war lasted only a single day. Tree managed to defeat all ten Titan Super Soldiers, but at great cost—his life.
Before perishing, Tree flung his core seed toward Earth. It crash-landed in Central Africa and from it sprouted a colossal tree.
This event marked the Awakening of Earth.
The Tree's energy awakened latent potential in Earth's inhabitants and triggered something else—portals to other worlds.
Dungeons began appearing around the globe, each filled with alien creatures and warriors.
If not cleared within one year, the beings inside these dungeons are released into the world as destructive hordes.
That's where the Awakener Organizations stepped in to contain the chaos. Among them, Hero Academy reigns supreme.
[Quest Challenge Available]
Objective: Exterminate all beings inside this dungeon.
Rewards:
Five Special Keys:
• 1 Key to the Temple of Assassin's Secret Library
• 1 Key to the Weapon Augmentation Chamber
• 3 Keys to access other dungeon-linked Temples
Zane's eyes widened. "So... each Temple connects to another dungeon?"
[Correct!]
[Dungeon Structure: 6 Levels Total]
Level Difficulty: Increases exponentially.
Final Level: Level 6 – Contains the Dungeon Boss.
[Optional Quest Available]
Objective: Kill the Dungeon Master within 15 minutes.
Reward:
+20 to all base stats
+1 Secret Map: Reveals the locations of all known dungeons of D and E ranks , and forbidden anomaly zones on Earth.
Zane's heart thumped with excitement. The +20 stat boost was great—but the map?
"The map… that's a treasure trove," Zane whispered, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I have to get it."
He pushed the towering metallic door. It groaned open with a long, rusty creak, echoing ominously into the void beyond.
Stepping inside, he froze for a moment, taking in the bizarre scene before him.
The chamber was vast—easily the size of a soccer stadium. Strange biomes spread out across the floor in wild patches. Jagged rocks and boulders were scattered randomly, and exotic grasses swayed gently in the stale air. Unfamiliar herbs and glowing flowers of unnatural colors pulsed softly across the landscape, giving the whole place an eerie, otherworldly glow.
Ding!
[Ten Hostile Entities Detected – Species: Bonecleaver Orcs]
[All Entities Share Identical Stats:]
• Strength: 21
• Agility: 15
• Mana/Intelligence: 20
Zane's eyes swept across the space, quickly spotting each of the creatures. They were massive—nearly eight feet tall—with pale-blue skin, heavily muscled frames, and sharp, jagged bones strapped across their torsos like armor. Each of them lay asleep in a different section of the hall, massive bone-forged cleavers resting beside them.
"So that's why they're called Bonecleavers," Zane muttered, crouching behind a jagged rock to study them more closely.
They didn't concern him.
Above each creature floated visible health and mana bars—laughably low compared to his own.
His stats dwarfed theirs:
Strength: 56
Agility: 55
Mana: 59
The System had mysteriously added bonus points to all his attributes. He could feel the difference. His strength surged. His body felt lighter. His mind was sharper, thoughts coming faster, memory clearer.
But he hadn't earned these stats through training.
Not yet.
Which meant his body still needed time to catch up. I'll use this dungeon as a testing ground, he thought. I need to get used to this new power—master it.
Just as he leaned in, curiosity pulling him closer toward one of the slumbering orcs—
BANG!
The door behind him slammed shut with a metallic boom that shook the walls. The deafening sound echoed across the vast chamber.
The orcs stirred.
Their glowing eyes blinked open—one by one—locking onto Zane.
Low growls turned to snarls. Cleavers were snatched up in unison.
And then—
They charged.
Zane smiled. Not out of confidence—out of boredom.
He dashed forward toward the nearest orc.
The hulking creature roared and swung its massive cleaver at his head.
But Zane was already gone.
To him, the strike moved in slow motion. He stepped aside with ease, pivoted, and unleashed a devastating punch into the orc's skull.
CRACK!
The head burst like a melon, blood and bone spraying the ground.
Zane grimaced. "Too weak."
Disappointment replaced curiosity. These creatures were no challenge.
He blurred forward—his speed a phantom streak of motion.
When he stopped, it was over.
Ten corpses littered the chamber, bodies mangled, cleavers scattered. Some orcs lay headless, others with gaping holes torn through their torsos.
None remained breathing.
Zane didn't spare them another glance.
Ahead, a new door stood closed.
Without hesitation, he walked forward, pushed it open, and stepped into the next level.