Chapter 7 – PREPARATION FOR DUNGEON RAID
Chapter 7 – PREPARATION FOR DUNGEON RAID
Maximus sat cross-legged, closing his eyes as he absorbed energy from the crystal in his palm. The soft hum of power coursed through his veins, restoring his depleted mana.
> "I still have five hours until nightfall. I'll rest for 20 minutes and then proceed."
[20 Minutes Later]
A familiar blue screen appeared in his vision.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Maximus Omniclone
Title: None
Talent: Copy Everything, Strengthen Body
Bloodline: ???
HP: 180
MP: 500/500
Level (Rank): Level 1 (Human)
EXP Points: 120/1000
Strength: 12(60) (Average Human: 10)
Intelligence: 35 (Average Human: 10)
Agility: 12(60) (Average Human: 10)
Vitality: 12(60) (Average Human: 10)
Perception: 12(60) (Average Human: 10)
Unallocated Points: 0
Maximus's golden eyes gleamed.
> "It's time to copy Metal Reinforcement."
He activated his ability.
[Copy Everything: Copying "Metal Reinforcement"]
[MP -200]
A rush of energy surged through his body. His MP dropped to 300, but the trade-off was worth it.
[STATUS UPDATED]
Talent: Copy Everything, Strengthen Body, Metal Reinforcement
Maximus clicked on the new ability.
[Metal Reinforcement: You can strengthen any metal up to 5x, increasing its sharpness and durability.]
He smirked. Another upgrade in strength.
> "Now, should I wait until I copy Fire Control? That would make clearing the dungeon easier…"
A notification popped up.
[DUNGEON DETECTED. DO YOU WANT TO ENTER?]
[WARNING: ENTERING THE DUNGEON IS DANGEROUS, BUT CLEARING IT WILL GRANT REWARDS.]
[Y/N]
Maximus scoffed. Going in recklessly is just seeking death. He sat back down, preparing to absorb another crystal.
[30 Minutes Later]
His MP had fully recovered.
> "Time to copy Fire Control."
[Copy Everything: Copying "Fire Control"]
[MP -500 → 60/560]
He exhaled, feeling the warmth of his new power settle within him.
[STATUS UPDATED]
Talent: Copy Everything, Strengthen Body, Metal Reinforcement, Fire Control
Clicking on it, he read the description.
[Fire Control: You can control fire and any fire-related skills. Strength increased by 20%.]
Maximus clenched his fist, flames flickering to life around his fingers.
> "Time to test it."
---
Nearby, a horde of zombies was chasing a girl. Despite their sheer numbers, she managed to stay ahead, her movements swift and precise.
> "Still alive after being chased by that many? She must have a speed-related ability…"
Maximus formed a fireball in his palm. He fed more mana into it, increasing its size threefold.
[MP -15]
> "The cost scales with size, huh?"
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the fireball into the zombie horde.
BOOM!
A wave of heat surged through the air as flames engulfed the undead.
[EXP +10]
[EXP +10]
[EXP +10]
[EXP +10]
[EXP +10]
[EXP FULL CONGRATULATIONS ON LEVELING UP]
[LEVEL 2(HUMAN)]
> "Magic is too broken for farming EXP," Maximus mused.
[EXP: 1010/10000]
I should add it to my intelligence [INTELLIGENCE:40]
[MP:610]
The girl, now free from danger, turned toward the burning corpses, eyes wide with shock.
> "What… what just happened?!"
Maximus stepped forward, his silhouette emerging from the flames.
The girl tensed.
> "W-Who are you?! What do you want?!"
Maximus raised a hand. "Relax. Are you alright?"
She hesitated, then bowed slightly.
> "Thank you, sir!"
As she lowered her head, Maximus patted her and activated Copy Everything.
[Copying Talent: Runner]
[MP -50 → 20/610]
A sensation rushed through his legs—his body felt lighter, faster.
[STATUS UPDATED]
Talent: Copy Everything, Strengthen Body, Metal Reinforcement, Fire Control, Runner
[Runner: Increases movement speed by 2x.]
His Agility jumped from 60 → 84.
> "So it doesn't stack… but this is still good."
He turned back to the girl.
> "Ahri, right?"
Her eyes widened. "H-How did you—?"
Maximus smirked. "Just a guess. Stay safe."
With a casual wave, he turned and walked away.
Well she just seems familiar so I just guess we'll shes a friend of mine
Then find a house to hide he's clone and left he's consciousness
---
Back at his shelter, Maximus rested and scrolled through the survivor forums.
Posts flooded the screen—panic, speculation, and raw fear.
[Trending Post – Survivor's Forum]
Username: AlexJ
Title: Dungeons Are Appearing Everywhere?!
"Guys, this isn't a joke. I just saw a blue portal near my apartment. A few people went in, and some came out with weapons and skills. Is this an RPG?!"
Reply: Mark87
"Yeah, but have you heard about the RED ones? Those aren't normal…"
Maximus kept scrolling.
[URGENT – WATCH THIS VIDEO!!]
Username: DanielP
Title: RED GATE NIGHTMARE
A grainy video loaded—a shaky recording of a city street in chaos.
A Red Gate pulsed in the background, its eerie crimson glow spreading like blood in water. Then, something stepped through.
A twisted, four-armed monstrosity lunged at a fleeing man, its claws sinking deep. Blood sprayed. Screams echoed. More creatures followed—horned beasts, reptilian horrors, grotesque humanoids covered in spikes.
A woman's voice trembled behind the camera.
> "Oh God… they're coming. They're—"
The camera jolted. A shadowy figure yanked her into the darkness.
[ERROR: VIDEO ENDED]
Maximus exhaled, his golden eyes reflecting the screen.
> "So… the world really is ending."
He refreshed the page. New replies flooded in.
JasonT: "What the hell is that thing?! We're doomed!"
LeoS: "If you see a Red Gate, RUN!"
ChrisM: "It's an outbreak. Humanity is finished."
Maximus smirked.
> "They think this is the end?"
"No… this is just the beginning."
Preparation
Maximus rested, fully recovering his MP (560/560).
Then, he summoned two clones.
> "One will dissect the crystals from my kills. The other will scout the surroundings."
With Soul Absorption, controlling multiple clones had become easier.
[STATUS UPDATED]
Talent: Copy Everything, Strengthen Body, Metal Reinforcement, Fire Control, Runner, Soul Absorption
Hidden Attribute: SOUL: 11
[Soul Absorption: Absorb souls to strengthen your own.]
> "This ability has limitless potential…"
He turned to his clone.
> "Collect and extract all crystals from the dead zombies. I'll handle the dungeon."
The clone nodded and sprinted off.
Maximus stood before the dungeon gate, a grin forming.
> "It's time."
[DO YOU WANT TO ENTER THE DUNGEON?]
[Y/N]
"YES."
A powerful force pulled him in, and his body vanished into the portal.