The Dungeon’s Door

Zaren wiped the blood from his cheek as he slowly got up in the cave. His mind still throbbed from the pain of his past, but now he felt something new—an urge to find the way out of this strange place. He scanned the cave walls and floor, searching for an exit.

After walking for a few minutes, Zaren noticed a small door hidden behind some crystals. His heart pounded. "Lumis," he whispered, "what is this door?"

A calm voice filled his mind. "Sir, that is a double Dungeon door. It is rated S Rank."

Zaren blinked in shock. A Dungeon door? That means the whole cave was a Dungeon. He had been reincarnated in a Dungeon world. He thought, So if I want to power up, I must fight monsters.

He asked quietly, "Lumis, does this world have a rank system?"

"Yes, sir," Lumis replied. "The lowest rank is E. Then come D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, SSS+ and finally, the highest rank is called 'Celestis'."

Zaren's eyes widened as he listened. "Hunters, soldiers, kingdoms, elves, and many others exist in this world," Lumis continued.

Zaren felt a small spark of hope. "So, does this world have hunters and soldiers too?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, sir," answered Lumis. "They all follow the same rank system."

Zaren hesitated a moment before asking, "What is my current rank?"

Lumis replied calmly, "You are currently D Rank. But this Dungeon is S Rank."

A small smile broke on Zaren's lips. "If I have to die, then so be it," he muttered. "But I was reborn here for a reason. I will not give up."

With a deep breath, Zaren pushed open the small door. Beyond it lay a vast chamber filled with dark corridors and a sea of monsters. As he stepped forward, he could see thousands of creatures moving slowly in the distance—goblins, orcs, and huge wolves. In the center of it all, three large boss monsters stood tall. One of them, with red scales and burning eyes, was called Krul; another, a massive orc with thick, gnarled horns, was named Grak; and the third, a giant wolf with icy blue fur, was known as Raze. Behind these bosses stood a group of elite knights in shining armor.

Zaren's heart pounded as he saw them. "Lumis," he cried, "I can't do this alone. There are too many monsters!"

The voice came back firmly, "Sir, this Dungeon is very high rank. You cannot clear it by yourself. Please retreat."

But Zaren's mind raced back to his old life. He remembered every moment of bullying, every harsh word, and every punch he had taken. "Lumis," he asked, "what is my chance of winning?"

Lumis replied, "Your chance is 35%."

Zaren's eyes filled with determination. "God gave me this chance, so I will not move back!" he shouted.

Suddenly, all the monsters in the chamber turned their eyes toward him. Then one of the bosses, Grak, spoke in a deep, rough language:

"Zek-thur raak zilin!"

The words were harsh and strange, and soon the monsters charged toward him.

Zaren took a deep breath and called out, "Lumis, do I have any skills?"

"Yes, sir," Lumis answered. "You have four skills. First, the Blue Flame Sword; second, Immense Speed; third, Healing that automatically fixes your wounds (usable up to three times in three hours); and fourth, a unique skill called Yellow Eye. When activated, it turns your blue eyes yellow and multiplies your strength tenfold."

Hearing this, Zaren felt his heart race. "Then let me try!" he said.

In a flash, Zaren dashed forward, moving so quickly that he seemed to vanish. With a sudden burst, he punched a goblin square on the head. The goblin fell, its head split open. The monsters paused, and the bosses looked shocked.

But then one boss, Raze, slowly rose from the ground. He began to chant a spell called "Crush of Ages." In a matter of seconds, a heavy pressure hit Zaren, pinning him to the ground. He could barely move, and pain shot through his body.

Zaren gasped, "Lumis, what do I do?"

"Use Spell Breaker, sir. It is your new ability. When you take damage from a spell, you can cancel it out and stand up."

Taking a deep breath, Zaren focused on the crushing spell. The pressure slowly faded, and he was able to move again.

At that moment, a monster boss lunged at him with a sharp dagger. Zaren, using his speed, appeared behind the attacking monster and cut off its head in one swift motion. The remaining two bosses stared in shock.

One boss then hurled a burst of fire toward Zaren. He dodged quickly, but another boss slashed his hand with a sword. Zaren felt a searing pain as blood flowed from his cut.

He closed his eyes, remembering his healing skill. "Heal!" he shouted softly. In an instant, his wound began to mend. The bosses exchanged surprised looks and whispered among themselves in their strange language.

"Enough!" Zaren roared. "You monsters, your time is up!"

With that, he charged forward. In a flurry of blows, he defeated nearly a thousand monsters. Their bodies lay still as the silence returned to the chamber.

Then Lumis spoke again, "Sir, you have unlocked a new skill: Force Control. You can now move objects with your mind and use them in battle."

Zaren smiled. "Now it is your turn!" he shouted at the two remaining boss monsters. In a flash, he was behind them. One boss tried to punch him, but Zaren quickly summoned his Blue Flame Sword with a clear cry, "Blue Flame Sword!" In a burst of blue light, his sword sliced through the boss's head.

The other boss, enraged, gathered all his strength and attacked Zaren with a powerful blow to his chest. The hit was so strong that blood flowed from Zaren's mouth and the ground cracked beneath him. For a few seconds, he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, the boss smirked, thinking he had won. Then Zaren shouted, "Yellow Eye!" At once, his eyes turned bright yellow. His strength multiplied, and a blue flame aura burst from his fists. In a split second, Zaren was behind the boss again. The boss swung wildly, but Zaren was too fast. He punched the boss on the head with all his might. The impact shattered the boss's head, and the walls of the Dungeon shook with the force of the blow.

As the blue flame aura slowly faded from his eyes, Zaren whispered, "Turn off Yellow Eye." His eyes returned to their normal blue color.

Breathing hard, Zaren looked around at the carnage—the defeated monsters, the fallen bosses, and the shattered remains of the Dungeon walls. Though he was injured and tired, a fire burned inside him. He had fought back against his fate.

Lumis spoke one last time, "Sir, your skills and power have grown greatly. You have also acquired Force Control. Use it to shape your destiny."

Zaren's lips curled into a determined smile. "I was not born to be weak," he declared. "I will change my fate, no matter what comes next."

With that, Zaren stepped forward into the next challenge. The road ahead was still filled with danger and mystery, but he knew one thing for sure: he would fight with all his strength. The old, painful memories of his past would not hold him back any longer. This Dungeon was just the beginning of a new life—a life where he would become the hero he was meant to be.

(Chapter 2 Fin)