Chapter 15: Left or Right?

Gen Nanami ascended the stone steps, each footfall heavier than the last. His muscles burned from the previous battle, but he couldn't afford to slow down. The dungeon wasn't going to show him any mercy, and if he hesitated, it would be the end of him.

He reached the second floor and immediately felt a shift in the air. A deep, guttural growl echoed through the massive stone chamber. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, his stomach dropped.

The ogres stood over seven feet tall, their bodies rippling with muscle. Each one wielded a crude but deadly stone club that looked like it could crush a person's bones with a single swing.

"Shit," Gen muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

How the hell was the difficulty spike this huge?

No matter. He had to face what was in front of him. He took a deep breath and focused, feeling his power surge through him.

"Fear," he whispered.

A chilling force rippled through the air. The ogres flinched, their once-fierce expressions softening into hesitation. They took cautious steps backward, their confidence evaporating as Gen's ability took hold.

That was all he needed.

He lunged forward, sword flashing in the dim light. The first ogre barely had time to react before his head was sent flying, greenish blood spraying in an arc. The others tried to flee, but Gen moved too fast, cutting them down one by one. Within moments, their towering frames collapsed, lifeless.

He exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow. "Alright... next."

The door leading to the third floor loomed ahead. He approached cautiously, pressing his eye to the keyhole.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

Two enormous figures stood inside—a red oni and a blue oni. Unlike the ogres, these creatures were massive, their bulging muscles straining against their thick skin. Each wielded a gigantic iron club, dented and stained from countless battles.

And the room they were in?

A colosseum.

The second floor had been a simple hall, but this? This was an arena meant for carnage.

The ground trembled as the oni stomped impatiently, awaiting their next victim. Small rocks tumbled from the ceiling, and even the walls seemed to shake under the sheer force of their presence.

Gen took a shaky breath. There was no running from this.

"Fuck... I'm just gonna have to do this."

With a surge of determination, he kicked open the doors.

The oni instantly turned, their glowing eyes locking onto him. Their clubs were already in motion, swinging with terrifying force.

"Shit!"

Gen activated Swift, channeling all his strength into his legs. He launched himself high into the air, narrowly avoiding the crushing blows. The sheer wind pressure from their attacks sent debris flying.

"Now's my chance!"

While the oni were still recovering from their massive swings, Gen dashed between them, his sword gleaming as he slashed at their ankles.

The red oni let out a deafening roar as it stumbled, crashing onto one knee. But the blue oni recovered faster than expected.

With a speed that defied its size, it swung its club directly at Gen.

"Shit—!"

He barely managed to dodge, rolling out of the way just as the club shattered the ground where he stood.

The red oni struggled to rise, using its club for balance. Gen needed a plan—fast.

Ducking behind a massive pillar, he tried to catch his breath, formulating a strategy. But the blue oni wasn't about to let him rest. It roared, lifting its club with one hand and hurling it at him like a cannonball.

"Oh, come on!"

Swift.

Gen jumped just in time, the pillar exploding into rubble beneath him. That was way too close.

Then an idea hit him.

"Alright... here goes nothing."

He steadied his grip on his sword, channeling every ounce of power into his next move. With a fierce throw, he hurled his blade straight at the blue oni.

The sword spun like a bullet, slicing through the air before piercing straight through the oni's skull.

It barely even had time to react before collapsing with a sickening thud, its massive body shaking the entire colosseum.

One down.

Gen turned, but the red oni was already back on its feet—and now, it was furious.

Worse? It had picked up the fallen blue oni's club.

"Oh, come on! That's cheating!"

The oni bellowed, wielding both clubs in a relentless barrage of attacks. Gen had no choice but to scramble, dodging and weaving between the devastating blows.

He barely had time to think—one mistake and he was dead.

His mind raced. He had to turn the tables. Then he saw his opening.

Dashing toward the fallen blue oni's corpse, he retrieved his sword.

"Swift."

He moved faster than the oni could track, slicing clean through its foot.

The red oni let out an earth-shaking roar, losing its balance as it crashed to the ground.

Gen didn't hesitate.

He ran up its massive back, sword poised for the final strike.

With a single powerful thrust, he drove his blade into the back of the oni's skull, burying it deep.

The beast let out a final, gurgling breath before falling completely still.

Gen exhaled, pulling his sword free and shaking off the greenish goo that clung to it. "Phew."

He didn't waste any more time. Up to the fourth floor.

But the moment he stepped inside, his stomach twisted.

Silence.

Then—

A distant rattling.

Clatter. Clatter. Clatter.

Something stirred in the darkness.

Then, from the depths of the hallway, a flood of skeletons emerged.

Gen's blood ran cold. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

The skeletal horde moved as one, an unstoppable wave of rattling bones and glowing eyes. Thousands of them.

"FUCKKKKKKKK!"

Gen spun on his heel, ready to book it back to the third floor—but the door had sealed shut behind him.

"Damn it!"

His only option was to fight—or find another way.

Thinking quickly, he scrambled up a nearby pillar, gripping onto the stone ledge as the skeletons swarmed below.

They weren't giving up. Some had already begun climbing, forming a makeshift ramp as they clambered over one another.

"Think, think! There's no way I have to kill all of them! Crexa said this was my level, right? RIGHT?"

His eyes darted across the dark chamber. There had to be something—a hint, a weakness—

Then, he saw it.

Among the endless sea of bones, one skeleton stood out.

It wore a hood. A leader? A necromancer?

Gen grinned. "Bingo."

Swift.

With a powerful throw, he sent his sword flying toward the hooded skeleton.

It struck dead center, shattering its skull—

And just like that, the entire horde collapsed.

Gen panted, looking down at the sea of unmoving bones.

"Phew."

Without wasting time, he made his way to the final floor.

Gen Nanami trudged up the stone steps, his muscles aching from the last battle. He had fought through ogres, oni, and a skeleton horde, and now, as he reached the final floor, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. The room was eerily silent, a circular chamber dimly lit by torches mounted along the walls. He exhaled sharply, gripping his sword tighter.

"Alright... what now?" he muttered under his breath, stepping cautiously into the chamber's center.

The silence was unnerving, the air thick with tension. He strained his ears, hoping to hear anything that would hint at what he was up against. Just then, two tunnels appeared before him. One led to the left, the other to the right. There was no sign of danger, no immediate enemy charging at him.

"Great. A choice," Gen huffed. "I swear if this is one of those 'pick wrong and you die' situations, I'm gonna be pissed."

He decided to take the left tunnel. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, a flickering golden light engulfed him. His vision blurred, and he felt as though he was being pulled through space. When the light faded, he found himself in a completely different room.

The space glowed with a surreal golden hue, almost as if it was alive. Then, suddenly, his status screen materialized before him.

Choose 2 abilities from the list:

Cloak

Poison

Thermal Vision

Mind Control

Gen narrowed his eyes, considering his options carefully.

"Alright, Cloak is a no-brainer. Stealth? Hell yeah, that'll come in handy," he mused. "Poison... eh, too unpredictable. I don't know how long it takes to work or if someone might have a resistance to it. Thermal vision? What am I, a security guard? No thanks."

His eyes landed on the last option: Mind Control.

A grin spread across his face. "Oh, now that's interesting." He selected Cloak and Mind Control.

The golden light flickered violently, and just as quickly as he arrived, he felt himself being pulled again. His vision blacked out momentarily, and then—

WOOSH

He was back in Crexa's room.

Gen instinctively patted himself down, ensuring he was real and in one piece. He wasn't in the dungeon anymore, but the transition was jarring. Before he could say anything, slow clapping filled the dimly lit chamber.

Crexa emerged from the shadows, as lavish as ever, his bowtie crisp and suit impeccable. "Well done. I must say, your creativity really is why I like you."

Gen groaned, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah. Can I get a break now? That dungeon was hell."

Crexa smirked. "You survived, didn't you? And you gained something valuable in return. Those two abilities will be crucial for what's coming next."

Gen crossed his arms. "And what's next, huh? More ranked fights? More death traps? You sure know how to keep a guy on his toes."

Crexa chuckled, waving a gloved hand dismissively. "You'll see soon enough. But for now, rest up, kid. The real fun is just beginning."

Gen's stomach twisted at those words. Something told him that whatever came next would make the dungeon look like a warm-up.

As Gen was teleported out of Crexa's room by waking him up, Crexa walked over to his mirror. There he saw Gen waking up, the other opponents, everything. He spoke to himself. 

"Sorry Gen, had you taken the right door you would've died. That boss in the right door was 100 times tougher than anything you saw in the previous floors. But that's what makes this exciting," he mutters this as he chuckles and steps away. 

Back on Earth...

"ALRIGHT TIME TO SPY ON THE GIRLS CHANGING USING CLOAK!!!!!!!!!!!"