《Dungeon Seekers》 1st Exploration: Zen The year 2025, the earth experiences a sudden and major change. Did the world end? No. then did the economy collapse and wars broke out? No. it was nothing of those things because the only thing that happened was that the first ever [Dungeon] appeared from out of nowhere It first appeared in the country of Japan, in Tokyo to be more specific. After that, it appeared in China, Brazil, USA, India, Philippines until it had spread all over the world. At first, no one knew what to do until a group of people claiming they have awakened powers entered one of the mysterious Dungeons. This group of people entered a dungeon and by the time they came out the dungeon quickly disappeared. The people who first entered the dungeon became the first [Seekers] of the world and after twenty years, Seekers who roam the world and enter dungeons became the norm. To this day there are still many dungeons appearing all over the world but the Seekers comes to clear them up while extracting as many resources as they could. All in all, the year 2025 was not the year of the human race''s demise, it was just the coming of a new era where humans gain powers and discover the unknown. It was the age of seeking new heights and exploring unknown lands it was the era of Seekers. **** The new country, [Whitehaven]''s capital city [New Dawn City]. Seekers are known as the adventurers who seek new frontiers, they kill monsters for material and new resources in order to sell them outside the dungeon and earn tons of money. The higher your rank the stronger you are ¡ª the stronger you are the stronger the rank of monster you can kill ¡ª the higher the rank of monster you can kill the more money you can make. These rules are basically the ones that revolve when you become a Seeker and earn the right to explore a dungeon to kill monsters. A job that is so dangerous that even soldiers would think twice of doing that is what Seeker, you can kill humans with a normal gun but monsters inside the dungeons can only be killed by [Awakened] people. The mortality rate of Seekers are high however, despite this obvious fact people just dive into dungeons in hopes of earning more money than they could ever count. "Come and get what you need, I offer cold drinks, cigarettes, snacks and even alcohol for the drunks don''t be shy everyone has bought from me at some point right?" A nineteen-year-old young man was at the sight of the upcoming [Raid] as he carried the huge backpack that contains a bunch of warm foods, cold drinks, and even some medicines that helps the nerves. With his sword like brows, affectionate eyes and well-toned facial features this young vendor was a treat for the eyes. "Hey Zen give me two cold drinks, I at least want to have one drink before going to face death." Hearing his name being called Zen turn around and saw a man wearing a bulk shiny armor. It was still showing a beautiful luster even though it was night already night its material was obviously not of this world. Zen took two cold drinks from his backpack and handed it to the man. "That will be two hundred [Credits] Mister Jun, oh yeah pay up your last debt already it had been a week you know?" Jun took the cold drinks from Zen''s hand and gave him the credits he added the credits he had missed before of course. Counting the paper credit on his hands Zen nodded his head. "One thousand two hundred credits, okay you''re fully paid now Mister Jun and now that you''re fully paid why don''t you buy some cigarettes or some calming medicines? I sell cheap so I know you can buy some." Mister Jun down one of the drinks he had bought before speaking. "Not this time Zen, this is an A rank dungeon and smoking cigarettes will surely make me lose breath in no time." Zen could only nod and smile understandingly. "Gather around, we will be entering the dungeon after two minutes. Make sure you bring a part of the supplies." A shout was heard and Mister Jun immediately got ready. "I need to go Zen, you''ll be going to the other raid right? Who am I kidding that''s already a given with the goddess there even I''ll be going if not for this raid. Haha, good luck and take care of yourself, my friend."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. With that statement, Mister Jun left for his companions and got ready to enter the [Blue Gate] in front of them. Their party consist of around fifty people ten was A-rank and the rest were B-rank. The party this time was the main attack force intended to clear and close the dungeon for good. The resources that could be taken were already collected, the monsters have to be slain and could be collected for materials have been collected too the dungeon has exhausted its usefulness. This is the fate of all dungeons after the Seekers collect everything that has value inside the dungeon the boss will be killed next and the dungeon will be closed for good. "Good luck with the raid." Zen watch as the party enters the dungeon and left with a worried look on his countenance. Getting ready to depart for the Serpentine Warehouse where the rare S-rank Raid was about to commence, before moving he checked everything in his possession so he could head there with a peace of mind. He checked his earned credit and nodded his head, it was just about enough. It''s about twelve o''clock by now and it was the time when the sun is glaring above but Zen chose to travel the next Raid area by foot. He has enough money to pay for the ticket and take a train but he chose not to because he has his own priorities and these priorities cost a lot of money and even if he has extra money to waste he won''t be wasting it and just save it in the bank. ''If I can earn at least six thousand more credits I can barely earn enough for the medical bills. I can''t let Freya pay for Yin''s medical bills forever, I am a man and I need to at least be capable of paying for my sister''s medical bills.'' With that thought, Zen rushed himself and picked up his pace so he can get to the Serpentine Warehouse and sell some more. It didn''t take Zen too long for him to reach the Serpentine Warehouse. Just like in the Lotus District Zen didn''t dally and started making sales. He made his usual offers and after an hour he had already earned three thousand credits, he was already about to reach his quota for the day. "That will seven hundred credits for the drinks and adding your previous balance that will be eight thousand credits in all." Just as Zen was handing another sale a loud but effeminate voice was heard from behind. He turns around and saw a beautiful lady wearing a simplistic looking robe that''s designed with streaking white lines. The lady who walked up to Zen seemed to be just about his age, alluring lips, finely toned body, piercing but beautiful red eyes add to that her beautiful flowing red hair this lady was nothing short of a true beauty that can entrance any man. "Zen you''re here again? Isn''t Yin''s check-up today? As the older brother, you need to be there for her." Zen heard the beautiful lady and scratch the back of his head. "Don''t worry about it Freya, I still have four hours before her check-up so I can still see you off and earn some money before I head there." Answered Zen. Freya heard Zen and nodded her head. She had known Zen and her sister for about three years now after they evacuated from their former home which has been overrun by an SS-rank dungeon well their relationship has taken a drastic turn since then though. "Don''t worry about Yin¡­ her conditions have been stable for the time being. Also are you sure the captain of the raid has the time to talk to lowly commoners such as myself?" "Don''t worry about it, Silvia is taking care of things already so it won''t be a problem if I slack off a little, also I''m not the captain, she is." Zen smiled when he heard those words from Freya''s mouth. Silvia Storm, one of the eight SS-rank Seekers in the Whitehaven together with Freya who''s also an SS-rank Seeker the two of them are called the twin roses of the [Devil Rose Guild]. "So you and the Guild Master will be leading the Raid, it seems like the monsters inside will be having a rough time with the two of you there." In the bottom of Zen''s heart, a sigh of relief was Freya smiled when he saw Zen''s face then spoke; "That''s right, we''re already planning to close this dungeon an S-rank dungeon can only stay in a populated area for so long after all¡­." She then leaned forward then continued her words as she whispered them in his ears. "Well good luck with your sales today, I won''t be home tonight so you don''t have to wait for me, be sure to look after Yin o." Freya gave Zen a quick glance before leaving and without anything left to say she left that place and went to the main camp where the Guild Master is staying. Zen stood there looking at her back with an entranced look on his face, many men were looking at him with jealousy but all they could do nothing because he was the known close friend of their Vice Captain¡­ that didn''t stop them from marking Zen and adding that interaction to the list of his ''sins'' though. The whole preparation was finished after another two hours, the guild''s plan was finalized and their supplies were all taken care of. "Everybody gets ready, this is an S-rank dungeon so be careful, the two goddesses of battle is with us, don''t get scared but don''t act like a hero kill the boss with the intention of surviving in mind, with that all of you move out." The one who spoke was neither of the two SS-rank Seekers but someone else. The person who spoke was a man who''s known for being a top tiered S-rank Seeker. Zen watch the guild enter and with after Seeing Freya enter the only thing he could do now would be to pray for her safe return. After staying there for another twenty minutes Zen chose to stand up and get ready to meet his sister in the hospital. He still has at least forty minutes before going to the hospital so he chose to walk there. "I''m really pathetic." A frown was plastered in Zen''s face when he spoke these words. However, what he said was true, his woman goes out and enter the dungeon so she can help him with his own sister and she can''t say anything about it. ''I want to change myself. But I''m already stuck to being an F-rank for life and entering an F-rank dungeon doesn''t even earn me more than three thousand Credits.'' Zen was in distraught, he had awakened as a [Enhanced Physicality Seeker] but his ability could only take him as far as F-rank which is the bottom of the rankings, he wanted to raise his rank but he had hit his limits a long time ago. The only job that will let him earn a hundred thousand credit a week is by going to Raid by Raid to sell simple necessities like he had been doing for two years. What he earns right now might not be enough for his sister''s medical expenses but because of his years of experience and built connections along the way, Zen thought that in time he just might get far from doing this kind of simple task. ''I think in two years I might be able to buy the newest scooter and with that, it will be much easier for me to move around, hehe, wait for you husbands rise Freya.'' With those sweet delusions of his Zen manage to cheer pick himself up and went to the hospital in smiles. [Mission Detail: Death inside a dungeon!] ''Shut up!'' Zen''s smile went down a bit from irritation after seeing a blue panel visible only to his eyes appear from out of nowhere. 2nd Exploration: Frosty Heart Whitehaven Special Seeker Hospital. The hospital''s main patients are Seekers who have been severely injured and people who contracted diseases that have connections to the dungeons. In one of the rooms of the hospital a little girl was sitting up while smiling and talking to a young man. The little girl seemed young, about ten years or so years of age however, despite her young age the little girl already knew that death was coming for her. "Big brother, did you see big sis Freya off? She''s my future sister-in-law so you better care for her deeply, hehe." This young girl who''s plagued by the unknown and strange disease of [Frosty Heart] was known as Yin. She may look happy and cheerful at the moment but her body can die off in a heartbeat if something went wrong. "Don''t worry about it you little rascal, I saw her off before she entered the dungeon, but it seems like your big brother will have to stay home by myself again." Zen showed a saddened face when talked and in response, Yin pouted and puffed her cheeks. "Don''t worry about that big brother, you can just stay here and watch me sleep, besides a lot of missing low-rank Seekers have been missing for unknown reasons right?" Zen looked at Yin and said; "Where did you hear that?" "Doctor Mist told me about it, she told me that you''re too weak to even slay an F-rank monster so I got worried." Zen smiled and puffed his chest. "Don''t worry about me, I''m not so weak that I can''t even protect myself you know? Besides, you may not know it but I''m only keeping my strength hidden for the final battle." Zen jokingly said as he tried to calm Yin''s mind. "Just take care of yourself big brother and that will be fine for me, you and big sis Freya are the only two families I have left so please don''t leave me." Yin''s eyes started turning red and a single teardrop on the floor but when it did instead of hearing a silent dripping sound what was heard was a tak*. Tak! It reverberated in Zen''s ears as he listened to the drop of his sister''s frozen tears. This frozen tear was nothing but a side effect from the continuous torment that she feels every waking hour. The Frosty Heart may sound like it came out straight out of a fantasy novel but it was real for Yin. Continuously tormenting the patient with biting cold from within, it turns blood solid if not monitored and eventually it kills the patient if not remedied by a special medicine specifically made for the disease. "Yin that''s enough for now, your check-up has already been completed so get some rest. I still need to talk to the doctor after this. Stop crying, your big sis is a strong person and I''m here for her too you know?" He leaned over to her pale and cold body to help her lay down he gave her a warming kiss on the forehead but Yin didn''t seem to like that and pouted as she said. "Stop that big brother, do that to sister-in-law, not me. I''m going to sleep, I feel tired already and don''t act too tough for your own good big sis will scold you." Yin teases before proceeding to close her eyes she then put into a deep sleep that she won''t be waking up for not until after a week. "Sweet dreams Yin." He softly spoke as he gave her another kiss on the forehead before heading out so he can meet the doctor. His mind was clouded with thoughts about the future but at this point, he could only think of how he could earn more credits. His little sister laughs and is trying to act tough despite her constant suffering Zen wanted to do something about her situation but the only thing he could do at the time is to silently watch over her and pray for the best. [Mission Reminder: Die inside a dungeon] Just as he was walking to the doctor''s office the reminder once again pop up from out of nowhere. Seeing the reminder appear once again Zen knew that it had been with Yin for over three hours. ''This thing is really only ever useful as an alarm.'' He stated to himself as he continued walking after he swiped the panel away. This panel has been with him for two and a half years already after he awakened as a Seeker this [System] has been with him. In books and novels, the system helps them level up fast leading them to a brighter future but from the first time, it appeared it had been asking the same thing till now and that would be his death. At first, he thought that he had just been hallucinating but after a few times it had popped up with the same interval Zen finally understood that it was real However, although he awakened as a Seeker the only thing that was slightly enhance was his strength and a little bit of magic, his strength was also only enough to let him pick up and walk with his giant backpack in tow, but he couldn''t enhance it any further.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The reason why he can''t become a Seeker was that he didn''t have the ability to grow stronger than he already is, except for his strong regenerative capabilities and slightly higher strength Zen was a long shot from being a high-rank Seeker. This system was nothing but a burden to him. ''I wish I awakened as a normal Seeker than this, even without a [Unique Attribute] I would have been happy.'' There were two types of Seekers, first would be [Physical Seekers] and the other would be [Magical Seekers] and Zen was in the middle of these two categories. He has a little amount of magic but his body was also enhanced, he treated the system as his Unique Attribute before but because he can''t meet the instruction of dying for the last two years, Zen''s ability had always been limited. No one knew of his ''unique attribute'' not even Freya and Yin knew of it mostly because even he himself didn''t know what it is. Besides even if he wanted to know there''s only one instruction and that is to die. ''The Guild Master of the Devil Rose controls monstrous plants and make them fight for her while Freya has overflowing magic, SS-rankers are too powerful.'' In a way Seekers are all System users, they have their own skills they can learn if they meet certain conditions, support type magic users can learn buffs and healing skill, making them a healer while some learn skills that use brute strength making them a warrior. There''s plenty of other ways on how a Seeker can learn a skill but the most natural way would be to learn it instinctively and even create their own skills, Zen could learn some skills that are teachable but that also cost a lot of money. There''s also different kind of artifacts, weapons as well as armor that could help him improve his combat strength but all of that idea needs money to be made possible. Thinking of misfortune with his so-called unique attribute Zen had unknowingly reached the doors of Yin''s assigned doctor he took one more step and the door automatically opened. "Good evening, Doctor Mist." Inside the room was a woman around in her twenties, she was wearing a lab coat and a pair of thick glasses she was taking a sip of the coffee on her when Zen entered. "Oh, Zen is Yin already sleeping? Come sit down, I have to talk to you about something important¡­.." Her voice was weak and under her eyes were deep eye bags that had been formed from countless sleepless nights, however even with her haggard look she still looks like an exotic beauty. Doctor Mist, full name Juliet Mist specializes in treating people who contracted strange diseases that have any connection with the gates and the dungeons, and she''s the one who monitors Yin''s condition. "You should get some sleep doctor, every time I see you the bags under your eyes seems to be getting worse." Zen said with an apologetic smile. Mist only looked at him in the eye and stood up, she took another round of coffee from her coffee maker before sitting down once more, after taking another sip of her new mug of coffee Mist started talking once again. "Do you really think I don''t want to do that? I think it has been a week since I last got some sleep or even some quick naps but I''ll be going home after this one so you better not make any unnecessary comments like last time." Zen made an apologetic smile and kept his silence. Mist took a stack of papers from underneath her desk and place it on top, on the top spot of the paper there was a paper that has every information about Yin, from when she came to this country, her first symptoms, birthday, what type of Seeker she is and many more. "Okay let''s start with this month''s information¡­ I really want to tell you that she''s getting better by the day but the truth is that her attacks are getting more frequent as the day pass. "Ever since you took her here two years ago the intervals between her attacks are getting more frequent, you already know it but she had an attack three times this month alone and I fear that if there''s no cure after three to five months the best we can do for her will be to k¡­" "That''s enough doctor¡­ please don''t continue anymore." Zen stop doctor Mist''s words because he wouldn''t be able to take it. He and Yin were only saved from that hell three years ago because of their parents'' sacrifice by holding the tide of the Ice monsters back and the oath that he swore of keeping his sister alive is one of the few things keeping him going. Even to this day he would frequently that dreadful day with his dreams, that day when the S-rank dungeon evolved into an SS-rank gate and started swarming the whole place. "Isn''t there any other way to cure her? Isn''t there any kind of item from the dungeons that can cure her!?" Zen was desperate hearing his younger sister will die after some few months was something that''s even worse hearing that he will die tomorrow. "No there isn''t any, anything that have the slightest hope of curing her is something can only be used for weapons and armors, and don''t even start with the possibility of getting the artifact [Phoenix Heart] from the [Heroes Guild], even if we offer half of the Whitehaven country to them it wouldn''t be enough and don''t forget who''s the one paying for Yin''s medical bill." Mist didn''t mince her words, she was direct and she was brutal with her choice of words everything she had said was meant to bring Zen from above the clouds, after all, false hope is much more painful than the truth. Zen could only keep his head down from the shame he was feeling right now. His sister could only live because Freya was helping him and even if he didn''t have any shame on his body, his conscience alone was something that''s holding him back. "Thank you for today doctor, I''ll come again after Yin wakes up again, also please call me if anything happens¡­ I''ll be on my way now." Mist watched as Zen leave her office and took a sip of her coffee, she was glad that the meeting today can end earlier so she can go back home to her family but seeing someone like Zen leave with such downcast expression still left a bad taste on her mouth. "Stay strong kid, life is much more brutal than that." **** Zen walked away from the hospital carrying his backpack with him. "Yin''s only hope is the Phoenix Heart... I need to make money fast. How much can I earn for if I were to sell my organs? Sigh, even if I am to sell them, I don''t think it will help much." He sighed before continuing to head home The place where he and Freya were staying was only a thirty-minute walk so he chose to go on foot to head home. He had taken the path countless times so he had memorized the road like the back of his hand but today something weird happened. While he was walking home his mind somehow became muddy and cloudy making him a little wobbly and unsteady. Feeling this way he had the intention of stopping and taking a break but before he could even realize it he had wandered off and had taken a wrong turn. There were no street lights and if it wasn''t for the moonlight he would not be able to see anything at all. Zen didn''t know where he is nor did he know what kind of place he had stumbled in but he didn''t have any intention of staying. Walking away Zen took out his [Holo] from his pocket in order to check for his current location on the map. However, when he wanted to open it the usual light didn''t open, then as he was just about to walk away a red light flashed and by the time it disappeared Zen had already disappeared from that dark place. **** [Notice: You have entered the wandering A-rank Dungeon] [You may kill yourself now.] 3rd Exploration: Desperation to Live [Notice: You have entered the wandering A-rank dungeon] [You can die now] ¡°Dungeon? What the hell is it talking about now?¡± Zen slowly opened his eyes as the sound of a little bell rang inside his head and read the text on the panel. He did not know what it is trying to convey but when he looks around an unknown and a beautiful sight was presented to him. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!? Is this a forest?¡± It was a weird and foreign land which he had never seen before. A forest that has trees that stretched for hundreds of meters high and constant roars of unknown beast echoing from afar made Zen think that he truly is inside a dungeon. When that light appeared it was already night but it was still day time inside the dungeon, the sun was high up the sky and the warm and comfortable feeling bathed him. He checked the time on his holo and just like he thought it was still 7:09 in the evening. Considering the time was still unchanged and it was still bright, Zen knew that truly was inside a dungeon. ¡°How the hell did I¡­ wait, that light and that unsteady feeling I got before wandering off, did it have something to do with that? Because if not I really don''t understand what¡¯s going on.¡± Zen was put into deep thought, he was surrounded by thick vegetation without any signs of the gate being present anywhere so the only that Zen can do at this point was stay there and wait for that flash to appear once more and get the hell out of here. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am and I don¡¯t have any strength to fight anyone with my strength so the best choice is to stay and wait it out.¡± The choice he made was right. Staying there and waiting for the gate to open might sound stupid and lazy but considering his condition and strength the only thing he could do was wait. If Zen were to wander around without any plan whatsoever he would die sooner or later if he were to encounter any monster and if he¡¯s in a real A-rank dungeon like the system had said then he would be in deeper shit if he were to move. Zen did not have any problems staying there, because he had food and drinks with him and everything he would need to survive for at least a week. He even has a bunch of medicines that will help him. ¡°Seems like being a small-time traveling vendor has its perks.¡± He murmured to himself as he took a bag of chips from inside his pack and a bottle of water from inside his backpack. He opened the chips and started eating. Zen had yet to eat anything the whole day, he was planning to eat at home but with his current situation, Zen did not have the right to be picky about what his location. As he was drinking the bottled water Zen heard the sound of something moving around, he did know what it is but Zen did not have the luxury of finding out. Without wasting any time he opened his backpack and started searching for the dagger he had bought the first time he became a Seeker, he had always kept it with him in case of emergencies. He took out the dagger and took out three medicines from inside his backpack, two of those medicines were some kind of weak pain reliever while the other one was the one that calm the nerves. Zen did not know just how far this monster was but he knew that it was just nearby and had been watching him for some time now even when he took out the dagger from his backpack that thing just kept watching him from the shadows. ¡®It¡¯s awfully cautious, seems like this guy is somewhat intelligent.¡¯ Intelligent monsters are monsters that have some intelligence in them, most monsters like that are D-rank and above and all of these monsters are able to kill Zen in a heartbeat. Then, as he was feeling the heaviness of his situation, Zen felt a tremble on the ground. He did know what made that trembling occur but Zen did know that it was coming to him. ¡°Shit, I need to get out of here.¡± Whatever kind of monster it is Zen did not want to stick around and find out, he carried the backpack behind him and quickly took out two bottled water before throwing the backpack in some bushes. He marked the place where he dumps his belongings and made sure to remember it. He had dumped all his belongings and took the bare minimum he could so it will not hinder his movement at all. ¡°If I can live through this, I¡¯ll come back for your partner.¡± He runs and runs until even when his feet hurt and sides started to hurt Zen run like his life depended on it. Not knowing how long he had been running Zen finally stopped when the ground has finally stopped shaking and trembling. Taking deep breaths Zen raised his head and looked up the sky, he then took out the hole from one of his pockets and confirmed the time. After doing so he took one of the bottled water and drunk as little as possible. ¡°I had run for almost two hours, the holo will not run out of battery if I don¡¯t use it but I better be careful not to break it. Seems like I can¡¯t go back.¡± There was no more trembling but Zen could hear the constant roars coming from the direction he came from, even if he wanted to go back Zen feared that he¡¯ll get the attention of the monster there. An hour had passed and the observing eyes once again appeared but this time Zen felt that there was much more monster around instead of less. Holding his dagger by his chest Zen stood up and begun to slowly walk out of that place, he was still surrounded by thick vegetation and he couldn¡¯t see the monsters around him but Zen knew that he was being surrounded. ¡°I need to get out of here, I can¡¯t die while Yin and Freya are still back there.¡± He was determined to live, Zen knew that couldn¡¯t fight so as he felt that he had finally got a second wind he started running with all his might once again. Taking one step forward he made a mad dash out of that place, even though his strength was limited and could not be enhanced further Zen was a true and genuine Seeker so his running speed was almost twice as fast as a normal human. However, that mad dash of his became the sign of the hunt, as he took his third step a dog like humanoid creature jumped him with claws and jaws aim at his neck. ¡®[Lycans]! Shit am I unlucky today.¡¯ Zen looked at the sharp teeth and claws coming for his neck, he shivered as a chill run down his spine and he became unable to move any further.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He was petrified from the bloodlust that was aimed at him, his feet trembled and felt as if it had taken root on the ground, he tried moving but it was as if it was as heavy as lead. ¡®Move! Move! Moveee!!¡¯ He screamed inside his mind. Then as the Lycan was about to reach him Zen grit his teeth and just stood his ground. Holding his dagger in front of him Zen took an amateurish stance he didn¡¯t take a step forward nor did he take a step back, he only looked ahead and got ready to kill. ¡®I am weak, but I will not die here.¡¯ This thought resonated inside his mind, the monster in front of him was only an E-rank much weaker than what he had thought, but this kind of monster hunts with a pack so this single Lycan was most likely here to test if Zen was strong or not. ¡°Raaaa!¡± He thrust forth and move his body forward, his eyes could follow the Lycan¡¯s movement but it meant nothing if his body couldn¡¯t he roared on top of his lungs he moved his and made a resolute decision. Crunch!! A set of fangs bore its teeth upon his fleshy body however the fangs did not reach his neck because he deliberately made it bit his left shoulder. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Zen howled in pain as the Lycan took a deep bite of him but instead of his mind blacking out from the pain it woke up his senses as his instinct to survive kick in. The dagger on his right hand that he had thrust forward change its course as he forces his wrist to change direction. Swoosh!! The Lycan on his shoulder has yet to open its mouth and took off and as it was on his shoulder Zen made a mad roar and drove his dagger on the side of the Lycan¡¯s neck. ¡°Die!!!¡± He roared in pain and in desperation as he drove his dagger from above to the Lycan by his side and in response, the Lycan opened its mouth and howled in pain. ¡°Graaa!!!¡± ¡°DIE!!! DIE!! DIE!!¡± It wanted to flail around and shook off Zen¡¯s dagger that had been embedded on the side of its neck but when it did Zen took the chance of taking away his dagger and in one swift, desperate motion a deep stab was made on the Lycan¡¯s head multiple times to ensure its death. ¡°Graa! @%$#@ ^%$# @#@*^%* !@# &% @#$!!!!¡± The Lycan that had been stabbed multiple times on the head made non-understandable sound and roars as it slowly got on its knees and died, blood was still flowing from the stabs Zen gave it. Zen¡¯s mind was as clear as day, the feeling of stabbing the body of a monster was unpleasant but this gave him confidence that he will not die here. His strength may be limited and he may not have any strong artifacts or ranked weapon with him, but this single dagger made it possible for him to kill a monster a single rank higher than him. However, he did not let this kind of victory get into his head and think that he can win with this kind of strength. With his mind clear and adrenalin still kicking in Zen took off as he felt his feet once again, he moved forward and dashed with all his strength and feeling his shoulder aching from the bite Zen took out the medicine in his pocket. He didn¡¯t hesitate and took in two pain relievers. Lycan¡¯s does not only have sharp teeth and claws but their saliva also has poison in them that doubles the pain of the wound they have inflicted. ¡°The pain relievers are doing almost nothing.¡± He wanted to stop and tend to his wounds but Zen could hear the fast steps coming his way, he did not know just where they are positioned but he knew that a pack of Lycans was coming for him. Zen felt himself getting tired and exhausted but he could not stop or else death will come in the form of the claws and jaws of the oncoming furious Lycans. Awooo!! As he was running for his life he heard a howl from atop the near mountain, he was not sure if that¡¯s the boss of this dungeon but Zen knew that he can¡¯t meet with that monster right now. And so he chose to change direction as he running away, he changed his course and move opposite of the nearby mountain and run at speed. ¡°Graa!!¡± A Lycan suddenly jumped him from the side and just like before its claws and teeth were aiming for vitals. Zen noticed this and without much hesitation, he lowered his body to dodge the claws aimed to kill him but he still grazed his back. ¡°Ugh!¡± The Lycan who jumped him regained its footing and returned to running after Zen. This kind of scene where he is jumped by Lycans occurred many more times and most of the time he would get an injury on the back or by his side. Only after a few minutes, Zen¡¯s clothes were already drenched with his own blood and if not for the adrenaline and the pain relievers he had taken he would have been long on the ground writhing in pain. However Zen did not give in even when his body was about to give in, he chose to continue running in the slightest hopes of living, however, the fact that he was grievously wounded cannot be reversed just with hope alone. Swoosh!!! Then as he just running away he finally reached the end of the vegetation, but what he saw was not hope but death, because in front was nothing but a cliff with a bottom that cannot be seen. ¡°A dead end, I need to change course.¡± With haste, he tried to turn around but when he did eleven humanoid dog-like creature with brown furs appeared and surrounded him. Awoo!!! He heard the faraway howl and hearing this howl the Lycans responded with a howl of their own. Awoo!! In Zen¡¯s ears what he had just heard was nothing but the sound of death. Graaa!! A Lycan jumped him and noticing this Zen ducked and tried dodging with all he got, however, just like before a claw got him and this time it was more severe than before because his entire left hand was taken with that last attack. ¡°Aaaaaah! I can¡¯t die like, I can¡¯t leave my sister and Freya I can¡¯t die, not yet!!¡± He howled in pain and started murmuring to himself like a dying villain from a clich¨¦ movie. Zen wished for a miracle to happen but just like anyone would have expected nothing happen. ¡®I want to live, I can¡¯t die yet.¡¯ Zen took a step back and felt the land he was stepping on was about to end, there was to choices he had right now, first would be to wait for his death on the hands of the Lycans and second was to fall to his death handing his life to the heavens. Zen did not want any of that. ¡®If I had the power I wouldn¡¯t be a trap with two options of death if I¡¯m strong enough like Freya I could¡¯ve cleared this dungeon with ease and went home if I was strong enough I could have live through this¡­ I want power, I don¡¯t want to die!¡¯ He roared and put his dagger by his chest once again, he wanted to cling on the slimmest thread of hope he could¡­ he didn¡¯t want to die and so he wanted to fight. At this time, the Lycans felt hesitation they were monster with no mind only and could only follow the orders of the boss of the dungeon they fear nothing if the boss was inside this dungeon but right facing this weak human they hesitated to take a step forward. In front of them, there was not human only a beast that is clinging to the slightest hopes that he could live through this ordeal an outnumbered wounded beast that wanted to live and slaughter those who wanted to take its life. This is the image Zen was projecting. His dagger was his fangs and this fang would tear through every enemy it could if it meant clinging to life. The Lycans could not move and take another step forward, they were petrified at the bloodlust oozing from this weak human. Awooo!!! A loud howl reverberated and echoed throughout the valley and a black shadow was suddenly cast upon the whole area and as the shadow was cast a few seconds later a Giant Wolf appeared in front of Zen and beside the Lycans. Zen did not know what kind of monster he was currently facing but he knew that this monster was powerful, the air it had was different from the others and magnificent its beauty showed can be compared to gems. The giant wolf looked at Zen and snorted and then it looked to the Lycans and as if it was speaking it made sounds from its mouth. ¡°Graa ruuu, roar, gruu!!!¡± It was a weird sight but Zen could only watch and try looking for a means of escape. Then the wold once again looked at Zen and snorted as it released its own bloodlust and intent to murder Zen. It acted as if it was competing with Zen on who could intimidate the other more. Zen felt the bloodlust and his heart started palpitating as if it was about to burst apart. Seeing Zen¡¯s reaction the wolf snorted and raised one of its paws, it gave Zen one more look and with its sharp claws, it released a killing strike. Zen knew that he will not live if he took that attack but he also knew he will not be able to block and could only jump backward and if he did that he will die without a doubt. Every answer to his predicament all meant death but he didn¡¯t want death, only life and so he took a step forward and thrust ¡®fangs¡¯ in an attempt to kill the beast that¡¯s in the way of his path to living. The wolf saw his action and as if it had seen something exciting its horrendous maw seemed to have formed a smile and gave a howl. Crack!! Zen¡¯s dagger was broken in half and the wolf paw did not stop and hit his body away and from the great force, Zen was sent flying to the cliff. While he was falling Zen felt the wind on his back, the broken dagger was still on his hands and as he was falling Zen did not feel right. Not because he was already dying but because he felt that the heavens were choosing his own death and feeling this way Zen gripped the dagger on his right hand and stabbed himself on the heart. He didn¡¯t know why he did it but Zen felt refresh when he stabbed himself. ¡®I¡¯m sorry Freya, Yin seems like I won¡¯t be coming home after all. I don¡¯t want to die but¡­.¡¯ ¡°I want to at least choose my own death.¡± With that thought, he died with a heart full of regret and a middle finger raised to the sky. Splat!! 4th Exploration: From an Artifact to a System Death, it''s a simple but a complicated topic to understand. Will you reincarnate or will you see paradise and live eternal happiness. For an unknown amount of time this topic had been left unanswered, however, there''s one fact that is known throughout the passage of time and that''s, for there is to be death there should be life at first. Living is the main goal of survival which we humans and other organisms do, whether it be the monsters inside the dungeons or us humans who come to raid them living and surviving is the goal of everyone. These two topics have been around since the first emersion of life in this boundless universe. Life is connected to death and vice versa, but what kind of creature will defy and reject these two topics. What will someone have to do in order to both reject and accept a satisfying union, what will it take to both reject death and turn away from life? Zen was nothing but a mush of flesh and blood at this time, but instead of dying and his soul leaving his body he felt something kept him chained from leaving this world. He could not leave this world and what''s more, is that he had been seeing various information flow inside his mind. Philosophy about death, the meaning of life, these kinds of thought were floating inside his mind but he could care less about this though as he was still feeling the pain from his smashed body. ''It hurts! Make it stop!'' These thoughts were reverberating inside his mind but not a single time did his mind thought that he wanted to die or it would be better if he were to die there and then. He did not want to feel this torture but he also did not want to die and even if he didn''t want to admit it Zen was feeling a little delight at the fact that he can still pain. It''s not that he awakened to masochism or anything like that, no, it was because if he''s feeling pain then he is still alive or has the chance to live and get out of this place. Zen did not know what is happening but he was glad that it was happening to him, and then his eyes stared up to the sky and a blue panel appeared with a bunch of text written on its surface. [Conditions of Artifact awakening has been met moving to the questioning] [¡­] [Do you want a power that you will choose death for you to achieve it? Please answer in 10, 9, 8¡­] Zen did not know what is happening and what kind of mysterious changes occurred to the system for it to be questioning him like this as he''s about to die but for some reason, Zen felt the need to answer this questions. Call it whatever you like, stupidity, idiocy, or anything like that but at that time Zen called it survival instinct. He did not know what will happen if he didn''t answer but he knew that he will be regretting it all his life. His mind was currently blank from the pain but hearing the question he answered the first thought that appeared inside his mind. "Yes I will, if I can achieve the power that I want by choosing death I will embrace it with open arms." Gooong!!! A Gong was sounded inside his mind as if telling him that something had been opened or freed. [Will you kill if for power? Whether it be humans or monsters, will you kill them indiscriminately if they hinder your path? Please answer in 10, 9, 8¡­] "I will¡­ I will do anything if it means I can go forward even if it means doing all those things." Gooong!! Another sound reverberated in his ears, this time it was much more powerful. It was enough to rock his soul that''s hanging by a thread. [Will you¡­ defy the rules set in the worlds to live for your goals? Please answer with care, yours truly will not be held liable of your answer, depending on your answer you might face challenges that can bring about the great [Ragnarok] or others might call, [Heavenly War].] A long explanation was given and as Zen was reading through it all he had already made the decision. "I will." His voice was more resolute than before. Gooonggggggg!!! Crack! Crack!! Crashhhh!! The gong sound was followed by cracking sounds and then a long winded sound of something crashing and breaking. [Congratulations, you have answered every question successfully.] [Please insert your name: __________] "Zen" A blue panel appeared just like in video games and as it did Zen answered after seeing the request of his name.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. [Artifact owner registered] Another panel appeared confirming the ''ownership'' and as it was finally confirmed another longer panel appeared. [Artifact Updated] [Warning: The Shop opened] [Warning: Status has been updated] [Give the artifact name: (Optional)] A long blue panel appeared before his eyes ''reporting'' what had been opened and what he had just acquired after freeing the so-called artifact and at the end of the panel, there was an optional category. "System." [Artifact name: System] It didn''t even take him a few seconds before answering, ever since it had appeared he had always called it a system so it was not that hard thinking of a name. [Congratulations for registering as the owner, your rewards will now be given] [Choose what to accept] [Reward #1: Reconstruction, Reward #2 Random Weapon, Reward #3 Black Cloak] The sight in front of Zen right now was like a game, he did not know what kind of artifact that can become something like this but the fact that one of its rewards was a way for him to live was enough for Zen to accept what''s happening. He didn''t need to know what kind of thing was inside him nor did he need to know it and even if he wanted to know what kind of artifact the ''system'' or who or what created it he first needed a clue or a lead which he didn''t have. With his situation like this Zen began choosing the rewards, he had earned by chance. The three rewards were already his and no matter what he chooses the others will not disappear until he chooses them too. "Accept reward #1." [Warning: Reconstruction will now commence, please wait a moment¡­ 3, 2, 1] A blinding flash of light enveloped his entire body as his soul that had been loosely bordering from life and eternal death was dragged back to his body. Chains seemed to have been dragging him back as he felt something pulling him back to his mush up and painful body of his. The reconstruction of his body proceeded swiftly and without any problems but as he was being resurrected he felt an itch all over his body as an indescribable feeling spread to his muscles and limbs. It was as if the thousands of ants were biting him all everywhere as his body was reconstructed. [Restoration of the body¡­ complete] [Soul Binding¡­ complete] [3, 2, 1¡­ Body Reconstruction completed, congratulations your body has finished reconstruction your soul has also been bound once again and the limits set upon to your very being has been lifted.] Feeling the particular sense of touch Zen knew that he was alive, the cold floor and the chilly wind that had been blowing on the bottom of the Clift made Zen feel wide awake. Opening his eyes he was welcomed by darkness. Normally when a human enters a dark place he or she would need to get used to the different lightning but Zen was quickly able to adapt. Feeling out his body Zen tried getting up, even though he was unsure if he was truly alive or not, he touched his chest and felt nothing and so he looked down and right beside his right feet was the broken dagger that had been stabbed on his heart. "Huu! The dagger was taken out huh, I don''t really know if this is real or something that''s beyond death but¡­ my goal of getting out of this dungeon." Zen fiddled with some of the information that came flowing inside his mind like the commands and the various rules of the system. It didn''t take him a while and after some time he spoke with a soft voice, "Status." A blue panel with a bunch of information appeared in front of him. Name: Zen Level: 1 Health: 150 MP: 100 Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Vitality: 15 Senses: 10 Intelligence: 10 Remaining Points: 3 The status bar was not the only thing present in the panel as to the side there were other things listed like the [Inventory], [Shop], [Skill List], [Upgrades], [Equipment], and others. "It really is like the RPG I played in the past. Did the artifact modeled its new form after it?" The so-called artifact which is now a true system stuck Zen''s mind. He had always thought that the system was nothing but an alarm clock but as he browses through the various setups Zen finally understood its value. Zen opened his equipment and there he saw the only equipment that he is wearing were [Ragged Clothes] and [Ragged Pants]. Zen did not even need to look down as his image was also projected at the panel and as he continued looking at himself the more he felt worse about it. "Accept reward #3." Zen could not take it anymore so he opened the third reward and equipped the [Black Cloak] which covered his entire body all the way to his heels. It protected him from the cold but that''s not the only effect. =Item: Black Cloak Item Class: None Type: Cloak Description: Made from a monster''s skin it provides an additional 1% defense.= The additional one percent defense may seem useless but his status didn''t really have anything that directly raises his defenses. "I got myself a rather good item well considering my situation anything I can get is good enough the only thing I need is a weapon, accept reward #2." Zen accepted the last reward and¡­ =Item: Black Stringer Item Class: B Type: Dagger Description: Using the Poisonous Tail of a Black Scorpion a poisonous dagger with a sharp edge known to tear cut even the hide of A-rank monsters. Additional Effect: Poison, a lethal poison that will kill any E-rank monster and below after a few seconds of contact (For higher ranked monsters the effect of the poison may be weakened and even nullified.)= "This kind of weapon can sell up to at least a few million in the market and with the additional effect of poison it may even fetch a higher price." He had previously seen the price of the weapons on Whitehaven''s Guild and after C-rank and above everything''s price all spiked up costing up millions of credits per purchase. However, credits were important to him outside so it was impossible for him to buy a new weapon that''s higher than his original dagger. "Credits are important for me outside this place I had to save up every little credit that I could just so I can help Freya a little but now I have the system and if I can get out of here I can finally enter and go raid a dungeon, maybe I can even convince Freya to stop." He started talking to himself all of a sudden. He started thinking of the possibilities that may open to him if he ever gets out of this dungeon but that''s only if he ever gets out and in order to do that he needed to become stronger than he currently is right now. [Main Quest: Kill or Conquer the Boss and clear the Dungeon] [Reward/s: A-rank Magic, Instant Dungeon Map] [Side Quest: Kill the Exiled Leader] [Reward/s: 10 Status Points] Zen took a deep breath and felt the surrounding air. He should have been dead by now but he was able to live thanks to the mysterious system that had plagued him for two years. Death is a terrifying thing indeed, not knowing of what''s beyond death and what will happen to you if you really died can make anyone feel suffocated. However, Zen who experienced such tragedy should have been the one to avoid danger and try to live his life as carefully as he could so he can live to see tomorrow. But deep within Zen, something scarier lies deep inside his abyss of a heart and that''s the feeling of shame and fear of him not being able to change. To Zen right now, death is not the scariest thing because the scariest thing to him was staying as the sorry excuse of a man that he is. With a weapon on hand Zen wanted to meet the wolf once again and fight it with all he has, he wanted to win but first, he needed to one important thing and that is to kill low ranked monsters and grind away to the highest possible level he can achieve.