《The Infinity Dungeon》


 Chapter 0: I Take it Back!

    Do you agree with the saying, "Be careful of what you wish for, lest it comes true"? I''ve encountered it for so many times, in movies, books, and even heard it from my parents and grandparents. Though I do not keep it in mind that much, I agree that it is a valuable life lesson. Yes, it is a valuable life lesson, it truly is.


    I learned that the hard way.


    <hr>


    On a dark and cloudy day, in an atmosphere of tension and bloodthirst, two armies confront each other on a large clearing, each army numbering in thousands of soldiers. Armed to the teeth with swords, spears, shields, war hammers, bows, and various weapons and defensive equipment, the two sides glared at each other waiting for which side would make the preemptive strike.


    Suddenly, an arrow flew from one of the two armies. It flew towards the troops of the other side and penetrated the skull of a swordsman. Warcries rose from the ranks of soldiers, igniting the flames of war. Thousands upon thousands of bodies collided, blades were swung, arrows were fired, and blood was shed. Seemingly even, the deadlock lasted for an hour.


    In the midst of all the chaos, right in the center of the battlefield, unnoticed by all the warriors fighting each other, a young man appeared out of thin air. The young man was wearing apair jogging pants, and asweatshirt while holding a polearm, a wooden naginata. Noticing his surroundings he was very confused. Feeling the bloodthirsty atmosphere and seeing the bloody battles going on aroundhim, the young man went pale but stayed relatively calm after gripping the wooden naginata tightly.


    -What the hell is going on here?!- The young man screamed in his mind, confused and terrified. He kept his mouth tightly shut, afraid that the armed men killing each other in front of him would notice him. He tried his best to lower his presence, as the warriors seemed focused on fighting. As he stood there trembling, he recalled what happened before he realized he was in the middle of all this mess.


    <hr>


    It was a calm sunny morning within the metropolis, a normal day. It was the same day as always for Seira Elmsworth, a twenty-year-old young man, he was an office worker, with a hobby of practicing naginatajutsu, typically for women, it was a form of martial arts in using a polearm, the naginata.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Before he goes to work the trains, in this way he maintains a good body condition whilegetting a peace of mind. This was his routine ever since he was a young boy. He repeated movements perfectly, for every stance, swing, and stabbing motion, it can be said that his attainments in this discipline are high, although he considers this as a hobby, aside from studying, doing chores, and now going to work, training martial arts was the only thing he does in his free time. It was a simple life, a rather bland life, and of course, as a human, he would soon get tired of this monotone way of living his life.


    "I wish I can have something more exciting every once in a while," he murmured to himself after a swing, wiping off his sweat with a towel.


    "Like getting transported to a fantasy world or something, like what the others have been talking about at work."


    As he was only absorbed in a few things, like work, food, and training, he wasn''t too familiar with pop culture, like the ever-present cliche of transmigration in animes, novels, and games, he only knew about it because of how his co-workers were talking about it at lunch break quite a few times.


    As he was mulling over things, he noticed that his vision was getting blurry, he stopped and tried to regain his senses, but it was getting worse by the second, and soon his vision faded to black.


    <hr>


    -Was it all because of that random wish?- Seira trembled at the thought, after that weird fade-into-black phase the first thing he saw was this gruesome battlefield, the longer he stood there watching the more it made his stomach turned. Guts were spilled everywhere, heads rolled, blood flowed like rivers, and lives were extinguished.


    Firmly believing that it was his wish that caused all of this, rather than assuming it was all a dream, he took a practical stance¡ªhe assumed the worst, this was all real.Be careful of what you wish for, lest it comes true. The saying occurred to him, his wish to spice up his life was rather reckless, he should have chosen something different, no, he should have never even thought about it.


    -I should have been content, I should have been content with my life!-


    -I take it back now, g-god, or whoever did this, I take back my wish, please return my old life to me-


    -I TAKE IT BACK!-

 Chapter One: Metamorphosis

    The battle raged on, soldiers fell, blood sprayed all over, as the chaos ensues, the unease continued to boil inside Seira''s heart. His grip on his practice naginata grew tighter and tighter, his knuckles turning white. He wished that it was all a dream, but the smell of blood and iron, the screams of anguish and triumph, the feeling of bloodlust¡ªit was all too real to dismiss as a hallucination. Even if it was, this is one insane daydream, he thought.


    His thoughts were cut short when he saw a sharp glint from the archers from one of the armies. It was a stray arrow, and it was heading straight for him, his adrenaline surged, he was able to catch the arrow in his sight, but his body was too slow, he was after all a normal human being, a civilian at that. He closed his eyes waiting for his abrupt and pathetic end, hoping that he will find answers in the afterlife.


    But death never came, there was no pain, no sounds, nothing.


    He opened his eyes and saw pitch black darkness. He felt that he was floating, incredulous, now he thinks that he got hit straight through the brain, explaining the fact that it was painless, and now he was in limbo. As if reading his thoughts, a rectangular shape appeared before him, and English text was written on it, it was shining brightly as if it was a sort of window that appears on a computer.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Welcome to the Infinity Dungeon, Master Seira, you have been automatically evacuated into the dungeon space due to danger to your life. The dungeon space is to serve as your personal realm, as a training ground, and as your hideout. The dungeon can only rescue you from harm once every month, automatically transporting you here. Due to having an unsuitable constitution your current environment. your body will be restructured according to your chosen class. Please choose one from below.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    SPEARMAN


    You will have a stronger physical body prioritizing speed and power and your talent with spears is very high. You will have longer reach in close-quarters combat, and you can keep your distance and wear out your enemies or end them in a few strikes.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    ASSASSIN


    You will have a stronger physical body prioritizing on speed, flexibility, and light body weight. You will specialize in killing your enemies in one hit or attacking them stealthily. Your presence is thinner than most people harder for them to detect you or recognize you.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    TECHNOMANCER


    Pyromancers wield fire, Necromancers use the undead, while you use technology. You will have a balanced adapting physical body, greater comprehension, perfect memory, and ability to multitask(parallel thinking). You will have the ability to influence materials depending on how much knowledge you have.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    -What the hell is this?! Am I tripping or something?-


    It is an awfully similar situation to what he had heard from his friend, being transported to another world, minus the fact that he has to "die" first via an impact from a poorly driven vehicle at maximum speed.


    -If I choose I will have a better chance of surviving? These choices are weird, two are common, but the last is even weirder. -


    He uses a naginata, close but entirely different to a spear, why is the choice [Spearman]? Sure, it was a polearm, but was it because there is no naginata in this world? He decided to reject the [Spearman] class and the [Assassin] class, he didn''t want to abandon his life-long practice of wielding a naginata, and he also did not want to involve himself with shady businesses and a specialization in killing people. He opted for being a [Technomancer], one is because it can be sort of a craftsman class but with some fighting capabilities. He can live off as some sort of weapons smith and be able to defend himself if needed. The problem is, he would probably need a whole lot of learning to do, nonetheless, he said:


    "I choose the [Technomancer] class."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Are you certain about your choice? The changes to be made to your body cannot be changed anymore.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Choice has been confirmed. Initiating the metamorphic process to TECHNOMANCER class constitution.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After he had read the message he has suddenly assaulted by excruciating pain. He felt like he was being melted, every fiber of his being felt like it was being torn apart. His mind also felt like it was being stabbed by millions of needles. He felt bleak, but he kept himself conscious, thinking that if he faints he will surely die. For what felt like hours, he was drowning in the feeling of being taken apart and being put back together, over and over.


    And later on, the pain soon stopped, replaced a refreshing feeling, he felt like he can do anything, he felt stronger, faster, and what''s more important, is that his mind felt clearer than ever and his senses were also sharper. His mind was processing information at very high amounts and speed, and he can somehow know how and why. This proves that the human mind was far better than any other computer, it was only the matter of being able to effectively utilize it, and the restructuring of his whole being was what made it possible.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Metamorphosis is successful. All vital signs are stable. Congratulations on becoming a TECHNOMANCER, Master Seira. You will now be transferred to the first floor of the Infinity Dungeon. You will be given starting equipment to aid you in your journey, they will be fitting to your current capabilities. You can go inside the dungeon space or the outside world at will. Time does not flow within the dungeon space, one can spend time here indefinitely with enough basic necessities which can be acquired in the dungeon itself. When you come out to the outside world you will still be in the same moment as you came in the dungeon space.Contact with civilization in the outside world is still recommended in order to prevent insanity of an individual.


    You can view your current status assessment by saying or thinking about the word "Status". Your capabilities are interpreted in an ordinal scale of letters. Starting from the least to greatest: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS. Divisions of assessment between letters are classified according to the number of +. For example. B < B+ <B++. You canalso use this function outside the dungeon.


    You also have an inventory that is directly linked to the dungeon space you can use it anywhere, but avoid showing it to others. It can store anything and at any amount. You can take out any items at will, and store anything that you are holding, except for living creatures. You can view your inventory through the keyword "Inventory".


    These windows are only visible to you, and you alone.


    Please take time in familiarizing yourself with your environment.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    -That''s a long explanation, but a proper explanation is what I really need right now, lucky me I guess.-


    "Status, Inventory"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name: Seira Elmsworth


    Level: 0


    Class: Technomancer


    Title: None


    <hr>


    ATTRIBUTES


    Strength: D


    Vitality: D


    Intelligence: B


    Agility: D


    Dexterity: C


    Perception: C


    <hr>


    SKILLS/ABILITIES


    Exercise: C


    Martial Arts: D


    Naginatajutsu: D


    Parallel Thinking: D


    Material Handling: D


    Technomancy:S


    Polearm Mastery: E


    Perfect Memory: SSS


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    INVENTORY


    Iron Naginata


    Cotton Sweatshirt


    Cotton Jogging Pants


    Audiobook Player(Infinite capacity and energy)


    Wireless Earphones


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Looking at his skills and status attributes, <Technomancy> and


    seems out of place. <Technomancy> is probably rare, and quite good, but not without knowledge backing it.


    , understandable due to the word "perfect," SSS probably means that whatever was rated as such is absolute, hence, absolute memory. He would be able to perfectly memorize things, and recall any sort of information or memory instantly. The problem is though, he will not be able to forget things that he shouldn''t remember. Then he looked at the inventory window.


    -Oh, right, I had this on me while I was training.-


    The audiobook player was something he used to listen to, well, audiobooks, when he trains or does something else. A form of multitasking, but also keeps him entertained when doing monotonous things. Was the reason why he got the class of [Technomancer] was due to having a gadget on him?


    -At least it has an infinite storage capacity and power source, hope I won''t break it.-


    As if knowing that he had finished looking through the information, cracking sounds resounded around him. The endless pitch black darkness around him cracked, spewing white light through the gaps. The scene in front of him shattered, replaced by a breathtaking view that filled him with excitement. While trembling with anticipation and nervousness, he said to himself:


    "Well then, looks like it is time for me to suffer some more."

 Chapter Two: The First Floor (1) — The Stone Platform

    Seira was awestruck by what he saw, the view was breathtaking in many ways, the two things that he really felt was that the scenery was amazing and at the same time, dreadful.


    He discovered that he was in the center of a circularly shaped platform right in the middle of a clearing within a forest as far as he could tell. It was made out of stone blocks and was intricately designed. It was a rather complex and curious design for something with a diameter of over ten meters. Some lines formed by the layout of the stone platform was made to look like it was spread out towards the circumference from the very center, but at the same time looking as if it was from the outer part of the circle, gathering towards the center on which Seira stood upon. It gave off the feeling that it was not made to look good but was constructed to have purpose and meaning. It even still appeared to be rather clean, as if it was a newly furnished structure that was only finished.


    The very platform was rather big, but the surroundings were more astounding, everything around it was pure nature, but a more lively kind than what the young man grew up with. The trees were much larger than the standard from Earth, and the grass and other plants occupy whatever space that the towering trees left empty, only the area starting from a meter from the edge of the stone platform remained unoccupied by plant matter. The air was incredibly fresh, far richer than what he experienced from his old world. What made it livelier than what he was used to seeing was how the creatures he saw around him behaved.


    He saw flying creatures, birds, at least twice as large as the biggest birds from back home. Those birds soaring above the tall trees, but then a huge snake lashed out from the treetops with a fast speed snatching a bird from the air causing the others to scatter and fly higher. A rustling sound was heard and the poor bird was never seen again. Down below, along with the ground, Seira saw a rather plump rabbit gnawing on some grass beside a tree. As if following the same fate as the bird earlier, a black panther the size of a man pounced on the rabbit without notice, instantly crushing the windpipe of the rather large critter. It dragged the dead carcass to the bushes after giving Seira a slight glance. The young man noticed it and he felt chills.


    "This is way too lively... Too lively indeed."


    Assuming that there were no humans that ever came here, this environment is in the truest sense, wild. With no pesky humans disrupting the system, it was a good representation of survival of the fittest. Seira though has arrived, a factor of disruption, that''s if he would be able to, with the creatures here that could probably kill him easily, how could he, a human being armed with a weapon he only knew how to use against humans, survive here?


    -In all honesty, I should be dead by now.-


    Seira thought helplessly, he noticed a number of eyes looking at him from within the forest, predators. They could have just went for him the moment he appeared, but they kept their distance, away from the stone platform.


    -Is this platform some sort of safe zone?-


    The young man decided to stay still while looking at the surroundings,he silently scanned for anything that would prove useful to him or things that would be lethal to his frail self. This continued on for an hour or so until he gave up, he relaxed his muscles for a moment and then tensed up again. Now he was considering staying here waiting for a miracle, or he would make that miracle himself.


    -Though, miracles are miracles because humans can''t make them.-


    He moved away from the center of the stone platform, towards the edge of it. He then stopped about a meter away from the end of the platform, a meter away from the embrace of nature''s deadly embrace. He sat down and started contemplating once again. What should he do? What can he even do here?This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "What is the meaning of life, anyway?"


    Seira muttered under his breath, now he was thinking or nonsense. He decided to take action, he weighed his two options, stay, or charge towards his demise. He decided upon the latter, staying within the platform will not guarantee his survival, what if the protection of the platform doesn''t work anymore? If it was something that has a time limit, sitting in the middle of it like a sitting duck was just asking to be killed.


    -I''m not sure how am I going to make it past a yard away from this thing in one piece.-


    He needed a plan, he needs a method to keep himself safe, but he needs to get rid of whatever that would like to kill him. He needed¡ª


    Remember kid, I didn''t teach you how to wield that weapon to fight like an aggressive idiot, that distance advantage is not just for annoying people, but for luring them over into your...


    "Trap, huh."


    A slight grin was slowly forming in Seira''s face, the young man was feeling all sorts ofemotions once he made this realization. He felt helplessness, worry, nostalgia, and for reasons he does not understand¡ªexcitement.


    <hr>


    After doing his preparations, which was mostly consisted of convincing himself not to go back on his decision, Seira once again started off into the forest depths. While imagining what kind of hell awaits him there, thoughts about how far he was from his old life resurfaced. Once he executes his crazy plan, there is no turning back, there will likely be no more second chances for him, unlike how it all was back then.


    *Sigh*


    After a helpless sigh, and a deep breath, resolution grew within his eyes. He took a step, then another, until he passed the edge of the stone platform that kept him safe from the wrath of nature. He had done it, he had stepped out, he felt anxiety, even fear, but exhilaration was mixed along with those emotions. Strange enough, he had likened the feeling of walking out of your comfort zone.


    *Rustle**Rustle*


    -Ugh, damn, what the hell did I get myself into.-


    Rustling came from one of the nearest bushes on the edge of the forest, followed by more rustling from almost every single direction. Seira grew restless, his eyes darting back and forth from wherever location he heard those noises. It was at that moment, he had a close and uncomfortable encounter with death.


    *Roar*


    A black panther pounced out from withinthe foliage towards the frail human. In the beast''s eyes, the new intruder was an easy prey, although strange, and will not be of any threat to it. With great ferocity it aimed its sharp claws at Seira''s chest, intending to knock him down and rip off his throat. Contrary to its expectations, however, the young man moved his body to the side and deftly stabbed the naginata toward the creature''s neck. Due to the panther''s size, the neck wound was not completely fatal but was only a serious would. A deafening pained cry came out of its mouth, while huge amounts of blood gushed out from the wound as it tumbled across the dirt beside the young man. Seira doubts it would die easily from blood loss, but it will be incapacitated.


    -Tsk, it may be only an oversized panther, but it is still big, no way this thing would pierce all the way through, I''m human for fuck''s sake.-


    But before he could even move to finish it off, seven more panthers jumped out from the forest intending to kill the lone human that incapacitated one of their kind. Several roars ranged out within the area, making Seira''s heart tremble. With surprising coordination, they gave no chance for Seira to even counter, gritting his teeth, he retreated towards the platform, hoping that the next stage of his suicidal plan to work. He dodged the attacks by a hair''s breadth, with each passing swipe making him feel that his lifespan has been decreased by a year.


    -This better work, else, I''m cat food.-


    The black panthers once again jumped for another pounce but at this moment, Seira was only a few inches away from the stone platform. He nosedived towards the platform, with the panthers already in the air after him. He landed painfully on the cold hard stone floor. In front of his eyes, he saw the oncoming figures of several black beasts heading his way. They were going to land on him if his plan doesn''t work, he is truly done for.


    "Aaaah, Shit, Shit!"


    He desperately inched backward using his hand while lying on the platform facing the panthers. The moment the creatures passed beyond the edge of the stone platform, their eyes grew dull, their bodies became still as if they had immediately died. Seira had seen the change, his plan had worked, but to his joy the bodies still fell towards his direction, directly burying him beneath the panthers'' carcasses. He hit his head on the cold hard stone, and his vision slowly darkened.


    -Motherfu...-