The glowing yellow eyes in the darkness didn't blink.
They stared at Rayden, unblinking, filled with something ancient and hungry. A low growl rumbled from the cave, vibrating through the cavern, shaking the moss under his feet.
Rayden's breath caught in his throat, the crystal shard in his hand shaking as sweat dripped down his back.
"This… is fine."
It was not fine.
The growl grew into a roar that echoed through the cavern, and from the darkness, a creature stepped out, its claws clicking on the stone, its fur dark as shadow, its fangs glinting in the light of the glowing crystals.
A wolf.
No.
A lycan.
Massive, muscular, with eyes that glowed like molten gold, and a presence that made the air feel heavy.
Rayden took a step back, but his heel hit a rock, making him stumble.
The lycan's ears twitched, and its lips curled into a snarl.
"N-Nice doggy…?"
The lycan lunged.
Rayden screamed, swinging the crystal shard wildly, the edge catching the light as it slashed across the lycan's fur. The creature yelped in pain, stumbling for a split second, but it wasn't enough.
It was never enough.
Rayden turned to run, but there was nowhere to go. He had dug straight down, and the only exit was past the lycan.
His heart pounded in his ears as he dodged behind a crystal outcrop, the lycan's claws slashing into the stone, sending shards flying. Rayden rolled away, gripping the crystal shard tighter, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he scrambled to his feet.
The lycan roared, saliva dripping from its fangs as it lunged again.
Rayden slashed at it, the crystal cutting into its snout, drawing dark blood that hissed as it hit the ground.
"Stay back!"
But the lycan didn't stay back.
It roared, swiping its massive claws, tearing through Rayden's shirt and skin, sending him crashing against the cave wall. Pain exploded through his body as he gasped for breath, the crystal shard falling from his hand, clinking against the stone before skidding out of reach.
The lycan's eyes glowed brighter as it stepped forward, growling, its breath hot and foul.
Rayden tried to crawl away, but his limbs felt heavy, blood dripping from the cuts on his chest and arms.
"No… not like this…"
The lycan opened its jaws wide, its teeth like knives, and lunged.
Pain.
Searing, burning pain as the fangs sank into his shoulder, tearing through flesh and bone. Rayden screamed, the sound echoing in the cavern as the lycan bit down harder, shaking him like a ragdoll.
His vision blurred as blood filled his mouth, the taste metallic and bitter.
"Mom… Dad…"
The last thing he saw was the lycan's glowing eyes, the cold crystals above, and the dark cave yawning open behind the creature like the gates of hell.
Then everything went black.
Time passed.
Or maybe it didn't.
There was no pain, no warmth, no cold, no light, no darkness.
Just nothing.
Gasp!
Rayden's eyes shot open, his body jolting as if he had been dunked into ice water. His lungs burned as he sucked in air, the scent of moss and damp earth filling his senses.
He was lying on the cold cavern floor, staring up at the glowing crystals above.
Alive.
"What… the hell…?"
He touched his shoulder, expecting the torn flesh and broken bones, but there was nothing. The skin was whole, the pain gone, as if the lycan's fangs had never touched him.
Rayden sat up, his hands shaking, breath coming in ragged gasps.
"I… I died."
He remembered the pain, the lycan's teeth tearing into him, the darkness swallowing him.
And yet, here he was.
Alive.
Then, in front of him, something flickered in the air.
A screen.
Glowing softly, like a holographic projection, words forming in clean white text:
[System Activated]
You have unsealed the First Dungeon of the World.
The Mana Apocalypse will begin in 9 days.
Be ready.
Rayden's eyes widened as he reached out to touch it, but his fingers passed through, the screen shimmering like mist.
"What the hell is this…?"
Another line appeared on the screen:
I am a System. Once the Mana Apocalypse hits, 50% of the world's population will awaken supernatural abilities. Animals, insects, humans… but I'm different from the other systems.
I am self-aware.
Rayden blinked, sweat dripping down his temple.
The screen flickered again, displaying two options:
Option A: Wanna Die (Go to Hell).
Option B: Live with me as your friend (I'll get you a job).
Rayden stared at the options, his heart pounding.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Rayden stared at the floating screen, sweat dripping down the side of his face, the faint glow of the crystals casting ghostly shadows around the cavern.
Option A: Wanna Die (Go to Hell).
Option B: Live with me as your friend (I'll get you a job).
His eye twitched.
"Who the hell would pick Option A?!"
The screen flickered.
"Option B Selected: Welcome, Friend."
The moment the words appeared, a soft ding echoed in the cavern, followed by a sudden rush of warmth through Rayden's body, like hot chocolate flooding into frozen veins.
Rayden shivered, taking a deep breath as the system's glow intensified, forming words in front of him.
[System Introduction]
"I am your System. Unlike other Systems that will appear soon, I am self-aware. I can think, adapt, and help you without dumb automated scripts."
Rayden blinked. "Other Systems?"
The screen pulsed.
[The Mana Apocalypse]
"In approximately 9 days, the Mana Apocalypse will begin. The world will awaken to mana. Supernatural abilities will emerge among 50% of the population, including animals, insects, and even some plants."
"Monsters will begin to appear, and the fabric of the world will shift."
Rayden's throat felt dry. "You're serious?"
"Tomorrow, dungeons will begin to manifest globally. At first, only a few:
Day 1: 4-5 dungeons worldwide.
Day 2: 10-20 dungeons.
Day 3: 37-59 dungeons.
Day 4: 69-80 dungeons.
Day 5 onwards: Exponential increase."
Rayden's eyes widened.
"And after nine days, it will become normal. Dungeon gates, monsters, awakeners—people will start living around dungeons like they live near convenience stores."
Rayden felt like the ground was swaying beneath him.
"Hold on, hold on. So the world is about to turn into some kind of video game with dungeons popping up everywhere?"
"Correct."
"And I'm stuck in a hole under my family's creepy estate, with a lycan somewhere around here, and you expect me to what? Crawl dungeons to make a living?!"
The screen flickered, displaying:
"Yes. That is the Dungeon Crawling Business."
Rayden's mouth opened and closed, no words coming out.
"This is insane."
The screen shifted again, displaying lines of data:
[Benefits of Having Me as Your System]
"I will help you manage your growth without letting you die pointlessly."
"I can scan environments for resources and enemies."
"I will give you proper quests, not random spam missions."
"I can identify herbs, crystals, and monster weaknesses."
"And most importantly, I can help you find stable income through dungeon crawling."
Rayden blinked.
"So… you're offering me a job? In dungeon crawling?"
"Correct. Think of me as your system assistant and career counselor."
Rayden pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.
"I was worried about getting a job, but I didn't think my next option would involve literal dungeons and monsters."
The screen pulsed.
["Would you rather go back to failing interviews and starving?"]
Rayden's eyebrow twitched. "No, but—"
["Would you rather keep living in The Grey Estate with monsters roaring under your floorboards every night without knowing what's down here?"]
Rayden sighed.
"Fair point."
The screen flickered, displaying a progress bar:
-[Awakening Synchronization: 3%]
["Since you unsealed the first dungeon, your synchronization with mana will proceed gradually over the next nine days. You will awaken before the general population."]
"Until then, you are vulnerable. Avoid fighting monsters head-on without strategy."
Rayden's hand instinctively touched the crystal shard he had dropped earlier.
"What about that lycan?"
"You can't defeat it now. Your current stats are lower than a squirrel's."
Rayden glared at the screen.
"Wow. Thanks for the confidence."
The screen flickered, displaying a new prompt:
-[New Quest: Survive the First Dungeon]
Avoid the Lycan until you awaken fully.
Collect and analyze rare herbs and crystals.
Map the first dungeon for escape routes and future use.
Reward: ??? (To be revealed upon completion)
Rayden clenched his fists, taking a shaky breath.
"Fine. I'll play your game."
The screen pulsed with a soft ding, the glow reflecting in Rayden's determined eyes.
"Let's start my new dungeon crawling business."
To be continued…