Harry was still Level 8, and no matter how many odd chores or minor quests he completed, leveling up felt painfully slow.
[Status Window]
[Name: Harry James Potter]
[Level: 8]
[EXP: 600 / 800]
[Class: Wizard]
[Title: The Boy Who Lived]
[HP: 320 / 320]
[MP: 550 / 550]
[Stamina: 200 / 200]
[Strength: 14]
[Dexterity: 19]
[Intelligence: 25]
[Wisdom: 21]
[Endurance: 19]
[Luck: 17]
[Charisma: 10]
[Currency: £220 / G: 58 / S: 18]
[Skill List]
[Wind Step] – Lv. 6]
[Poison Mist Attack] – Lv. 4]
[Fireball] – Lv. 5]
[Water Shield] – Lv. 5]
[Observe] – Lv. 5 ]
[ID Create] – Lv. 3]
[ID Escape] – Lv. 3]
At first, he thought small tasks would add up quickly. Fixing a broken chair, organizing Dudley's old toys, scrubbing the driveway, cooking three meals a day—it all earned him something. But when the system kept rewarding him with measly [5 XP] or [10 XP] per quest, the excitement faded.
He tried to motivate himself, mumbling, "It takes a lot of drops to fill a pond." But no matter how many times he repeated it, the truth was harder to ignore: Harry was addicted to quick rewards.
And small rewards didn't feel satisfying anymore.
The Gamer's System had changed him. He'd tasted the thrill of unlocking powerful abilities, of watching numbers jump and stats rise in real time. That dopamine rush—the satisfying ding of leveling up—was something no ordinary house chore could replace.
[Trait Identified: XP Chaser]
[Effect: You prefer high-risk, high-reward quests over low-value tasks.]
So now, when he saw new quests pop up, he ignored anything with tiny payouts:
[Quest: Wash the dishes] Reward: 5 XP Ignored.
[Quest: Weed the garden] Reward: 7 XP Ignored.
[Quest: Clean the attic] Reward: 8 XP Ignored.
Instead, Harry's eyes were drawn to anything dangerous, anything that promised big XP gains.
If it involved risk, he accepted it without hesitation.
Even if it could get him hurt.
Because to Harry, safety was boring.
Harry already got bored mastering his magical powers and sword fighting inside the Instant Dungeon, where he practiced every single day. The repetition dulled his excitement, and he wanted something new—something risky, something that would give him a real challenge.
It was then he remembered the massive ongoing quest he'd nearly forgotten:
[Ongoing Quest: Find the Secrets of Teozad Umbra]
Progress: 12%
Reward: Unknown
Danger Level: Extremely High
Harry knew he wasn't strong enough to fight the Necromancer yet. His power, though growing fast, wasn't anywhere close to matching Teozad Umbra's level. But the quest wasn't to defeat the Necromancer—only to find his secrets. That, Harry thought, he could manage.
From then on, he quietly kept an eye on Teozad Umbra whenever he could. He watched from the shadows, careful not to get noticed. Lately, though, the Necromancer had been cautious, rarely leaving his house.
But one evening, Harry finally saw him heading out. Teozad Umbra walked down the dark cobblestone street, his black cloak trailing, and his long bony fingers clutching something hidden beneath it. Curious and determined, Harry followed—keeping just far enough behind to avoid detection.
Like usual Teozad didn't go into the altar hall of the church. Instead, he veered off toward the cemetery behind it.
Harry crouched behind a broken statue, peeking carefully. The old Necromancer stopped before a gravestone so ancient its inscriptions had long worn away. The stone bore no name—just a single faint carving resembling a serpent coiling around a cross.
Harry watched Teozad kneel before the grave and begin murmuring something. His voice was deep, hoarse, and layered with some kind of magic. The air grew cold, and a faint green mist curled from the ground around the stone.
Whoever lay beneath that grave was important—Harry could feel it in the way the old man's entire posture shifted, as if in reverence or desperation.
Then, just as suddenly, Teozad straightened, brushed his cloak, and walked away without another glance.
Harry's heart was pounding. Every instinct screamed at him to follow, but his curiosity won out.
When the Necromancer vanished beyond the gate, Harry stepped out of hiding and walked toward the mysterious grave, his hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of his iron sword.
Harry stared at the glowing notification in disbelief.
[Dungeon Detected!]
Do you want to enter the Haunted Crypt – Recommended Level: 5
Warning: High danger. Unprepared adventurers may die.
Yes / No
His heart pounded in his chest. The only dungeon he had ever entered before was Lord of the Rats, and that was a low-level one compared to this. But this time… this was different. This was Teozad Umbra's secret.
Harry clenched his fists, his excitement battling with his fear. If there were any place where he could test all the training he had done, this was it.
"I can handle this," he whispered to himself, and pressed Yes.
The world blurred around him, and in an instant, Harry stood before massive stone walls and an ancient rusted iron gate. Strange inscriptions glowed faintly in the dark, and the faint smell of rot filled the air.
On the gate, carved into blackened stone, was a riddle:
"What walks without breath,
Fights without flesh,
And sleeps without rest?"
Harry froze for a moment, then instinctively reached into his growing intelligence. The answer formed in his mind as naturally as breathing.
"Dead," he said firmly.
A grinding rumble filled the crypt as the iron gates creaked open. Dust poured from the hinges as the old mechanism slowly moved, and beyond it lay a dimly lit passage.
Candles along the corridor flickered to life one by one, bathing the ancient stonework in ghostly orange light. Harry tightened his grip on his sword and stepped inside.
[New Dungeon Entered!]
Name: Haunted Crypt
Level: 5
Objective: Explore the crypt and uncover its secrets.
Bonus Objective: Find out what Teozad Umbra is hiding.
XP Reward: 800 XP
Harry quickly opened his inventory and equipped his Iron Armor. The familiar weight settled on his shoulders, but thanks to his daily practice fighting in armor inside the Instant Dungeon, his movements were smooth and controlled.
The stone chamber he entered was vast, its high ceiling carved with runes depicting ancient battles. A name burned into his vision:
[Location Discovered: Hall of Ancestors]
The moment he stepped forward, a loud rattling echoed through the crypt. From the shadows, swarms of skeleton warriors rose from the dusty floor, each gripping rusty swords and cracked shields.
[Enemies Detected!]
Skeleton Warrior (Lv. 3)
Harry's pulse quickened.
Without hesitation, he thrust his palm forward.
"Poison Mist!"
A green cloud erupted, engulfing the skeletons — but nothing happened. Their hollow sockets stared back, unbothered.
[Poison Mist ineffective: Target immune!]
"Tch… fine, plan B."
He summoned flames into his hands and launched powerful fireballs, blasting skeletons into piles of charred bones. The survivors closed in fast, forcing Harry to dodge with Wind Step, blinking from one spot to another in bursts of speed. When a group surrounded him, he unleashed Sword Critical Strike, cleaving through their brittle forms in arcs of steel and sparks.
One by one, they collapsed, until the last skeleton crumbled into dust.
[Combat Complete!]
40 Skeleton Warrior kills
400 Silver Sickles acquired
[MP: 250 / 550]
Panting, Harry leaned on his sword, exhausted. Nearly half his MP was gone, but victory was his.
In the corner of the hall, his eyes caught a small, wooden chest bound with rusted iron, half-rotted and tucked near the entrance. Using an iron key he looted earlier, Harry carefully unlocked it.
[Chest Loot Acquired]
30 Gold Galleons
2 Healing Potions
1 Bone Carving of a Knight.
Harry placed the treasures in his inventory and immediately drank one of the healing potions, feeling his fatigue ease away.
[HP Restored: 120]
Harry stepped cautiously into the next chamber.
[Location Discovered: Hall of Offering]
The stench hit him instantly — rot and decay clung to the air like a physical weight. Unlike the previous hall, this one wasn't filled with skeletons… it was worse.
From the shadows, groaning figures stumbled forward — rotting zombies with pale, sagging skin and milky eyes.
[Enemies Detected!]
Zombie (Lv. 4)
Harry grimaced. "Ugh… I hate these things."
Without going near them, he immediately launched Fireball after Fireball, setting the undead ablaze. Each strike turned them into piles of smoldering ash, but whenever a group pushed too close, Harry raised his hands and summoned a Water Shield, forming a dome-like barrier of swirling water around himself. With a sharp push of will, he blasted the shield outward, the wave of force hurling the zombies away before finishing them with more fire.
One by one, the zombies fell until the last one collapsed with a sizzling hiss.
[Combat Complete!]
30 Zombie kills
300 Silver Sickles acquired
[MP: 300 / 550]
At the far end of the hall, Harry found another wooden chest secured with corroded iron hinges. With careful precision, he pried it open.
[Chest Loot Acquired]
50 Gold Galleons
1 Draught of Rage
1 Antidote for Draught of Rage
1 Draught of Madness
1 Antidote for Draught of Madness
He placed the potions and galleons into his inventory, making a mental note to study the brews later — they could be useful against stronger enemies deeper inside.
Harry slowly stepped into the next hall, gripping his sword tightly.
[Location Discovered: Hall of Shadows]
The moment he crossed the threshold, everything turned pitch black. Not even the faintest glimmer of candlelight guided his steps. Instinctively, Harry raised his hand and summoned a Fireball, using it as a torch. The dim, flickering glow revealed… nothing. No chests, no treasures, no monsters in sight.
But his Scan skill activated automatically.
[Observe - Level 5]
[Creatures Detected: Boggarts]
Type: Magical Shapeshifter
Ability: "Takes the form of your deepest fear"
Harry frowned. "Boggarts…?"
Before he could react, the first Boggart shifted and the darkness twisted around him. Suddenly, he wasn't in the dungeon anymore — he was back in the cupboard under the stairs, powerless, small, and trapped. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating him.
The second Boggart slithered forward, and his surroundings changed again. Now he was strapped to a bed in a mental asylum, a doctor leaning over him, saying calmly:
"Magic isn't real, Harry. It's all in your head."
Then the third Boggart emerged, and suddenly he saw himself running endlessly, chased by dark shadows — faceless figures of friends and enemies alike — all hunting him.
Harry's breathing quickened. His [Fear Resistance] skill wasn't strong enough to fight back. Panic surged through him, and without thinking, he gathered everything he had left. His MP roared to life, magic surging violently.
[Skill Activated: Fireball]
Warning! MP Overload Detected!
Harry created a massive Fireball, larger than anything he'd ever conjured before. With a loud shout, he hurled it at the illusions, the heat scorching the walls. The resulting explosion lit up the entire hall as all three Boggarts shrieked and turned into ash.
[Combat Complete!]
3 Boggart kills
350 XP
[HP: 200 / 320]
[MP: 150 / 550]
Harry fell to one knee, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead. But despite the exhaustion, he noticed something new:
[New Skill Unlocked!]
Mana Overload (Lv. 1): Allows the user to push past normal magical limits at the cost of massive MP drain.
[Location Discovered: Chamber of the Bound Oath]
The chamber was circular, massive, and eerily silent. At its center lay a ritual circle etched into the stone floor, glowing faintly with runes of pale green light. Surrounding it were piles of offerings — golden goblets, cracked skulls, ritual knives, and strange bones from creatures Harry didn't recognize.
Along the walls stood twelve massive statues of armored knights, each gripping rusted greatswords, their visors angled downward as though silently judging him.
On the far side of the chamber, raised atop a small dais, sat a throne-like structure carved from black stone. Upon it sat a figure — humanoid, yet disturbingly wrong. The figure wore a hooded black cloak, and a mask of bone covered its lower face. Shadows seemed to cling unnaturally to its body.
Harry's [Observe] skill activated instantly:
[Necromancer's Apprentice — Dungeon Boss]
Level: 15
HP: 600 / 600
MP: 420 / 420
Threat Level: Very High
Harry swallowed hard. This wasn't going to be easy.
The figure's head slowly turned toward him, and a chilling, distorted voice filled the chamber.
"So… you've come this far, little intruder. But you shall go no further."
Suddenly, the ritual circle flared brightly, and six skeletal warriors emerged from beneath the stone floor, brandishing rusted blades.
[Boss Fight Initiated!]
Objective: Defeat the Necromancer's Apprentice
Bonus Objective: Break the Ritual Circle before it completes
Harry tightened his grip on his sword and muttered to himself,
"Level 15… this is going to hurt."