"Thud."
Orion freed himself from the boulder pinning him down.
"Ah… my head…"
Although his wounds had mostly healed, every movement reminded him of his weakness—hunger gnawing through his body, leaving him shaky and drained.
He scanned the ruined chamber and found a small spot to sit. Leaning his head against a broken stone pillar, his gaze fell on the dead Ravager—and next to it, a strange, red, glowing orb. For all he knew, it could be dangerous, so he ignored it.
Exhaustion dragged him down. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander to Earth.
He missed his parents, his friends, his warm bed… most of all, he missed being bored. He would gladly trade boredom for this constant threat of death.
Then reality hit him like a punch—he might never return.
He might never see his parents, hang out with friends, or sleep in his familiar bed again.
"Well… no point thinking about it now."
With a heavy heart, Orion resolved to focus on the only thing he could control—getting stronger. Maybe, someday, somehow, he could travel between worlds and return to Earth.
He straightened and muttered, "System… show me my— I mean… Status Open."
[Status]
[Name: Orion_____ ]
[Race: Dragonkin]
[Title: Otherworlder]
[Rank: E → D]
[Class: Dragon Born (S-Rank)]
[Skills: Appraisal (B), Odorless (B), Flash Movement (B)]
[Physical and Magic Power:]
{Strength: 10 → 18}
{Stamina: 10 → 17}
{Agility: 6 → 15}
{Vitality: 11 → 20}
{Endurance: 22}
{Mana: 14}
{Astral Energy: 10}
"Hmm… good. Every stat other than magic increased significantly. Makes sense—my skills don't use much magic."
"Ohhh… another stat appeared. Must be from my new class." Orion was referring to Astral Energy, of course.
"System, give me a detailed explanation of the class." Orion was hopeful that the class would be as cool as it sounded.
[Dragonborn (S-Rank)]
A bloodline-based class exclusive to the highest rank of Dragonkin.
Host can improve this class to EX-Rank (unique to host).
Class-Granted Skills:
{Passives}
Draconic Vitality: Increases vitality growth. Rank can be improved. (D-Rank – improvable)
Draconic Strength: Increases strength growth. (D-Rank – locked)
Draconic Stamina: Increases stamina growth. (D-Rank – locked)
Draconic Instinct: Enhances combat instincts and reaction speed. (A-Rank – improvable)
{Active Skills}
Flame Pulse: Releases concentrated draconic heat from the user's body, igniting the air in a short radius and sending a shockwave outward.
Warning: High stamina and mana cost. (D-Rank – improvable)
Scale Manifestation: Hardens skin into draconic scales, boosting defense and striking power.
Warning: Causes fatigue while active. (B-Rank – locked)
{Unique Skill}
Dragon's Wrath: (Information sealed)
The host must reach S-Rank to unlock.
"Why are most of my class-based skills locked?"
[Due to forced awakening, the host class is damaged.]
"Of course it is… great."
"Can it be repaired?"
[Affirmative.]
[But the host currently lacks the necessary means to repair his class.]
"Sigh…" Orion expected as much. Well, I'll let future me handle it.
He shifted his attention. "System… right before I passed out, I think I heard a message from you… something about a dungeon… or something."
[Affirmative.]
"So, can you replay the exact message for me?"
[Affirmative.]
[Replying message: Congratulations, Host. You have completed the first level of the "???" Dungeon.]
"Yeah… just my luck," Orion muttered. He had hoped what he saw was a hallucination. "Trouble level went from 200 to 2000."
Orion's reaction wasn't extreme—he was slowly getting used to his situation.
"Well… can you tell me anything about the dungeon?"
[This version of the system has limited information. Host is advised to upgrade.]
"WAIT—upgrade the system? I can… fucking upgrade the system!?" Orion was shocked.
His eyes sparkled, practically drooling at the possibilities. If upgrading the system meant more information, he wanted it now. Finally, some good news.
"So what do I need to do to upgrade the system? Show me the requirements, damn it!"
[The host already met the requirements by clearing the first level of this dungeon.]
[Due to the host clearing the first level of a dungeon host had been granted a reward.]
[Reward: System Upgrade.]
"Wait a minute… will I get a reward every time I complete a level of a dungeon?"
[Host gets a reward each time Host accomplishes something better than the previous one.]
"Hmmm, that's good to hear." Orion's motivation surged.
"Anyway, … oh, and how long will it take… to upgrade… you?"
[Upgrade duration: 48 hours.]
[System cannot be contacted until the upgrade completes.]
"So… two whole days, huh?"
He felt a pang of loneliness. Although the system was a bit robotic, it was his only ally here. Well, gotta do what's necessary, he thought.
"System, start the upgrade process."
[Command received.]
[Preparing system upgrade.]
[Preparation complete.]
[Tutorial System → Complete System.]
"So it was just a tutorial system, huh? Well, that explains the limited info."
Then Orion started wondering what the upgraded system would be like—and what cool new features it would have.
"GROWL—"
Orion clutched his belly. Hunger hit him hard.
"Where the hell am I supposed to find food in this ancient place?"
He glanced at the slain monster. A crazy thought flickered in his mind.
"What am I even thinking? That's… disgusting. And who knows, it could be poisonous."
Yet, instinct took over. His body moved before his mind could catch up. He reached for the glowing red orb. Before he realized it, it was in his mouth—and he swallowed.
When his mind returned, horror washed over him.
He realized too late that he could have used Appraisal—after all, it worked on both living beings and objects.
But there was nothing he could do now. So, he waited for something to happen. But nothing happened. Instead, he felt stronger.
"It… actually worked. I'm not hungry anymore. And I feel… a little more powerful."
Then something clicked in his mind.
"Of course! It's a magic crystal that monsters drop when killed. I read about it so much in light novels… how could I not get what it was?" Orion slapped his head.
He now had a new way to get stronger.
But the hunger for real food lingered. He wanted real food, and he knew he had to leave this place and find civilization.
'I can't sit here waiting for the system. I need to train.'
He activated Flame Pulse and Scale Manifestation.
A blazing aura erupted around him like a living inferno. Draconic scales formed along his arms and torso. Mana drained rapidly.
He dashed through the chamber with Flash Movement, punching walls, sending stone flying. Each strike tore massive holes, smoke drifted lazily through the shattered room.
"Hmph." Orion grinned, chest heaving. Proud—but utterly exhausted.
He realized the chamber was too small for serious training. He needed to explore the dungeon.
Then he froze.
One of the holes he had punched revealed something beyond… and his eyes locked on it.
He stepped closer, peering through the gap, and whispered:
"What. The. Fuck."