The F-Rank Dungeon, "Goblin Caves," was located on the outskirts of Jaipur, near the rugged Aravalli hills. It was a popular spot for newbies. The monsters here were weak, dumb, and gave decent loot for beginners who were just starting their journey.
Aryan stood at the entrance gate, holding his fresh F-Rank License.
"Looking for a party? We need a Porter!"
A loud voice called out.
Aryan turned to see a group of four hunters. They looked like a typical low-rank party—messy armor, cheap weapons, and too much arrogance.
The leader was a bulky man with a giant axe.
"Hey, kid!" the leader shouted. "You look like a newbie. We need someone to carry our loot bags. 500 Credits and safety guaranteed. You in?"
Aryan scanned them.
[Analysis]
* Leader (Rocky): Level 14 (Fighter)
* Healer: Level 8
* Mage: Level 11
* Archer: Level 10
'Weak,' Aryan thought. 'But this is the perfect cover. Entering a dungeon alone as a Level 1 F-Rank (on paper) would raise red flags with the guards. Joining a party makes me invisible.'
Aryan put on his "scared newbie" face.
"Uhh, really? You promise you'll protect me?" he stammered, adjusting his heavy empty backpack.
Rocky laughed, slapping Aryan's back hard. "Don't worry, little guy! Team Rocky never leaves a man behind... unless you steal our loot. Hahaha! Come on, sign the contract."
Inside the Dungeon
The air inside the cave was damp and smelled of rotting meat and sulfur. The only light came from the glowing moss on the walls and the Mage's fireball.
SCREECH!
A green-skinned creature with a rusty dagger jumped from the shadows. A Goblin.
"Enemy!" Rocky shouted. "Formation!"
The fight was messy.
The Mage fired a firebolt that missed and hit the ceiling. The Archer panicked and tripped over a rock. Finally, Rocky swung his axe and chopped the Goblin's head off.
"Yeah! That's how we do it!" Rocky cheered, flexing his muscles. "Did you see that, porter?"
Aryan stood at the back, holding the bags. "W-Wow! You guys are so strong!" he praised them, while internally rolling his eyes.
'Inefficient. Too much wasted movement. I could have killed that goblin with a pebble.'
As they went deeper, Aryan's eyes weren't looking at the goblins. His [Dimension Vision] was active.
To the others, the cave was a dark, confusing maze. But to Aryan, the world was a grid of lines. He saw the mana flowing through the walls like veins. He saw the "flaws" in the rock.
He stopped walking. They were in a narrow corridor. To the left was the path to the Goblin King (the dungeon boss). To the right was a dead end—a solid stone wall.
Rocky and the others turned left. "Come on, nothing to see there."
But Aryan saw it.
To the naked eye, the wall was solid. But through his Dimension vision, reality was cracking. Behind that stone wall, massive amounts of purple energy were swirling, leaking out like water from a cracked dam.
'Found it.'
"Hey, Porter! Move it!" Rocky shouted from ahead. "Stop daydreaming!"
"Coming!" Aryan yelled back.
He needed to separate from them.
Suddenly, a screech echoed from the front. A horde of twenty goblins rushed towards the party.
"Ambush!" Rocky screamed, his face turning pale. "There's too many! Healer, shield me!"
Chaos erupted. The party was overwhelmed.
"Perfect," Aryan whispered.
While "Team Rocky" was busy fighting for their lives, Aryan took a step back into the shadows.
[Skill: Void Step]
ZAP.
He vanished from their sight.
He reappeared instantly in front of the "dead end" stone wall. The sounds of battle faded behind him. He was alone.
He placed his hand on the cold rock.
"Normal hunters would need high-grade explosives to break this," Aryan muttered, coating his fingers in dark energy. "But I just need to open the door."
[Attribute: Space Severing]
He traced a large rectangle on the stone wall with his finger.
CRACK.
The stone didn't crumble; it simply fell forward as if it had been laser-cut, revealing a dark, swirling portal behind it.
[System Warning]
[You are entering a Hidden Zone.]
[Difficulty: Unknown]
[Recommended Level: 40+]
Aryan smirked. "Level 40? Finally... some real food."
He stepped through the portal.
The stone block floated back into place behind him, sealing the entrance.
The Hidden Floor
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The smell of rot was gone, replaced by the scent of ozone and ancient dust. The cave here wasn't made of natural rock; it was built from black bricks, like an ancient temple. Blue torches lit up automatically as he walked down the corridor.
Click. Clack.
The sound of bones rattling echoed in the hall.
Aryan stopped. He opened his Inventory.
A black ripple appeared in the air, and he pulled out the massive, 6-foot scythe.
Vedna hummed in his hands. The purple veins on the blade pulsed, sensing the strong enemies ahead.
From the darkness, figures emerged.
They weren't weak goblins.
They were skeletons standing seven feet tall. They wore rusted iron armor and held glowing blue broadswords.
[Monster Identified: Elite Skeleton Knight]
[Rank: D]
[Level: 25]
There were ten of them.
For a normal Level 11 Hunter, this was suicide. A Level 25 monster was leagues above them.
But Aryan didn't flinch. He spun the scythe in his hand.
"Level 25..." Aryan whispered, a cold smile forming on his face. "You guys look like walking EXP bags."
The Skeleton Knights charged.
Aryan vanished.
[Void Step]
He appeared in the middle of the group.
"Reap."
SWISH!
A horizontal slash of black energy cut through the air.
The skeletons tried to block with their swords.
It was useless.
Vedna's [Space Severing] attribute ignored physical defense. The black blade passed through their swords, their armor, and their spines without slowing down.
Clatter. Clatter.
Five skeletons fell apart instantly, their soul flames extinguished.
[EXP +450]
[EXP +450]
The remaining five hesitated. Even the undead felt fear in front of the Void.
"Next?" Aryan challenged.
He moved like a phantom. A dodge, a slash, a step. Every movement was calculated. Every strike was fatal.
Within seconds, the hall was silent again. Just a pile of bones remained.
Suddenly, a notification chime rang out.
[You have defeated 10 Elite Skeleton Knights.]
[Experience Limit Breached!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 13]
Aryan panted slightly, feeling the rush of power.
As the skeletons dissolved, dark essence floated from their bones and rushed into Aryan's chest.
[Passive Skill: Gluttony Activated]
[Consuming Essence...]
[Target Analysis: High Strength / High Vitality]
[Stats Acquired:]
* Strength: +4
* Vitality: +3
Aryan clenched his fist, feeling his muscles densify. "So Gluttony gives me stats based on what I kill. Physical monsters give physical stats."
He opened his Status Window.
[Status Window]
* Name: Aryan
* Level: 13
* Strength: 45 (Boosted by Gluttony)
* Agility: 45 (Boosted by previous points)
* Intelligence: 39
* Vitality: 41
* Free Attribute Points: 10
He remembered Instructor Bhaskar's words from the exam. "Your class is defined by your Build."
Most hunters dumped points into one stat to specialize. Mages wanted Intelligence; Fighters wanted Strength.
Aryan looked at his uneven stats. Intelligence and Vitality were lagging behind.
"The Void isn't about one thing," Aryan whispered. "It's about everything. If I want to become a Singularity... I need to be perfect."
He made a decision. He wouldn't specialize. He would balance.
He tapped the screen.
[Allocating Points...]
* Intelligence: +6
* Vitality: +4
[Final Status]
* Strength: 45
* Agility: 45
* Intelligence: 45
* Vitality: 45
"Perfect balance," Aryan smiled. "Now I am ready for anything."
ROAAAAAR!
A deep, guttural roar shook the entire temple. Dust fell from the ceiling.
From the depths of the hall, a massive shadow began to rise. Something much bigger than a skeleton.
Aryan gripped Vedna tighter.
"Looks like the landlord is home."