Chapter 7:
Yuki was still getting used to mornings in the Loki Familia manor.
They were loud.
Someone was always arguing. Someone else was always training. Steel clashed before breakfast, and laughter followed just as often as curses. It felt alive in a way the lower districts never had.
Yuki finished tightening the wraps on his hands when the system spoke.
Not loud.
Close.
[New Mission Issued: Two-Step Mission]
He paused, already alert.
Step One
Objective:
• Kill 35 Goblins
Step Two
Objective:
• Kill 15 Monsters on the Second Floor
Reward (Upon Full Completion):
• Eight Gates Formation – First Gate
Yuki's fingers slowly curled into fists.
"…The Eight Gates."
That wasn't ninjutsu. It wasn't elemental.
It was pure body enhancement. Dangerous. Self-destructive if misused.
And exactly the kind of power the system would give now.
"Not yet," Yuki muttered. "Only the first gate… so control comes first."
He stood, grabbed his dagger, and left before anyone could drag him into group training.
First Floor – Goblin Territory
The Dungeon greeted him with damp stone and the familiar smell of blood.
Yuki moved smoothly through the tunnels, body low, steps light. He didn't rush. He never rushed.
A goblin screeched as it spotted him.
Too late.
Yuki flickered forward, palm striking its chest. The creature spasmed, eyes wide, then collapsed as its body dissolved.
"One."
Two more rushed him from the side.
Yuki twisted, earth rising just enough to trip one while the other swung wildly. A shadow clone appeared behind it, taking the blade. Yuki stepped in and crushed the goblin's throat with a clean strike.
Smoke filled the tunnel.
"Three."
The fighting didn't stop.
Goblins came in groups. From cracks in walls. From above broken pillars. From behind.
Yuki burned them when needed. Used wind to redirect attacks. Water bullets when positioning mattered.
But more often than not, he fought close.
Hyuga taijutsu was brutal in tight spaces.
A strike to the shoulder ruined an arm.
A palm to the ribs stole breath.
A precise hit to the neck ended it.
By the time he reached thirty-five, his arms trembled and his breathing was heavy.
Blood dripped from a shallow cut on his thigh.
Yuki leaned against the wall, chest rising and falling.
[Step One Completed.]
He didn't smile.
He drank water, wrapped his leg tighter, and stood.
"…Not done yet."
Second Floor – The Difference Is Immediate
The air changed the moment Yuki descended.
Darker. Thicker. The tunnels narrower. The monsters stronger.
The first one he encountered wasn't a goblin.
It was a kobold.
Faster. Smarter.
It lunged.
Yuki barely blocked, sparks flying as dagger met claw. He slid back, feet skidding on stone.
"Yeah," he muttered. "This is different."
The fight was messy.
The kobold fought like it wanted to live.
Yuki used wind to unbalance it, then drove a palm strike into its chest. It howled, staggered, and collapsed after a follow-up blow.
One down.
The next few monsters came fast.
Kobolds. Giant bats. A killer ant that nearly bit through his boot.
Yuki started feeling it.
Fatigue crept into his muscles. Chakra flow slowed. His movements lost their sharp edge.
A bat slammed into his chest and knocked him into the wall.
Pain exploded through his back.
Yuki coughed, vision blurring.
"Focus," he growled, forcing himself up.
He activated the Byakugan for just a moment.
Movement. Three enemies. One behind.
A body flicker saved him from a killing blow.
Fire scorched the tunnel. Stone cracked. Smoke filled the air.
When the fifteenth monster finally dissolved, Yuki dropped to one knee.
Sweat dripped from his chin. His arms shook uncontrollably.
[Step Two Completed.]
The Gate Opens
The reward didn't wait.
Yuki screamed.
It felt like his body was tearing itself open from the inside. Something unlocked. A pressure valve released.
Muscles tightened. Blood roared in his ears. His heartbeat thundered.
Knowledge slammed into him.
Limits.
Restraints.
The Gate of Opening.
[Eight Gates Formation – First Gate Unlocked.]
Yuki clenched his fists as power surged through his body.
Strength multiplied. Speed sharpened. Pain dulled.
Too much.
He forced himself to breathe. Slowly. Carefully.
"…Deactivate," he gasped.
The sensation faded just as quickly, leaving behind exhaustion and burning muscles.
Yuki collapsed onto his back, staring at the Dungeon ceiling.
"…That's not something I can use casually."
But even now, his body felt different.
Stronger.
More responsive.
After
Yuki exited the Dungeon hours later, limping slightly but alive.
Some adventurers glanced at him.
A few nodded.
One muttered, "Loki Familia kid… tough one."
Yuki didn't respond.
That night, alone in his room, he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at his hands.
The Eight Gates were dangerous.
But they were honest.
No tricks. No deception.
Just the body pushed beyond what it was meant to handle.
Yuki closed his eyes.
"I'll only open it when I have to," he said quietly.
Outside, Orario slept.
And deep beneath it, the Dungeon waited.
Yuki was no longer just surviving it.
He was beginning to endure it.