"I am ready. I will finally leave this place… I think I'm ready."
Dorian announced loudly as if to pump himself up. He stood near the exit of his dungeon, facing the large warp gate he had crafted. It was a magical construct, designed to link his domain to the outside world while also serving as a line of defense. He'd equipped it with various protective arrays—traps, arrows, magical cannons, and spears that would strike down any who entered without permission.
He focused on the portal. It began to swirl, twisting space until the connection stabilized. Two large doors took form at the center.
This was it.
Dorian took a deep breath and stepped forward, ready to see the world beyond—and to learn how others perceived the dungeon Gregory had created before his arrival. Until now, only Gregory had seen its exterior. This would be Dorian's first look.
As the doors opened, sunlight poured in. It was a bright, cloudless day—too bright for someone who had spent what felt like years in darkness. It had only been a week, but that time had been packed with training, creation, and preparation. Now it was time to hunt, to gather the souls of monsters and begin populating his dungeon with creatures of his own design.
What he needed most were souls—powerful ones, if possible. The stronger the soul, the greater the potential for what he could create.
He took twenty steps before pausing to look back.
What he saw stunned him.
His dungeon appeared as a towering mountain, crowned by the fossilized head of a dragon with two massive horns that curved outward. Its gaping maw looked capable of swallowing a man—or two—whole. The rest of the beast's body was encased within the mountain's form, spiraling downward with great wings, a thick tail, and a curved column that resembled a massive staircase. This spiraling descent ended at a clearing far below, where visitors would first set foot before ascending toward the gate.
The beast must have been over a hundred meters long, making the journey upward a slow and arduous climb.
For Dorian, it was inconvenient. He had yet to develop a spell to fly or teleport. He would need to craft one soon; descending this path every time would be frustrating.
With no other option or time to create what he needed, he began his descent down the winding staircase, walking alongside the dragon's fossilized form. He couldn't shake the thought that this creature was the reason his dungeon brimmed with mana. It had likely been a powerful being—perhaps even a deity—before Gregory slew it and built the dungeon with its remains.
Even the mountain itself felt too perfectly shaped to be natural, a typical creation of the strongest and oldest dungeon master.
Dorian decided to leave further exploration of his dungeon for later. His goal today lay in the forests beyond.
According to the "Tomb of Power"—which Dorian had shortened to "TOP" for convenience (much to the book's annoyance)—the surrounding woods were rich in monsters. The book had provided detailed maps and creature lists, even down to the number of steps required to reach each hunting ground. Dorian was impressed, even if the book remained as sarcastic and rude as ever.
He followed the instructions to the letter. Two hundred and nineteen steps straight ahead. Then west, another one hundred and forty-six steps.
It brought him to the edge of a clearing.
There, his first targets awaited.
Goblins.
More than thirty of them milled about. Each stood around a meter tall, with large pointed ears, oversized eyes, small noses, and mottled green or gray skin. Their appearance was feral, and made worse by the fact that they wore nothing. It was an unpleasant sight.
Dorian didn't wait long. He slid into a shadowy overhang, crouching behind a thicket of trees as he observed the group while invisible.
"Too many for a bow… too many for the dagger… guess the swords will have to do," he muttered.
He drew his twin blades slowly and tapped the jeweled earring in his left ear. It was an enchanted item he had created using information from the book. Its purpose was simple—scan enemies, gather data.
A faint glow lit up from the earring as it pulsed to life. Moments later, a small display formed over his eye—magic text and symbols overlaying his vision, analyzing the creatures before him.
He stayed quiet, eyes narrowed, as he waited for the results.
╔═══════════════ Status Window ═══════════════╗
[Species: Forest Goblin]Type: Lesser Humanoid Monster / Rank: F / Level: 7HP: 86 / 86 / MP: 12 / 12Strength: 9 / Agility: 14 / Endurance: 10 / Intelligence: 6 / Perception: 7 / Charm: -10Soul Quality: D-Threat Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Traits:• Pack Instinct – Gains minor boosts to Agility and Perception when near other goblins.• Low-Light Vision – Can see clearly in dim or dark environments.• Opportunist – Targets distracted or isolated enemies.
Known Behavior: Goblins prefer ambush tactics. Though weak individually, they compensate with sheer numbers and erratic movements. Forest goblins are especially territorial and will defend their nest grounds aggressively.
Combat Assessment: Unorganized, lightly armed. Low threat in one-on-one combat. Dangerous when in groups or if led by a higher-ranked variant (e.g., Goblin Brute or Shaman).
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Dorian jumped out from the shadows—he wasn't about to be scared off by a pack of F-rank creatures. He had a time limit. TOP had calculated exactly how long each target should take to eliminate, factoring in Dorian's current strengths and weaknesses.
This would be the perfect test to see whether the book had been lying or not.
The first goblin stood with its back turned. Dorian lunged forward, blades drawn, and cleanly sliced off its head in one motion.
And then, the real plan began.
As the blood sprayed, a ring on his finger flared with red light. It was an enchanted Berserker Ring, designed to trigger upon witnessing bloodshed.
He knew himself best and also knew that he was bound to stop and get emotional after his first kill, so he planned ahead.
His mana surged wildly, coursing through his veins like liquid fire. The sensation was overwhelming—an adrenaline rush magnified threefold.
His mind sharpened. Emotions dulled. A ravenous thirst for combat overtook him.
He became a storm.
Two more goblins fell before they could scream. Then a third. A sixth. By the time he struck down the tenth, the clearing was in chaos. The goblins, caught off guard, scrambled in confusion and fear—most didn't even know which way to run.
One tried to fight back. It didn't last a second.
Four minutes and twenty seconds later, it was over.
Dorian stood amid the carnage, breathing heavily, blood slick on his blades. He double-tapped the Berserker Ring to deactivate the effect. Mana slowed. The rush faded.
On his right wrist, a bracelet began to glow softly—its enchantment activating as it absorbed the souls of the fallen. All thirty-two goblins had been claimed.
Two of the soul fragments pulsed faintly, different from the rest.
"Hmm… these two were mages? Weak ones, to weak in fact to know that they were mages…"
"But… overall it was a good first haul," Dorian muttered, half to himself.
From his earring, TOP materialized in digital form. Text flickered across his vision, followed by a sarcastic scoff.
[Just as calculated. Not like you couldn't handle it. However… you're now twenty seconds behind. I didn't account for you missing four slashes like a drunk cyclops. If you want to stay on schedule, kill the next target faster.]
Dorian rolled his eyes. "I just killed thirty-two goblins."
[And I just did thirty-two calculations of your next four steps. Now move.]
Without being able to say more, Dorian rushed to his next destination, he felt a little stronger; he felt he had gained strength. If monsters had levels, then why wouldn't he?
He concentrated on his own status page as he moved forward; he wanted to know just how much he would advance by the end of the day.
╔═══════════════ Status Window ═══════════════╗
[Name: Dorian Solvain]
Title: Dungeon Master (Newborn) / Rank: E+ / Level: 12
HP: 260 / 260 / MP: 480 / 480 (When near 250 Meters from dungeon Dungeon +59,516)
Strength: 21 / Agility: 18 / Endurance: 24 / Intelligence: 39 / Perception: 26 / Charm: 8
Soul Quality: S+
Threat Rating: ★★★☆☆
Traits:
- Dungeon Core Link – Restores MP faster while inside his dungeon.
- Mana Assimilation – Absorbs ambient mana to fuel magic or item creation.
- Soul-Bound Vitality – Can survive critical damage as long as his core remains intact.
- Emotion-Fueled Casting – Emotional intensity boosts spell efficiency and power.
Active Equipment:
- Berserker Ring (Tier D) – Activates on blood contact; increases speed and aggression.
- Soulcatcher Bracelet (Tier D+) – Absorbs slain enemy souls for dungeon use.
- TOP – Sentient guidebook; calculates strategy, tracks targets, and insults user regularly.
- Whispering Edge Left (Tier B+) – Flowcut: Enhances fluidity and unpredictability of slashes; blade partially obscures in motion. / Shadow Echo: Creates a phantom strike after a successful hit for bonus accuracy.
- Whispering Edge Right (Tier B+) – Parry Pulse: Increases block success against both physical and magical attacks. / Dual Fang: Boosts agility and coordination when used with its twin.
-Shadowveil Raiment (Tier A+) – Shadowmeld: Grants partial invisibility when near shadows. / Silent Step: Nullifies movement noise. / Tenebrous Weave: Provides moderate resistance to physical and magical damage, especially light-based.
Combat Assessment:
Emotionally reactive combatant with unpredictable scaling. Gains rapid momentum in extended battles. Strategic use of equipment and magic compensates for a lack of formal training.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════╝