Jon ventured deeper into the dungeon, room by room, silently and efficiently taking down every skeleton that crossed his path. Each of them fell the same way—quick stab through the skull, bones scattered, no time wasted. Eight kills later, he paused in the silence that followed, his breathing calm, his hands steady.
[You have advanced to Level 3!]
[XP: 75/200]
[ Name: Jon
Race: Goblin
Level: 3
XP: 75/200
HP: 16/16
MP: 0/0
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 6
Agility: 10
Bonus Points: 10
Abilities: None ]
The dungeon around him seemed to hold its breath. Dust floated through stagnant air, broken only by Jon's cautious steps echoing off the stone.
At the end of a dark corridor, half-hidden by shadow and overgrown vines, loomed a heavy iron door covered in strange markings—scratches, runes, old claw marks that hadn't rusted with time. It radiated pressure.
He didn't need the system to tell him what was on the other side.
"A boss room," Jon muttered. "That's gotta be it."
He glanced at his health. Perfect. Not a single scratch. All those skeletons had gone down without laying a hand on him.
"If they couldn't touch me, the boss should be easy too. But before I go in... I should use the bonus points."
Without hesitation, he opened the system menu and assigned the points.
[ Name: Jon
Race: Goblin
Level: 3
XP: 75/200
HP: 20/20
MP: 0/0
Strength: 11
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 6
Agility: 15
Bonus Points: 0
Abilities: None ]
"Agility is the way to the goal," he said to himself, feeling his limbs grow lighter, faster. His muscles twitched with potential energy, his senses sharpening.
As he approached the door, a red system window appeared in mid-air, hovering ominously.
[Choose boss difficulty]
[[EASY] [MEDIUM] [HARD] [IMPOSSIBLE] [HELL]]
[The rewards of the boss will be adjusted for difficulty, level, and—]
Jon's eye twitched.
[—in your case, *size*.]
He froze.
"Size? The hell is that supposed to mean..."
A chill ran down his spine.
"Don't tell me this damn system has a goddess feeding it information…"
He glanced around warily, half-expecting a divine voice to mock him.
"No, no, there's no way she's watching me. If she was, I'd be getting roasted nonstop. This has to be AI. Some smart-ass system with personality."
The window remained.
Jon stared at the five options. He stood there in silence for almost five minutes, jaw clenched, thoughts spiraling between paranoia and overconfidence.
Then—click.
[HELL]
[Are you sure you want to choose the HELL difficulty?]
[[Yes] [No]]
He slammed his finger against *Yes* without hesitation.
The world shifted.
In an instant, the dungeon around him vanished. No transition. No warning. One blink—and he was elsewhere.
He stood inside a massive stone chamber, dimly lit by green torches stuck in skull-shaped holders. The air was hot, thick, unnatural. Sulfur burned his nose. Magic hummed around him like static.
And in front of him... it stood.
A towering demon, nearly two meters tall, green skin like rotting moss stretched tight over bulging muscles. Two thick black horns curled out from its head, each one etched with runes that pulsed faintly. Its red eyes locked on Jon with disdain, and the air grew heavier just from its presence.
Jon's eyes widened slightly.
"Yup. Demon. Makes sense."
He whispered a command under his breath.
Analysis.
[Green Baron of Hell | Level: ???]
No number. No details. Just a wall of uncertainty.
"Well... maybe I should've thought that decision through."
Then the demon moved.
It didn't raise a weapon. It didn't roar. It simply stepped forward, each movement silent and deliberate. Then it spoke—its voice like cracked stone dragged across steel, layered with something old and ghostly.
"How could some weak goblin summon me?"
Jon's body screamed at him to run, but his mind snapped into motion. His only chance was bluffing. He straightened up, forced his heartbeat to slow.
"I've come to make a contract with you," he said, voice calm, clear, confident.
The chamber fell silent.
The demon tilted its head, gaze sharpening.
And Jon waited—for the demon's answer, or for death.