Rantaro stepped into the ruins, the eerie atmosphere setting his nerves on edge. The walls around him were damp and narrow, and the air was thick with the scent of decay. As he walked deeper, a floating screen appeared before him, offering him a choice of weapons: Sword, Dagger, Hammer, Magic Book, or Staff.
"Hmm... which suits me best?" he muttered, considering his options. After a moment, he made his choice. "I'll pick the sword."
[Congratulations!]
[You have received an E-rank weapon. Would you like to unstore it?]
"Yes," he replied quickly, his heart beating faster with each passing second.
With a soft flash, a grey sword appeared in his hand. It was plain, simple—a far cry from the gleaming weapons he'd seen in his dreams. He inspected it, still uncertain, when suddenly, a giant spider monster attacked, claws slashing through the air.
The spider's strike landed with a sickening thud, tearing into his side. Rantaro grunted in pain but managed to dodge the next attack, only to find that his sword barely left a scratch on the creature. His hands shook, his breath ragged as the spider lunged again. It was relentless.
Each attack hit harder than the last. Rantaro's vision blurred from the pain, his movements sluggish. He couldn't outrun it—he had to fight. Desperation surged through him, and he spotted the spider's gleaming, bulbous eyes.
With everything he had, he thrust his sword forward, aiming for the eye. The blade slid deep into the creature's skull, pushing through to the back of its head. The spider screeched and collapsed, its massive body crumpling lifeless to the floor.
[Level Up! Level Up!]
[You have received 6 stat points.]
Rantaro's injuries began to heal, the pain fading as quickly as it had come. He stared in awe at his unscathed body. "What?! My injuries are healed!" he exclaimed, barely believing his own eyes.
[Host, here are your current stats:]
Strength: 8
Speed: 13
Intelligence: 18
Skill: None
Class: None
Rank: E
Aura: None
Stat Points: 6
"Level Up?" Rantaro muttered. "And why do I feel stronger? What is a stat point?"
[Host, do you want to allocate your stat points?]
"Okay... let's see what happens. Yes!"
[Please choose where to add and how many points.]
After a moment of thought, he added 4 points to Strength and 2 to Speed. Immediately, he felt an overwhelming surge of power. His body seemed to hum with energy.
"Alright! I get it now! I understand how this works!" he grinned, now feeling ready to take on whatever the ruins threw at him.
He ventured deeper, encountering more spiders. With his newfound strength, he dispatched them with ease, killing one with just two swift slashes.
---
Hours passed.
[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
Rantaro gritted his teeth as he fought. The monsters kept coming, and with every kill, his power grew. He had learned quickly that stronger enemies granted more experience, while weaker ones gave less.
[Host, your current stats:]
Strength: 17
Speed: 22
Intelligence: 28
Skill: None
Class: None
Rank: E
Aura: None
Level: 11
Stat Points: 27
Just then, a spider dropped from above, its fangs glistening. Without hesitation, Rantaro slashed through it in a single stroke. But before he could catch his breath, a pack of wolves emerged, their eyes locked on him.
They had been hunting the spider and were furious at him for killing it. The wolves howled, their ferocity in their eyes as they charged.
He braced himself. As the first wolf lunged, he cleaved it in two.
[Level Up!]
But the remaining wolves weren't done. They attacked in a frenzied blur, moving too quickly for Rantaro to properly defend himself. Blow after blow hit him, each strike pushing him closer to death. He could feel his consciousness slipping away.
Suddenly, the world around him shifted. He found himself in a dark, subconscious space, a cold presence looming before him.
"Hey, brat," a voice growled. "Accept a small portion of my power, or we both die here."
Rantaro's heart raced. "Who... Who are you?!" he demanded, his voice shaking. "Stop releasing that aura—it's killing me faster than the wolves!"
The demon withdrew slightly, his presence still heavy. "You're too weak to understand. Just accept what I'm giving you, or it's over."
Before Rantaro could respond, the world around him shifted again. He was back in the ruins, his sword in hand.
With a roar, he swung the blade with all his strength. The wolves didn't stand a chance. They were cut down in an instant, their bodies cleaved in half. The rocks beneath his feet shattered as the power of his slash tore through the air.
But just as quickly, the power vanished. His sword broke into dust.
---
[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
[Congratulations, Host! You are now Level 20.]
[You can now access the System Shop.]
Rantaro stared at the message in disbelief. "What the hell was that?!" he muttered, taking a deep breath. "System, open the shop!"
The shop appeared before him.
Weapons:
E-rank Sword
D-rank Sword
...
Demon Divine Blade
Armor:
E-rank Armor
D-rank Armor
...
"Wait, Demon Divine Blade?!" he exclaimed. "System, I want to buy that!"
[Error: Not enough coins.]
"Argh! What's my current balance?"
[Balance: 1,000 system coins.]
"And how much is the Demon Divine Blade?"
[Price: 10,000 coins.]
"Ughhh! I'm broke!" he grumbled, throwing his hands up. "Alright, what can I afford?"
The options were displayed:
E-rank Sword – 500 coins
D-rank Sword – 1,000 coins
"No, too weak," he muttered. "System, how do I earn more coins?"
[You can sell monster parts or full monster bodies.]
"Okay, sell everything I have!" he said.
[Congratulations! You sold the monster bodies. Your balance is now 3,000 coins.]
"Alright! Show me swords within my budget."
He found one:
C-rank Sword – 3,000 coins
"I'll buy that!" he declared.
[Congratulations! You have successfully purchased the C-rank Sword.]
[Unstore it!]
The sword appeared in his hand. It was heavier, sharper—everything he needed.
"Whoa! This feels so much better," he said, smiling.
"System, teleport me home!" he ordered.
[Error: You must kill at least 300 monsters. Current kills: 250. You need 50 more.]
"Seriously? Fine," he muttered, annoyed.
---
A while later...
[Level Up! Level Up!]
[System: Teleporting you to your home.]
Rantaro sighed in relief. "Whew! That was tiring..." He checked the time. "Still 9 PM? Maybe time doesn't flow the same in the System's world..."
He sank into a chair, his exhaustion catching up with him.
"What is this System? How can it be so powerful?" he thought, but his tiredness clouded his mind.
"Anyway, time to use my stat points."
"System! Show me my status window!"
[Current Status:]
Strength: 29
Speed: 25
Intelligence: 40
Skill: None
Class: None
Rank: D
Aura: None
Stat Points: 63
Level: 22
"What?! I'm Rank D now! So my rank increases the more I level up…" He paused, a hint of realization dawning on him. "Now I get it. A little."
But he was too tired to think any further.
"I'll think about everything tomorrow," he muttered, collapsing into bed.
And with that, Rantaro drifted into a deep, exhausted sleep.
---
The end of the chapter!