Chapter 10 – The First Dungeon
Morning came with a cold wind.
Ronan stood in front of the city gate with a small leather pouch tied to his belt. Inside were his remaining coins, a few basic supplies, and the goblin dagger he had been using for days.
But today was different.
Today, he wasn't going to the forest.
Today, he was going to a dungeon.
In front of the gate, a crowd had gathered. Adventurers, hunters, mercenaries—people from all walks of life.
Everyone was here for the same reason.
The newly opened dungeon.
Two armored guards stood beside a stone archway. Behind them, the air twisted unnaturally, forming a swirling dark portal.
Ronan stared at it.
That was the entrance.
He had heard stories about dungeons before. Strange spaces filled with monsters, treasures, and danger.
But this would be his first time entering one.
A guard shouted loudly.
"Entry fee! One gold coin!"
One by one, adventurers stepped forward and paid.
Some looked confident.
Others looked nervous.
Ronan quietly stood in line.
Last night, he had made a decision.
He sold almost everything he owned.
The extra dagger.
His spare clothes.
Even the small silver ring he once carried for luck.
It barely gave him enough.
When his turn came, Ronan placed a single gold coin into the guard's hand.
The guard looked at him briefly.
"First time?"
Ronan nodded.
The guard shrugged.
"Stay alive."
Then he stepped aside.
"Next!"
Ronan took a slow breath.
The portal rippled like water.
He stepped forward.
And walked through.
---
The world twisted.
For a moment, Ronan felt weightless.
Then—
He landed on solid ground.
A dim cavern stretched in front of him.
Cold air filled the underground tunnel. Moss glowed faintly along the rocky walls, giving the dungeon a pale green light.
Ronan immediately became alert.
This place felt different from the forest.
Quieter.
But also… more dangerous.
He slowly walked forward.
His footsteps echoed softly.
Then—
A sound.
"Grrrk!"
Two goblins jumped out from behind a rock.
They were slightly larger than the ones in the forest. Their skin looked darker, and they carried crude bone weapons.
Ronan's grip tightened around his dagger.
The goblins charged.
One swung wildly.
Ronan stepped back and dodged.
His increased agility made the movement smooth and precise.
He slashed forward.
Slash!
The first goblin fell.
The second goblin lunged at him.
Ronan ducked and stabbed upward.
Thud.
The goblin collapsed beside the first.
---
A familiar blue screen appeared.
[Goblin defeated]
EXP +15
[Goblin defeated]
EXP +15
---
Ronan crouched down and quickly collected the goblin hearts.
But this time something else appeared.
A faint shimmer.
He picked up a small object from the ground.
A piece of rough leather armor.
The system activated.
---
[Item Identified]
Goblin Leather Guard (Common)
Bonus:
+1 Defense
---
Ronan nodded slightly.
"Not bad."
He tied the leather guard around his forearm.
It wasn't amazing.
But any bonus mattered.
Especially inside a dungeon.
---
He continued deeper into the cave.
The tunnels twisted like a maze.
Sometimes he encountered single goblins.
Sometimes two or three at once.
But Ronan fought carefully.
His agility ring helped him move faster than the goblins expected.
Slash.
Dodge.
Counter.
One by one, the monsters fell.
After an hour of fighting—
Another notification appeared.
---
[Level Up]
---
Ronan felt energy surge through his body.
He quickly opened his status screen.
Name: Ronan
Level: 5
Strength: 10
Agility: 14
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 7
---
Ronan smiled.
"Level 5 already."
But he didn't relax.
Dungeons had something forests didn't.
Boss monsters.
And usually…
The deeper you went…
The stronger they became.
---
After walking through another tunnel, Ronan suddenly stopped.
The path opened into a large underground chamber.
Broken bones covered the ground.
Old weapons were scattered everywhere.
And in the center of the room—
A massive goblin sat on a crude stone throne.
It was nearly twice the size of a normal goblin.
Its muscles were thick.
Its eyes glowed red.
And in its hand was a heavy iron club.
Ronan immediately understood.
"Boss…"
---
The creature slowly stood up.
It sniffed the air.
Then its red eyes locked onto Ronan.
"GRRRAAAH!"
The goblin boss roared and charged.
The ground shook with every step.
Ronan dashed to the side.
The iron club smashed into the ground.
BOOM
Dust exploded into the air.
Ronan attacked the monster's side.
His dagger struck the creature's arm.
But—
The blade barely cut through the thick skin.
Ronan's expression tightened.
"Too tough."
The boss swung again.
Ronan jumped backward.
The club narrowly missed him.
If that hit directly…
It would be over.
Ronan forced himself to stay calm.
"Think."
The monster was powerful.
But it was also slow.
Ronan waited.
The boss charged again.
This time Ronan didn't dodge immediately.
He waited until the last moment.
Then he moved.
The club smashed into the ground.
Ronan dashed forward.
Straight toward the monster's chest.
He climbed onto the creature's arm.
The boss roared in confusion.
Ronan jumped upward.
And drove his dagger into the monster's neck.
STAB
The boss screamed.
It grabbed Ronan and threw him away.
Ronan rolled across the ground.
Pain shot through his shoulder.
But he forced himself to stand.
The boss staggered.
Dark blood poured from its neck.
Ronan didn't waste the chance.
He sprinted forward.
One final strike.
The dagger pierced deep.
The boss collapsed.
The entire chamber became silent.
---
Then the system appeared.
---
[Goblin Boss Defeated]
EXP +120
Level Up
---
But that wasn't all.
Bright lights appeared on the ground.
Three drops.
Ronan's eyes widened.
"Three…?"
Boss monsters rarely dropped this much.
He quickly picked up the items.
The first was a small crystal.
---
[Item Identified]
Minor Energy Crystal
Used for crafting and enchantment.
---
The second item was a pair of gloves.
---
[Item Identified]
Goblin Hunter Gloves (Rare)
Bonus:
+2 Strength
+1 Agility
---
Ronan's heart raced.
"Rare equipment…"
He immediately wore them.
Power surged through his hands.
But the third item shocked him even more.
It was a silver ring.
Simple.
But beautiful.
The system screen appeared again.
---
[Item Identified]
Storage Ring (Rare)
Space Capacity: 3 cubic meters
---
Ronan froze.
Then slowly smiled.
"Unbelievable…"
He had been saving money for a storage ring.
And now…
One dropped from the boss.
For free.
He slipped the ring onto his finger.
A strange connection formed instantly.
Ronan focused.
The goblin hearts he collected suddenly disappeared from his pouch.
They appeared inside the ring's storage space.
Ronan laughed quietly.
"This changes everything."
Now he could carry far more materials.
More loot.
More monster parts.
Which meant—
More money.
More power.
Ronan looked around the boss chamber one last time.
Then he turned toward the exit tunnel.
Today had only been his first dungeon.
But it had already changed his future.
As he walked away, the system quietly displayed another message.
---
[New Title Unlocked]
Dungeon Beginner
Effect:
+5% Drop Rate inside dungeons
---
Ronan stopped walking.
His eyes slowly widened.
Then he grinned.
"Looks like…"
"I'll be visiting a lot more dungeons."