The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Michael was taking a lovely stroll through the local park. He had finally gotten his promotion at work, and he had also recently just moved into a brand new apartment in a much better area of the city.
So his mood was great. Everything felt like it was going right for once. Nothing could ever ruin this—
*ding!*
[Beginning Integration...]
A resounding ding echoed, followed by a flashing blue box, grounding Michael to a sudden halt. Rubbing his eyes, he took a second glance at this seemingly magical computer screen that was floating before him.
Am I hallucinating? he wondered to himself.
As a teen, he used to suffer from minor auditory hallucinations whenever he was experiencing sleep paralysis. But now that he was far from that stressful home environment and living on his own as an adult— albeit a relatively young one at twenty— he no longer suffered from that.
Besides, he had never once experienced any actual visual hallucinations before. So he couldn’t have been going crazy.
“Is anyone else seeing this?” he asked as he swept his gaze over his surroundings.
But as he looked around the park, Michael realized that he was alone.
It was too early in the morning for most folks to be trekking through this section of the park. At most, the occasional jogger would be passing the area by. But right now, Michael wasn’t so lucky to have run into them.
“Maybe I just haven’t been getting enough sleep—” Michael started.
But then another loud ding interrupted him, followed by a series of multiple blue boxes which replaced the first.
*ding!*
[Connecting System…]
*ding!*
[Terraforming Terrain…]
*ding!*
[Disabling Technology…]
Michael just read each and every one of the blue boxes in disbelief, trying to comprehend what they meant. But it was the last of the series of blue boxes which caused him to pause.
“Disabling technology?” He blinked a few times.
Pulling out his phone, he clicked its side button and stared at his home screen. Everything seemed to be working just fine. He saw his background wallpaper. It was a picture of him and his childhood dog. Really, spending time with her was the only thing that ever made him happy as a kid. And seeing that picture always reminded him of the good times, especially when times were tough—
All of a sudden, his phone screen flickered, turning black.
Michael’s brows snapped together when this happened. He smacked the back of his phone and tried to turn it back on.
“You can’t be serious, right? What the fuck is going—” he started.
And another blue box flashed before him.
*ding!*
[Creating Dungeons…]
This time, Michael paused to read it multiple times, mostly because he didn’t quite understand what it meant.
“Do you mean like BDSM dungeons? Or are you talking about like video game dungeons full of monsters?” Michael asked, not expecting an answer.
In response, the ground rumbled all around him. The pavement cracked open as Michael stumbled back. He looked around in a panic as his thoughts raced.
Earthquake? No… it’s…
And Michael saw it. The very tip of white pyramid poking out of the earth. It rose from the ground, tearing the landscape apart. Right here, in the very center of the park, a dungeon— yes, a video game dungeon— was being created.
It was like only the skeleton of the pyramid was created, and its main body was slowly being built as it rose from the ground, so it was still covered in holes, with the many floors within the structure visible to Michael.
But he barely paid any attention to the little details of the dungeon because he was going to fall into it if he didn’t run. Spinning around, the young man cursed as he made a break for it.
“What the fuck… what the fuck… what the fuck—”
Unfortunately for Michael, he was too slow. The ground beneath his feet broke open as he came crashing down into one of the middle floors of the pyramid. He landed on his side, feeling something shatter as he cried out in pain.
He lay there on the shaking marble ground of the pyramid as the dawn’s light began to fade away, the walls of the structure finally forming into place, trapping him within.
But Michael couldn’t even pay any attention to that. He was still groaning, lying on his side as he clutched himself in pain.
“W-why…?” he whimpered where he lay.
All around him, the shaking stopped. Another blue box flashed before him, but he barely even processed it.
*ding!*
[Spawning Monsters…]
“Why is this happening?” Michael wanted to cry. In fact, he was already crying. But those stinging tears came from the sharp pain that engulfed his broken arm. “Just when everything started to go right… just when I started to turn my life around…”
The young man lay there for what felt like an eternity as more and more blue boxes continued to flash before him. But he ignored most of them. He didn’t care about what they said. As far as he was aware, they were spewing a bunch more nonsense about how the world was being changed.
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*ding!*
[Creating Mana Field…]
*ding!*
[Assimilating Populace…]
*ding!*
[Completing integration…]
And it was the final blue box that finally drew Michael’s attention. Or perhaps, it was the fact that the pain he was feeling on his side was starting to subside… or it was just starting to grow numb. It didn’t matter.
Finally, Michael looked up and read the subsequent blue boxes that were flashing before him.
[Congratulations Earth A48-D on the successful integration to the Multiversal System! For the duration of the Tutorial, the Planet will be Ranked D. But once the Tutorial is over, the Dungeons will be respawned without these restrictions….]
However, right as Michael started to read this seemingly-important announcement, he heard another sound. One that was coming from down the hallway he was trapped in. Looking up, he saw a single shadowed figure making his way, and he froze.
He remembered what the blue boxes had informed him of earlier— when he had still been vaguely paying attention to what it was saying. That there were monsters being spawned on Earth.
So if this was truly like a video game dungeon, then that meant… that meant…
No, please… Michael internally begged, hoping that it was just a person that was also trapped inside this pyramid.
But as the figure turned the corner, his heart just sank.
It was a skeleton.
It wore metal armor and it carried a bow at its side, already nocked with an arrow.
Michael stared at it— at the monster. And he didn’t want it to be real. He was hoping this was all a dream. A nightmare. But it wasn’t.
His only fortune was that the skeleton had yet to see him, just standing around the corner and staring blankly at a wall.
What do I even do? he asked himself as he slowly backed away, wincing and still clutching his broken arm. How am I supposed to get out of here alive—
*ding!*
[You may now roll a Class!]
...roll a Class? Michael paused as he stared at the new blue box that was floating before him. If the world was now suddenly like a video game, then that meant a Class would let him stand a chance of defeating that thing and escaping this pyramid.
While he didn’t know what exactly the Class options were, he assumed that if he were a mage of sorts he could blast his way out, or if he were a warrior of sorts], he could fight his way out. Because those were the kinds of Classes that existed in video games, right? Well, either way, this was his chance.
So he took it.
But how do I even roll for a Class? he wondered, not seeing any dice for him to throw. He tried to focus on the blue box— maybe will it to roll for him. Unfortunately, nothing happened.
[Please tap on the screen or say, “Roll” to roll for a Class.]
As if understanding his confusion, the blue box suddenly prompted him to speak or move. Michael hesitated when he read that. He glanced towards the skeleton archer that was still standing at the corner, yet to notice him.
If he even moved or spoke, he risked drawing the monster’s attention. And if that happened, he could very likely die if he wasn’t given a good Class.
But that’s better than definitely dying if I continue to wait for that skeleton to eventually discover me, Michael thought as he gritted his teeth.
He had to make a choice at this very moment, and after weighing his options, he made his decision.
A chance of dying is a hell of a lot better than definitely dying! Michael thought as he opened his mouth.
“Roll,” he whispered.
Perhaps he could have moved, but he knew he was in too much pain to do that without making a sound, so whispering was a lot less risky for him. Unfortunately, he still made too much noise.
The skeleton jerked back, looking in his direction. And the blue box flickered.
[Rolling…]
The skeleton took a step forward.
[Odds: 1-10]
Turning the corner, the skeleton swept its gaze over the corridor.
[Rolled: 7]
For a moment, the skeleton stared at Michael, almost uncomprehendingly.
[Class Chosen!]
And finally, it was like something clicked in the undead’s empty head. It moved, raising its bow in Michael’s direction as he readied himself to be graced with a Class. And—
You are now a [Basic Healer]!
You have 1/3 Class Skills: [Basic Heal]
Oh. Michael stared at the Class that he had rolled. That he had been given at this crucial moment. He was not a [Warrior]. He was not a [Mage]. He was not even a [Rogue] who would be able to stealth his way out of this dungeon.
As always, luck was never on Michael’s side.
Because he was a [Basic Healer].
A Class that could only let him use a single skill… which was to heal himself.
And Michael knew, at that very moment, as the skeleton took aim with its bow, that he was going to die here.
A blue box flashed before him, showing him his status without his prompting.
Status:
Michael Ark
Level 1
Mana Core Rank G
Race: Human
Titles: None
Title Skills: None
General Skill:
- [Identify] - Level 1 (MAX)
Class: [Basic Healer]
Class Skills (1/3):
- [Basic Heal] - Level 1
- N/A
- N/A
Class Skill Points: 0
“No,” Michael told himself as he forced himself to his feet.
The skeleton archer loosed its arrow at the same time, and the projectile struck him on the stomach. Stumbling back, he nearly fell back to the ground. But he steeled himself as he focused on his new Skill.
He didn’t know how to use it. Was it magic? How did it work?
But he didn’t care. He just tried to will it— to force something to happen. And slowly, a green light began to engulf him as he rose to his feet.
“I’m not going to die here,” Michael said.
And the skeleton loosed a second arrow at him. But this time, Michael moved. He made a mad dash straight for the monster as the second arrow struck his shoulder.
Whether it was because he was fueled by adrenaline, or he had already gotten used to the pain, he didn’t know. But he just ignored the attack as he tackled the skeleton to the ground.
“My life was starting to go well— I’m not going to let some shitty blue box ruin that!”
Michael had hoped that the skeleton would shatter as soon as it struck the ground. But it was a lot more durable than he thought. Years of watching cartoons had lied to him, it seemed. However, that was not what he cared about at the moment.
Instead, he just pinned the skeleton to the ground with his broken— but healing— arm, before pummeling its skull with his other hand. His fist hurt. It felt like he was punching the floor. But he continued to punch the skeleton over and over and over again, even until his knuckles began to bleed.
However, he barely even cracked the skull of the skeleton with that. So he changed tactics. He instead grabbed it by its empty eyesockets and repeatedly bashed the back of its head against the ground.
The skeleton struggled, of course. But there was nothing it could do to stop this assault. It was too weak to throw him off. However, that didn’t mean it couldn’t fight back.
Mechanically, like it was some kind of machine, the skeleton drew one of its arrows and repeatedly stabbed Michael’s side. It hurt. It really hurt. But the young man bit through the pain as he screamed, each word punctuating a strike/
“I’m. Not. Dying. To. A. God. Damn. SKELETON!”
Whether it was smashing the skeleton’s skull to the ground, a bloodied-knuckle punch, or a full-force headbutt. Michael continued to bash the skeleton’s skull as he was stabbed in return. And this went on for at least ten minutes.
Until, finally, the skeleton’s skull shattered against the ground. For a moment, Michael paused, looking down at the skeleton’s body as it lay there, unmoving— like he was making sure that it was dead. Then he flopped back and sighed in relief.
He panted as he lay there, continuing to heal himself as he coughed out blood.
“If I’m going to die… it’s going to be taking down a damn dragon, not a fucking skeleton…”
And a flurry of notifications flashed before Michael as he closed his eyes.
*ding!*
You have slain a [Skeleton Archer - Level 15] - Additional experience is awarded for killing an enemy significantly above your level!
*ding!*
General Skill Learned: [Lesser Pain Tolerance]
*ding!*
You have reached Level 2!
+1 Class Skill Point
…
*ding!*
You have reached Level 7!
+1 Class Skill Point