Mark staggered in front of the huge wooden door. The man looked at the iron bands that held it and the rust that clung to the hinges. This door did not belong to the natural cave. The wood door was human-made.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrygVMBWZm
Mark pulled out his new ability. "Inspect."
[Old Dungeon Gate: This dungeon gate is made of ironwood. It acts as a barrier between the natural caves and the lower ruins. It is unlocked but heavy]
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"An ancient ruin," Mark muttered. This place was not natural. It was once inhabited by some form of higher beings.
The man placed his left hand on the door and pushed with his right. For a moment, the wood resisted, but Mark's new Strength stat pushed the heavy old door open with a grunt and a scream of the hinges. Mark flinched at the last one as the noise rang in the dark cave. Such a noisy entrance did not exactly help with stealth.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXazUHbvszK
Slipping inside the opening, Mark almost closed the door behind him, leaving only a small slit to see through. He was not exactly alone in the cave. Sliding along the stone floor, Mark peeked out. The man was not in the natural part of the cave anymore. He was in a vast corridor made of polished stone blocks.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTQKOTKFDv
The ceiling was high, and the air was not as damp as in the caves. Strange torches with magical blue flames flickered on the walls, casting shadows that danced alongside the corridor. The smell was different too, less like the earth and more like old dust and paper.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhy6lnYtyL
Mark walked silently, his feet making no sound against the stone floor. His danger sense tingled at every step, heightening his senses. The corridor led to a large square chamber, in the center of which stood a stone chest on a pedestal.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEhF5R9Cl0
Mark stopped at the chamber's entrance, his military instincts screaming at him. "An open room with a chest in it..." Mark growled. "... Classic ambush."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8O199Sbffn
He pulled out his other ability, inspecting the room. Mark's eyes were drawn to the floor. About three feet away from the chest, one of the stone plates was raised a bit higher than the others. The man's eyes narrowed. There was something else he looked for in every room, traps.
[Trap Trigger: Pressure Plate. Triggers iron darts]
Mark smiled. "A trap, huh?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAnSwmklk2
The man circled around the pressure plate. He was ready to inspect the chest when his eyes landed on the stone in front of it. There was a tiny wire that ran under the raised stone and disappeared into the walls on either end. His enhanced eyes saw the faint traces of black powder along the edges of the plate. Mark frowned. Another trap.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lQkJWB8i5
[Trap Trigger: Pressure Plate. Triggers a cloud of poisonous gas]
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"Guess I'll have to avoid stepping on this one too," he muttered.
Slipping up to the chest, Mark opened it with a grunt. The man pulled out the two items inside and inspected them. The blue screen above his head showed the descriptions of the items he found.
[You have found:]
[Firestone: A magical flint. Striking it against metal produces sparks of fire that can be used to start a fire instantly]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAh7JTffw5
[Iron-Tipped Spear (Common): A long spear with an iron tip that can pierce through light armor. Deals 10 -15 damage points]
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Mark smiled at the firestone. It would come in handy when he decided to cook some of the meat he found in the caves. He looked at the spear. It was long enough to keep the enemy at bay, and the iron tip would keep him from being pierced by their weapons. With a grunt, the man pulled the spear with both hands and strapped the iron short sword to his belt.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YG1du5Hlt
Suddenly, a metallic click echoed in the chamber. Mark turned around and saw that the wooden door behind him was now closed. The man's eyes widened in confusion as he took in the two new creatures that stood at the entrance. The monsters had green skin and oversized ears, and their yellow teeth were visible even when their mouths were closed. Each wore a loincloth made of dirty rags. One of the goblins held a rusty dagger in his hand while the other wielded a wooden club.
[Goblin Scout - Level 2]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SndLnjZik
[Health: 60/60]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2FKiPU4Tp
[Goblin Scout - Level 3]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6aNrtQJlK
[Health: 75/75]
The level 3 goblin sneered at Mark and pointed his dagger at the man's chest. "This won't be easy," Mark admitted. The two goblins sprinted toward him, aiming to flank the warrior. The goblin with the club ran to the left while the one with the dagger ran to the right.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvzMiwbMlA
"Not going to happen," Mark muttered. He did not wait for them to reach him. Instead, he dashed at the level 2 goblin to his left. By running to him, Mark forced the level 3 goblin to run a longer distance and change directions.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCJV2LeGWW
The club-wielding goblin blinked in surprise at Mark's speed as he closed in on him. It raised the wooden club to strike, but Mark was faster. He used his tactical awareness and drove his spear forward. The long weapon pierced the goblin's shoulder just as the club came down to meet him.
[Good Hit! You dealt 14 physical damage to Goblin Scout.]
The goblin screamed in pain and dropped the club to clutch his shoulder. Mark did not let up; instead, he pulled the spear back and drove it forward again. This time, he aimed for the chest. The iron point went through the goblin's green skin with ease.
[Critical Hit! You dealt 22 physical damage.]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bdt1u9T3e
[Target is dying.]
The level 2 goblin fell to his knees, coughing up green blood before fading away.
[Enemy Defeated! Goblin Scout (Lv. 2) killed.]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSg0yUXm9T
[You gained 35 Experience.]
"Ugh!" Mark grunted as he felt a sharp pain in his right thigh. It seemed the level 3 goblin was fast enough to reach him. The goblin jumped at Mark's side and slashed his dagger across the man's leg.
[You received 12 damage. Your Health: 88/100]
The goblin pulled back its dagger to stab him again, but Mark was faster. He dropped his spear on the floor and drew his iron short sword with his right hand. He swung it in an arc, meeting the goblin's tiny dagger. The force sent the little goblin flying backward, its feet sliding on the smooth floor. Mark took advantage of the lunge and rammed his knee into the goblin's side. It stumbled back, its dagger falling to the floor.
[You dealt 18 damage to Goblin Scout.]
The level 3 goblin growled in anger, swinging its dagger upward. "Right," Mark said to himself. He raised the short sword to meet the goblin's dagger. His hard to break skill allowed Mark to ignore the goblin's dagger and concentrate on the enemy's movements. As the goblin jumped over his head, trying to stab Mark in the back, the man turned and drove his knee into the creature's ribs.
[You dealt 12 damage to Goblin Scout.]
Growling, the goblin threw itself at Mark's legs, trying to make him kneel. "Not today," Mark said grimly. He dropped his sword on the floor and rammed his shoulder into the goblin's side, sending it flying. The creature let out a surprised squeal as it rolled across the chamber floor. Its health bar emptied, and its body turned to gray ash, leaving behind a small pouch on the ground.
[Enemy Defeated! Goblin Scout (Lv. 3) killed.]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9A5XZOyqB3
[You gained 50 Experience.]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD8Z8VkNWw
[Experience: 85/180 to Level 3]
Mark plopped on his back, the point of his sword resting on the floor. He took a good look at his injured leg. It was a deep wound, but it did not seem to be life-threatening. Mark decided to use his health potions only when necessary. His constitution was high enough to let him heal naturally without risking his current state.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4Oc4CBbxf
The man pulled out his iron spear from the ground and tied it to his back with the leather cord that came with it. He stared at the pouch the goblin dropped. With a grunt of determination, Mark picked it up and opened it. The blue screen that appeared above his head showed the item description.
[You have found: 3 Silver Coins.]23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR6ULoqvmw
[Currency added to your System Wallet. Silver can be used to buy items from traders or towns.]
"Money," Mark muttered, a smile curling on his lips. "That means there are people out there. Cities... shops..." The thought of finding other people and not being alone in this world filled the man with a strange sense of hope. There was a future ahead of him, and he would find it. First, he needed to get out of this dungeon.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEpsDq1iPb
At the end of the chamber, another stone door slid open. Mark wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath. Tightening his grip on his short sword, he walked up to the new entryway.
and then Add to home screen.