Chapter 2: First Dungeon

♦♦♦

When I woke up, I desperately wished I was in my bed—but no, I was still stuck in the dungeon.

They say passing out in a dungeon is practically a death sentence, yet here I was, alive and breathing.

Come to think of it, right before I blacked out, there was this weird voice echoing in my head about gaining skills or something. Was that for real?

《Skill Acquired: “Skill List” (Due to Adversity)》

Huh? Skill List?

Almost as if it was answering me, a strange window appeared before my eyes.

It looked like one of those floating windows you see in movies, hanging in mid-air. No matter how much I shifted my gaze, the window stayed perfectly aligned with my line of sight.

The list of skills included:

Dungeon Information, Area Scan, Foreign Substance Resistance, Status Abnormality Immunity, Stamina Recovery (Intermediate), Hunger Resistance, and Skill List.

It seemed likely I had acquired Stamina Recovery (Intermediate) and Hunger Resistance while I was unconscious.

Which means…… even when I’m unconscious, I could still acquire skills—, regardless of my own will.

After a bit of sleep, my mind felt sharp and clear. At the very least, I wasn’t as shocked as I had been yesterday, and I could finally start accepting my situation.

First, I needed to calmly assess what was happening.

For reasons I didn’t understand, I had somehow ended up inside a dungeon.

I knew this for certain because of the Dungeon Information skill, which revealed the dungeon’s name: Lucifer’s Descent.

Next, there was the issue of acquiring skills whenever something happened.

This was incredibly useful. Thanks to Hunger Resistance, I didn’t feel the slightest bit hungry, even though I should have been starving after fainting and waking up.

On top of that, Area Scan allowed me to perceive my surroundings in an unusual way. It felt as if a second version of myself was observing a map on a computer screen, with me at the center. It was an indescribable sensation, but it made the layout of the area around me perfectly clear.

As for how I survived after passing out, it seemed there were no monsters nearby by sheer luck.

What’s more, the air here was saturated with Overwhelming Toxins and Overwhelming Paralytic Substances. The more you breathed it in, the more you’d be poisoned or paralyzed. I had only realized this because of Area Scan.

The thought of what would’ve happened without my Status Abnormality Immunity skill sent chills down my spine.

With that in mind, I had no idea how long this so-called “safe zone” would stay safe, so I decided to move forward.

There wasn’t any sign of an exit nearby, so I’d have to look for one as I went.

I was gradually adjusting to the darkness, but the dense mist still made it hard to see. Oddly enough, though, I could clearly make out the stars floating in the sky and a distant castle.

《Skill Acquired: “Night Vision” (Due to Adversity)》

What the—!?

All of a sudden, my vision turned green, and everything became crystal clear.

This made walking around much easier. Now, I could spot rocks and monsters without any trouble.

Since there was no path behind me, I cautiously started down the road ahead.

Back when I was fascinated by dungeons, I’d read a book called Beginner’s Guide to Dungeons.

It explained that dungeons were filled with things called “traps.” These traps would activate magic when triggered, resulting in effects like teleportation, massive explosions, or other dangerous outcomes.

The book said that visually identifying traps is impossible, which made me nervous about moving forward. But it also mentioned that low-difficulty dungeons rarely had traps, so if this was E-Rank Dungeon 117, I should be fine.

Even so, I moved forward cautiously. Before long, I came across a small pond.

Though Hunger Resistance kept me from feeling hungry, it didn’t stop my thirst, so finding water was a huge relief.

As I got closer, I saw it was a small pond about three meters across, with spring water bubbling up nearby.

Strangely, perhaps due to Night Vision, the water looked like it had an odd tint, but my thirst overpowered any hesitation. I scooped up some water in my hands and drank.

……The taste was off.

If I wasn’t so thirsty, I wouldn’t even think about drinking something that tasted like this.

《Skill “Stamina Recovery (Intermediate)” has evolved into “Stamina Recovery (Advanced)” (Due to Crisis)》

Huh? Crisis!? What do you mean!? Area Scan didn’t show any enemies anywhere!?

I searched the area thoroughly but couldn’t spot a single enemy.

Could it be something small, like an insect?

I checked my whole body but couldn’t find any tiny bugs.

……wait. Could it be…… the pond water?

Come to think of it, it did taste strange……

Nervously, I scooped up some water and poured it on a nearby rock.

Fssshhh!

The water hissed and bubbled violently, melting the rock until it vanished without a trace.

“You’ve got to be kidding! This pond water was deadly poison!?”

I couldn’t stop myself from yelling at the sight of the dissolved rock.

I had thought it was just ordinary spring water. If it weren’t for Status Abnormality Immunity……

It was a harsh reminder to be more careful inside the dungeon.

I resolved to never touch the water again and pressed on, more cautious than ever.

The path narrowed between two large mountains. There was no way I could climb them—they were practically sheer cliffs.

The winding road and mountains blocked my view ahead. As I carefully made my way forward, Area Scan detected something new—a presence I’d never felt before.

I froze, heart racing, then ducked behind a nearby boulder. Slowly, I crept closer to investigate.

What I saw froze me in place.

A massive creature, resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex straight out of a game or anime, was prowling the area. Its fearsome eyes glinted as it scanned for prey, every movement radiating lethal intent.

I’d always heard dungeons were dangerous, but now I truly understood what that meant.

You’re supposed to start with the weakest monsters like slimes and goblins and gradually work your way up, but this T-Rex was clearly top-tier just from looking at it. Its sheer presence was overwhelming.

The path ahead was a narrow, one-way road, with no way to avoid it.

There was no chance I could fight it. My only option was to retreat and wait for it to leave.

But just as I turned to leave, my foot stepped on a twig.

Crack!

The sharp sound echoed through the stillness.

The T-Rex’s glowing eyes snapped in my direction.

This is bad!

By the time that thought hit me, I was already sprinting back the way I came.

But there was no way the T-Rex would let me escape. Despite its massive size, it was charging after me at terrifying speed.

The ground seemed to shake with every step it took, and the sound of its pursuit grew deafening. Cold sweat dripped down my face as I ran, panic completely overtaking my thoughts.

《Skill Acquired: “Speed Boost” (Due to Crisis)》

Like I didn’t already know that!

If that massive beast stomped on me or took a bite, it’d all be over in a heartbeat!

Thanks to acquiring Speed Boost, my running speed noticeably increased. But even with the boost, I couldn’t shake the T-Rex off. The gap between us kept shrinking.

《Skill “Speed Boost” has evolved into “Speed Boost (Intermediate)” (Due to Crisis)》

《────Evolved into “Speed Boost (Advanced)”》

《────Evolved into “Speed Boost (Superior)”》

《────Evolved into “Ultimate Speed Boost”》

Bit by bit, I started to put some distance between us. My legs moved faster—far faster—than I’d ever imagined.

Before I realized it, I had made it all the way back to where I started, standing near the pond again.

Sure, being faster is great. At this speed, I might even outrun that monstrous beast.

But that’s only if there’s somewhere to run to.

Despite the gap I’d managed to create thanks to my new skill, despair hit me like a hammer when I realized I had no way out.

I turned to look back. The T-Rex was advancing, one heavy step at a time, drool dripping from its jaws like it was savoring the thought of its meal.

Damn it…… Do I fight? But can I even fight something like this?

No way am I dying here. No way.

Clenching my fists, I steeled myself to face the T-Rex head-on.

Thinking about it, I’d always gained new skills when I was in serious trouble. If I fought this thing, maybe—just maybe—I’d unlock another new ability.

The idea made the corners of my mouth curl upward. Courage surged up from somewhere deep inside me.

GRUUAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

The T-Rex let out an earth-shaking roar, standing right in front of me.

No, no, no! How am I supposed to take down a monster like this!?

With a sudden leap, the T-Rex lunged, its massive body aiming to crush me underfoot.

I barely managed to jump to the side, dodging by a hair’s breadth.

The ground shook violently with each step the T-Rex took as I scrambled to stay alive, dodging and weaving with everything I had.

I had to do something, or I’d die for sure.

As I desperately dodged, the T-Rex stopped leaping toward me.

“Huh? What’s going on? Tired already?”

I, too, was breathing heavily. At this rate, it was just a matter of time before I was eaten.

《Skill Acquired: “Endurance Boost” (Due to Crisis)》

This is a lifesaver……!

My ragged breathing gradually returned to normal.

With this, I might be able to drag this into a war of attrition, change positions, and make my escape.

But still, the T-Rex just glared at me, roaring but not attacking.

What’s going on……?

At that moment, I heard the sound of flowing water behind me.

Water?

As I scanned the my surroundings using Area Scan, I realized the poisonous pond from earlier was right behind me.

Wait…… Could it be that the T-Rex is afraid of this poison too?

Just to be sure, I scooped up some of the toxic water with my hands.

Thanks to my Status Abnormality Immunity, my hands showed no signs of dissolving—it felt just like normal water.

However, when droplets fell from my hands, they immediately scorched the ground, releasing a sharp, pungent odor.

I took a step forward, and the T-Rex took a step back.

I see! So you’re afraid of this poison after all! Too bad────it doesn’t affect me!

With both hands, I scooped up the toxic water and hurled it at the T-Rex with all my might.

When the water hit, the T-Rex let out an agonized screech and began thrashing on the ground.

I didn’t have time to stand around watching. I quickly scooped more toxic water, threw it at the writhing T-Rex, then sprinted back to the pond to repeat the process.

Thanks to my acquired Speed Boost, I moved faster than I thought possible, and the T-Rex’s exterior began to dissolve and take damage.

I repeated this over and over until finally, the T-Rex stopped moving entirely.

In the beginner’s guide to dungeons I’d read, it warned that monsters might be waiting for the perfect moment to strike, especially when you think they’re down. The advice was clear: the moment you believe your enemy is dead is precisely when you should be most vigilant.

Left with no other choice, I put my faith in those words and scooped up more of the poisonous water and poured it over what seemed to be the lifeless body of the T-Rex just to be sure. Only then could I be certain it was truly dead.

Though half of the T-Rex’s skin had dissolved, its bones remained intact. Even the poisonous water couldn’t erode them. If I could somehow make use of these bones, wouldn’t it make dungeon exploration much easier?

《Skill Acquired: “Monster Dismantling” for having a good idea》

For having a good idea……?

The skill I’d just obtained, Monster Dismantling, seemed to be one that could only be used on defeated monsters. I couldn’t explain how I knew this—the moment I gained the skill, the knowledge simply settled in my mind.

This sensation also gave me an understanding of how my skills were categorized. Some required direct activation, while others worked passively. Opening my skill list confirmed this intuition. Skills were classified as “Active Skills” and “Passive Skills” respectively.

It wasn’t about which was better; the key was understanding and utilizing them properly.

Currently, my Active Skills include Skill List, Area Scan, and the newly acquired Monster Dismantling.

Without further ado, I tested Monster Dismantling on the fallen T-Rex.

Mysterious particles of light enveloped the T-Rex’s body. In a flash, the corpse was broken down into neatly arranged materials—bones and skin—spread out on the ground. Among them, a large purple gemstone caught my eye. It was a Magic Stone.

Magic Stones are imbued with mysterious energy and have become indispensable to this world.

Why? Because the global power supply has entirely shifted from conventional energy production to magic stone energy.

According to the guidebook, humanity once relied on various forms of power generation that severely damaged the environment. The goddess, enraged by this, created dungeons to test humanity—or at least, that’s how the story goes.

Now, clean energy from Magic Stones has become mainstream. These stones have even led to the development of Magic Weapons and Magical Tools, which have become essential parts of modern life.

I’m not sure about all the complex details, but at the very least, this Magic Stone should fetch a high price.

The price depends on the size, and the one in front of me is about 30 centimeters in diameter. According to the beginner’s guide to dungeons, Magic Stones from monsters in E-rank dungeons are usually only 1 to 3 centimeters in size. Was the guidebook outdated, or was this T-Rex some kind of irregular monster?

Setting the size aside for now, there was another pressing issue—how was I supposed to carry all these materials and the massive Magic Stone?

Apparently, there’s an item called a Magic Backpack, that looks like a normal backpack but contains a pocket dimension capable of storing massive amounts of items. However, the beginner’s guide to dungeons mentioned they’re extremely expensive and novice explorers could only dream of owning one.

Now that I thought about it, wouldn’t it be great if I could just learn a skill to store these materials?

……………………。

……………………。

I only hoped a little, but nothing happened.

《Skill Acquired: “Dimensional Storage” for having a good idea》

Ohhh! It’s worth wishing for things sometimes!

Without delay, I used the newly acquired Dimensional Storage to store the materials and the Magic Stone in front of me. In the blink of an eye, everything vanished, as if by magic.

It seemed Dimensional Storage had three main functions:

1. 1. 1. 1. Storing items within 10 meters into the dimensional space.

1. 1. 1. 1. Retrieving stored items.

1. 1. 1. 1. Viewing the contents of the storage.

The third function was particularly interesting. It worked like a menu screen, displaying the names, quantities, and pictures of the stored items. Even better, I could access this information mentally without projecting the menu outward. This made organizing and retrieving items incredibly efficient and convenient.

Naturally, a thought struck me—what if I tried storing the poisonous water from the nearby pond?

I decided to give it a shot. Using Dimensional Storage on the pond water yielded no results; the skill didn’t seem to work.

Was it because the water was part of the dungeon environment? Or maybe the skill couldn’t store liquids?

To rule out any misunderstanding, I tried scooping the water with my hands and using the skill again. Still, it failed.

Though I was curious and wanted to test further, I had no means to explore this issue further at the moment. I made a mental note to revisit this when I acquired something that could properly handle the toxic water. For now, it was best to focus on what I could achieve with the new skill and materials.

After defeating the T-Rex in a fierce battle, I continued down the narrow path.

This encounter had taught me one important thing: if push comes to shove, I could always retreat to the pond and use its poison to deal with monsters.

However, there was something else—something much bigger—I’d realized.

Even after taking down the T-Rex, I didn’t feel like my level had increased.

There’s a famous saying from the sages of old: “Multiplying anything by zero still gives you zero.” In situations like this, it should work more like addition rather than multiplication. But, unlike mere emptiness, true nothingness cannot be increased by anything.

For now, I decided to set aside the matter of levels. The most important thing right now was to use the skills I somehow kept acquiring and make my way out of this dungeon.

As I ventured further, I returned to the area where the T-Rex had fallen. I didn’t see any creatures as formidable as the T-Rex, but there were several smaller monsters scattered around.

Among them were rabbit-like monsters about 50 centimeters tall, with white fur and crimson eyes.

Carefully, I moved forward, trying my best not to be spotted.

Crack—

Not again.

The sharp sound of a breaking branch echoed through the previously quiet surroundings.

Like moths to a flame, the rabbit monsters immediately turned and charged at me.

《Skill Acquired: “Trap Detection” (Due to Adversity)》

《Skill Acquired: “Trap Nullification” (Due to Adversity)》

Wait—was that branch actually a trap?! No wonder I kept stepping on them even when I thought I was being careful!

It felt ridiculous to get caught by such a simple trap twice, but at least the enemies closing in on me were just rabbit monsters.

Their speed, thankfully, was nowhere near that of the T-Rex.

A dozen of them charged, but their attempts to leap at me were easy to evade.

Even when all twelve jumped simultaneously, I dodged effortlessly, as if they were frozen mid-air thanks to my Ultimate Speed Boost.

Since endlessly dodging wouldn’t resolve anything, I decided to try punching the rabbit monsters instead.

Hmm. It didn’t seem to do any damage at all. In fact, my hand had started to hurt a bit instead.

I could’ve pulled out the T-Rex’s bone as a weapon, but I chose to keep punching barehanded.

《Skill Acquired: “Bare-Hand Strengthening” (through Experience)》

Yes! This is exactly what I’d been waiting for!

Even though my level wasn’t increasing, I realized that repeatedly facing challenging situations could lead to unlocking new skills—just as I’d hoped.

What stood out most this time was the phrase “through experience,” which confirmed I could acquire skills through sheer effort. That was a major discovery.

With this, I should be able to deal damage to the rabbit monsters.

When one leaped at me, I dodged and delivered a punch. The impact sounded completely different from before, and the rabbit monster went flying.

It didn’t go down with one hit, though. One after another, the rabbit monsters kept coming. I avoided their attacks and punched back, repeating the cycle over and over.

《“Bare-Hand Strengthening” has evolved into “Martial Arts” (through Experience)》

《Skill Acquired: “Emergency Evasion” (through Experience)》

Perfect! Just as I’d planned, “Bare-Hand Strengthening” evolved into “Martial Arts,” and my constant dodging earned me the “Emergency Evasion” skill.

Emergency Evasion was an incredible skill—it automatically detected fatal attacks and caused my body to instinctively dodge them.

To test it, I deliberately allowed a monster’s attack to get close, and the skill activated flawlessly.

However, one detail caught my attention.

When I checked my skill list, I noticed that Emergency Evasion had a cooldown period. After it activated, the skill’s name changed from black to gray.

The gray text gradually reverted to black, meaning it couldn’t be triggered again until enough time had passed.

After testing my newly acquired skills, I managed to defeat the twelve rabbit monsters.

After dismantling them, I collected their hides, bones, meat, and 5-centimeter purple Magic Stones—twelve in total.

The beginner’s guide to dungeons said Magic Stones were usually 1 to 3 centimeters in size. Given how much larger these were, could they be something entirely different……?

I had no way of figuring it out right now, so I stored everything in the dimensional space and moved on.

As I continued down the path, carefully avoiding being detected by the monsters, I came across a fork in the road.

The left path appeared to lead toward a castle visible in the distance, while the right one headed in the opposite direction. Naturally, I chose the right path.

This route, unsurprisingly, was also populated by rabbit monsters. In addition, there were piglet monsters as well.

The only saving grace of this dungeon, fitting for its E-rank classification, was that the monsters were relatively weak. Even someone like me, stuck at level 0, could manage to defeat them, which spoke volumes about their lack of strength.

That T-Rex I encountered earlier must have been a floor boss. Or perhaps it was an irregular……

Floor bosses are unique monsters that rule over the deepest levels of each dungeon, while irregulars are powerful monsters that shouldn’t normally exist in a dungeon of their rank. Irregular appearances are said to be as rare as winning the lottery, yet they do occur.

If the T-Rex was an irregular, then did I just hit the lottery?

Well, instead of relying on lottery-like luck, I’d rather earn a steady income by selling Magic Stones and materials to support my household.

For now, my primary objective was simple: survive and bring the materials and Magic Stones I’d collected back home.

With that goal in mind, I continued along the narrow path, defeating countless rabbit and piglet monsters as I went when suddenly—

《Skill Acquired: “Intimidation Resistance” (through Experience)》

《Skill Acquired: “Fear Resistance” (through Experience)》

Huh? While I appreciate gaining new skills, I wasn’t feeling particularly intimidated or afraid. Could this be because I was still at level 0? If so, I’d take it as a blessing.

Since my level showed no signs of increasing, I decided to focus on acquiring as many skills as possible. If I could embody the saying, “Hard work will eventually pay off,” then it would all be worth it.

In an E-rank dungeon like this, I could hold my own against small monsters, but that wouldn’t amount to much when considering the broader dungeon hierarchy, where E-rank was at the very bottom.

Even if I couldn’t contribute much in combat, perhaps I could support a party by aiding with exploration and other tasks. If I could prove my worth that way, I might actually have a chance of joining a party.

Arrogance would only lead to failure in tougher dungeons, inconveniencing my teammates. That’s why I was determined to gain as many skills as possible, preparing for whatever challenges lay ahead.

As these thoughts ran through my mind, I noticed a small light in the distance through the dark, misty landscape.

I instinctively knew it was the exit.

Without hesitation, I sprinted toward the light with all my might and leaped into the growing brightness.

♦♦♦

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!”

When I came to, the receptionist was right in front of me. Upon seeing me, she suddenly screamed and fell backward in shock.

“Huh!? A-Are you okay?” I asked.

“Y-You scared me! Hey, you! At least make some noise when you enter the reception area! Hm? Wait…… aren’t you that student from yesterday?”

Something felt off about what she said.

“Yesterday……?” I repeated.

“That’s right, you came in yesterday, didn’t you?”

No way…… had an entire day passed since then?

“Um, what day is today?”

She showed me a small calendar sitting on the counter. The date on it indicated that a full day had passed since I entered the dungeon.

“A whole day……”

I must have been unconscious longer than I had thought. Thinking about it, I was relieved that I hadn’t lost my life.

“Didn’t you just go home yesterday? Don’t you need a license?”

“Eh?”

I gave a clueless reply to the receptionist’s question.

“You still don’t have a license, do you? Having one makes things much more convenient, whether you choose to enter dungeons or not. I’d recommend getting one, at least for that.”

Apparently, some people dislike licenses, and there are even those who refuse to get one. She must have mistaken me for one of those people.

“Y-yes…… I suppose I’ll get one then.”

“Alright. Please put your right hand into this box.”

The previous exchange had broken the formal atmosphere, as she switched to a more casual tone.

Following her instructions, I placed my right hand in the box. A slight black mist leaked out from inside.

“Huh? Black…… mist?”

It was probably the mist of innate ability.

“I was born at Level 0.”

“What?! Level…… 0?”

“Yes.”

It seemed this was a phenomenon she hadn’t encountered before. She flustered for a moment but slowly regained her composure.

“I’m sorry for losing my composure there.”

“No, it’s fine.”

The receptionist apologized with an apologetic look, but at least I now knew I could handle an E-rank dungeon. Even if I couldn’t defeat powerful monsters, gathering and selling small Magic Stones would probably earn me some pocket money.

That would help with the household expenses, and I could buy my little sister the things she wanted without any problem.

As I slowly withdrew my hand, I noticed the “License Mark” engraved on the back of it.

“Congratulations. You’re now officially an Explorer. As an Explorer, you need to understand that danger is always present in dungeons. Many explorers lose their lives there. When entering, either go with companions or carefully consider the difficulty level against your own level, okay?”

“Thank you very much.”

The procedure to become an Explorer is completely free of charge. This initiative is part of the country’s effort to increase the number of Explorers.

However, as the receptionist mentioned, many Explorers end up missing in dungeons, which is the harsh reality.

To deal with this, they impose ranks based on latent abilities and require a certain level or innate ability to enter dungeons.

As I stepped outside, I noticed a flying ship overhead, announcing the latest exploration rankings.

“In this latest ranking, a new Explorer has claimed the top spot! But for some unknown reason, their name isn’t listed—only ‘??? (Unknown)’ appears! What’s more, their exploration points are absolutely overwhelming! This number is unprecedented, never before seen in history!”

Ah…… exploration rankings. When you explore a dungeon, points are automatically calculated, and the “Exploration Ranking Monument,” a gift from the Goddess to the world, displays the top 100 names.

Right now, the first spot reads ‘??? (Unknown)’, and the points listed next to it are so far ahead of second place that the difference is almost an entire digit.

“First place, huh…… must be nice…… I hope I can make it onto the exploration rankings one day.”

Well, I don’t really have a concrete reason for wanting to be ranked. It’s just one of those things I admire.

What’s more important to me is earning money and stabilizing my life.

That day, the sudden emergence of a new existence, “??? (Unknown),” would drastically change the world. However, no one knew this—not even “Unknown” themselves.