Arthur took Issei to his world. It was only a blink of an eye to Issei.
He felt a strange sensation, his eyes wide with wonder as he looked around.
They were not at the park in Kuoh town.
"Where are we, Aniki?"
He asked curiously. He accepted anything that happened because he found out that his world wasn't what it seemed to be.
"We are in New York,"
Arthur replied nonchalantly.
"New York… We're in America?!"
Issei exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
It was his first time in a foreign country.
If he had known this wasn't the America of his world, the shock would've been immense.
Time flowed differently between their two worlds—one existing in the future and the other in the past.
While in Arthur's world, Issei could do as he pleased without worrying about time; it would only resume its course in his own world upon his return.
Wasting no time, Arthur brought Issei to the Tower Dungeon.
"You must get stronger if you want to survive,"
He instructed.
"I'll explain what you need to do now."
Arthur made him a dungeon climber.
After Issei became a dungeon climber, he was granted a system.
[Parameter]
* Name: Issei Hyoudou
* Alias: Sekiryutei(Locked)
* Level: 1
* Pow: H-98
* End: H-92
* Dex: H-78
* AGI: H-88
He didn't have MAG yet as Ddraig wasn't awakened yet. He was just a normal human now.
His level and stats were abysmally low.
Arthur's advice was simple: grind monsters to level up.
It was the fastest way to gain strength.
Issei stood at the entrance of the Tower Dungeon.
A low hum vibrated from the portal, a sound that made his very bones feel fuzzy.
"This is it,"
Arthur said, his voice calm, yet it held a seriousness.
He brought Arthur to the goblin dungeon in Re:Zero world.
"This is where you'll get strong. The monsters inside are real, and they don't hold back. You've got your system now, so you can see your stats and get quests. Your first goal is simple: survive and kill as many monsters as you can."
Issei gulped.
He looked down at the floating window in front of him, the one Arthur called a "system." His stats, his measly, pathetic stats, stared back at him.
Arthur had explained.
It was the lowest possible rank. It was a slap in the face.
Arthur saw the look on his face.
"Don't let the numbers get you down. Everyone starts there. It's what you do with it that matters. You're a dungeon climber now. The more you climb, the stronger you get."
He handed Issei a simple sword.
"This is all I can give you for now. It's a basic Common rank item, but it's better than nothing."
Issei took the sword. It felt heavy and cold in his hands.
Arthur clapped him on the back.
"Remember, you're not alone. I'm here. I'll be watching, but I won't fight for you. This is your journey. Don't be afraid to run. Don't be afraid to use your head. And most importantly, don't die."
With that, Arthur pushed him gently toward the entrance.
Issei took a deep breath and steinside.
'I have to be brave if I don't want to die again.
Dying was scary as hell.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world changed.
The sounds of the nature disappeared, replaced by the damp echo of water dripping in the distance and the low growl of something unseen.
The light from outside was gone, but the walls of the dungeon glowed with a faint, blue light, making it look like the inside of a massive cave.
The first monster he saw was a goblin, short and ugly with long, pointy ears and a wicked smile.
It held a rough club and its eyes glowed red. It snarled and charged at him.
Panic seized him for a second, but Arthur's words rang in his ears.
Don't die.
He had to fight. He held the rusty sword up, his hands shaking.
The goblin was fast, swinging its club at his head.
Issei ducked, the wind from the club passing over his hair. He dodged, and the goblin stumbled.
This was his chance. He swung his sword, aiming for the goblin's chest.
The blade was dull, but it was heavy.
He put all his strength into the swing.
The goblin screamed, a high, squealing sound, and a glowing "1" appeared above its head, a damage number.
It staggered back.
Issei didn't stop. He swung again, and again, his movements clumsy and panicked.
After what felt like an eternity, the goblin finally fell, dissolving into a shimmering mist.
He felt that he became a little stronger.
'This is like an RPG game. I can do it!'
He felt a rush of excitement. He wasn't helpless. He could get stronger. He could do this.
He continued deeper into the dungeon.
More goblins appeared, sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs. Issei fought them all, his movements getting a little smoother with each fight.
He learned to parry with the sword, to dodge to the side, and to strike where the goblins were weakest.
Hours passed. He didn't feel hunger or thirst.
He didn't feel the passage of time. It was a continuous cycle of fighting, leveling up, and getting stronger.
The numbers in his system window slowly climbed.
Level: 1
Pow: G-305
End: G-302
Dex: F-290
AGI: F-298
By the time he reached the end of the dungeon, he had a small pile of dungeon-dropped items.
A few low-grade healing potions reward from missions, a slightly better club than the goblins used, and some scraps of cloth.
He didn't know what to do with most of it, but he knew they were valuable.
The system had a small inventory, so he stored them there.
At the end of the first floor, there was a large, circular room with a glowing symbol on the floor. In the center of the room stood a monster that was different from the others.
It was a goblin, but it was much larger, with a rusty helmet and a sword that was bigger than Issei's.
[Goblin Chieftain, Level 3]
The system showed him the monster's level.
He was only level 1. This was a boss. Issei's heart pounded in his chest.
Arthur had told him about bosses.
They were much stronger than regular monsters and needed a strategy.
The Goblin Chieftain roared and charged, swinging its massive sword.
Issei dodged, but the force of the swing sent him flying to the side. He hit the wall hard. His body felt like it was on fire.
He was almost dead. He had to use a potion. He fumbled in his inventory and pulled out a small bottle.
He uncorked it with his teeth and drank the bitter liquid. His body was instantly filled with a warm, healing energy.
The Goblin Chieftain was on him again, its club raised. Issei knew he couldn't fight it head-on.
He had to be smart. He remembered how he had fought the other goblins, using their clumsiness against them.
He dodged to the left, then to the right.
The Chieftain was fast, but it wasn't graceful. Issei waited for the right moment.
The boss swung its sword, a wide, sweeping attack. Issei jumped back, letting the attack go past him, and then rushed in, aiming for its legs.
He sliced at the Chieftain's knees. It was a weak hit, but it made the monster stumble.
He dodged another attack and did it again.
He was slowly, painfully, chipping away at its health.
He fought for what felt like an hour, his body moving on instinct. He was covered in sweat and grime, and his rusty sword was chipped and bent, but he was still standing.
The Goblin Chieftain was bruised and bleeding. Its movements were slower now.
Issei took a deep breath. This was it.
He had one last shot. He faked a move to the left, and the Chieftain swung its sword to block.
But Issei had already changed his direction.
He slid on his knees, past the swinging sword, and drove his own blade straight into the Chieftain's stomach.
The boss let out a final, pained roar and crumbled into dust. A bright light filled the room, and a shower of items rained down on Issei
.
[You have defeated the Goblin Chieftain. You have gained 5 Dp.]
[You have leveled up! Your level is now 3.]
[Congratulations! You have cleared the mission!]
Issei collapsed to the ground, exhausted but triumphant. He looked at his system window. His stats were better now. He had earned it.
He also had a new set of items: a slightly better sword, a new set of armor, and a few valuable gems.
He put them all away in his inventory.
Suddenly, a voice reached him.
It was Arthur's.
"Good job, Issei. You've proven you have what it takes. Now, rest for a moment. You have a lot more missions to do."
Arthur secretly watched over him
He was around to make sure nothing bad would happen to him.
...
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