Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
The world changed after the rise of the Five Calamities and the fall of the Mad God Shadovis.
Cities crumbled, the skies darkened, and monsters crawled from every corner of existence.
Now, even the strongest adventurers think twice before setting foot beyond the walls.
---
Moon's POV
"The sun's fricking killing me…" I groaned, wiping sweat from my face as heat rippled off the cracked stone road.
"Why do I always get assigned to the most useless missions?"
The command had come from Commander Irida—and I wasn't dumb enough to argue.
Saying no to her was basically suicide. So here I was, trudging through a furnace on legs toward a low-tier dungeon no one cared about.
"Well, no point crying over spilled milk."
I pulled my not-so-sturdy sword free from its sheath and adjusted my cloak.
"Not like anyone's watching anyway," I muttered. "They'd die of boredom if they were."
That's when I spotted them—sixteen goblins.
Of course. Why not? Sixteen of the ugliest, smelliest little freaks this side of the wastelands.
"My cheap sword's not gonna like this…"
I dashed forward, driving my blade into the first goblin's chest and snatching its dagger before the body even hit the ground.
"Even goblins have better gear than me. Pathetic."
Tossing aside the cracked sword, I gripped the dagger tight.
"Alright, Moon. Focus. Keep your head up—you've got this."
A goblin lunged at me. I twisted, ducked, and tried to counter, but it blocked with a sneer.
"Not bad reflexes… for a greeny."
I leapt back, breathing hard. Sixteen of them. One of me. Great odds.
"Think, think… how the hell do I kill sixteen of them?"
My eyes flicked to a pile of crates—some stacked with… was that dynamite?
A grin crept across my face. "Guess I'm luckier than I thought."
I grabbed a stick, lit it, and tossed it right into their midst.
KABOOM!
The explosion rocked the dungeon, sending smoke and goblin limbs flying. When the dust settled, seven were gone.
"Still not enough… guess I'll handle the rest myself."
I lunged forward, thrusting the dagger into one's throat, then slashed another clean across the neck.
"Ten down."
A blade sliced across my shoulder before I could react.
"Ah, shit! Now's not the time to freeze!" I snarled, clutching my bleeding arm.
Pain blurred my vision, but I kept moving. "I will win!"
Then something yanked me backward. My cloak—one of those filthy goblins had grabbed it.
"I knew wearing this was a bad idea! Damn you, Commander Irida!"
Fueled by anger, I twisted around, driving the dagger into one goblin's heart before ripping it free and hurling it straight into another's skull.
Four left.
A notification flickered before my eyes.
[Level Up]
"Oh. Nice timing, I guess."
Strength surged through me. My body moved faster, sharper—almost instinctively.
I dashed forward, fists and feet blurring as I crushed the last goblins.
When it was over, I was panting, knuckles bleeding, shoulder throbbing.
"Ugh… shouldn't have done that. My hands are killing me."
I stumbled out of the dungeon, clutching my arm.
"Mission complete… somehow."
---
Back at Camp
The moment I stepped into camp, I yelled,
"HEALER! MY SHOULDER'S BLEEDING!"
Yeah, maybe it was dramatic. But yelling gets things done faster.
A healer rushed over, wearing one of those disgustingly bright green-and-white coats.
"Your wounds are deep," he said, frowning. "You've lost a lot of blood. You need rest. No more missions for now."
Rest. Right.
I could already picture Irida's face if I told her that.
"Yeah, yeah. Just fix it already," I muttered.
The healer sighed, pressing his glowing hands to my shoulder. Warmth spread through my body… and then, nothing.
---
The Void
When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in pure darkness.
A vast, endless void stretched in every direction—and then, a figure appeared.
Cloaked in shadows, its voice rolled through the emptiness like thunder.
"Come forth, my child."
My breath hitched. That voice carried weight. Power.
Too much power.
"Right," I whispered to myself. "Totally a dream. This has to be a dream."
I took a hesitant step forward. "Uh… greetings, shadow person. Sir? Ma'am? Hard to tell. You kinda look like the bottom of a burned pan."
The figure ignored me.
"My child," it said, "I have chosen you to end this world's calamity—to save the human race from extinction. For that, I grant you my blessing."
The air trembled.
"The power to level infinitely."
My eyes widened. "Wait—what?"
"For three years, your growth shall be multiplied a hundredfold. Become strong. Reach level one hundred thousand… and we shall meet again."
Before I could reply, the figure began to fade.
"WAIT! Hold on—what does that even mean!?"
The void shattered.
---
Back to Reality
I jolted upright in the infirmary bed, drenched in sweat. The healer looked startled.
I blinked, staring at my hands. They felt… different. Stronger.
"What the hell…?"
I stared up at the ceiling.
"Why me? Of all people… why me?"