Unseen rivalry
Author: Henry storm
last update2025-06-01 02:32:14

Henry stood in the dim glow of the dungeon’s bioluminescent moss, his chest heaving, a grin spreading across his face. “Hell yeah,” he muttered, the thrill of survival buzzing through him.

He focused inward, and a faint shimmer appeared in his mind’s eye—a status display, like something from one of Tom’s video games, but real. Too real.

[Status: Henry Gray. Level: 2, Rank: F. Progress: 120/3000. Vitality: 150/150. Strength: 45. Agility: 50. Endurance: 38. Perception: 25. Skill Points: 60.]

No time to overthink. He needed to be stronger, faster—now. He poured most of his skill points into raw power and speed, trusting his instincts. [Strength +40. Agility +20.] His stats surged: Strength to 85, Agility to 70.

The change hit like a jolt. His muscles tightened, his body felt lighter, like he’d shed a heavy coat. His arms were steadier, his legs itching to move. He smirked. “Alright, let’s see what I can—”

He took a step and nearly stumbled, his body lurching forward too fast. The sudden speed threw him off balance, his boots skidding on the stone floor. “Okay,” he muttered, catching himself, “maybe ease into it.”

Even with the stumble, it felt good. His body was different—stronger, sharper. But the pain from his earlier fights lingered, cuts and bruises throbbing across his arms and sides. Perfect time to test his new trick.

“Recovery,” he said under his breath, focusing on the skill.

A cool wave washed through him, like stepping into a crisp stream. The pain melted away, wounds sealing shut, exhaustion fading. In seconds, he felt whole again, his breath steady, his body ready.

Henry’s eyes widened. “That’s… insane.” This wasn’t just useful—it was a lifeline. He could fight longer, push harder, without fear of breaking down. No limits, no waiting to recharge. “This system’s got my back,” he said, stretching his arms with a laugh. “Time to move.”

He stepped toward the next floor, the dungeon’s damp air clinging to his skin. The Core hummed in his chest, urging him deeper.

Meanwhile, floors below, the dungeon’s tension was thick enough to choke on. Flickering lights cast jagged shadows across the stone walls, and distant growls echoed through the corridors. Two groups of Hunters stood in a cleared chamber, frustration etched into their faces.

The first group was the one Henry had met at the entrance—four Hunters, led by the scarred man. They stood with a larger group, dominated by a towering figure with a massive axe slung over his shoulder. Boros, an F9-ranked Hunter, radiated anger, his muscles taut, his eyes burning.

“Who’s clearing these floors so fast?” a Hunter muttered, gripping his dagger.

“Not us,” another snapped, kicking a rotting beast carcass. “We’re barely keeping up.”

They’d been methodical, sweeping each floor, but every time they arrived, the monsters were already dead. It didn’t add up.

“How many groups went in today?” someone asked.

“Two. Us and… whoever else,” a woman replied, her voice tight.

Silence fell. The realization hit like a punch.

Someone was ahead. Alone.

Boros’s scowl deepened, his aura flaring like a storm. “Someone’s screwing with us,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

“Who?” a subordinate asked. “The only other guy we saw was that F1 idiot who wouldn’t team up.”

Boros’s eyes narrowed, a humorless laugh rumbling from his chest. “That nobody? You’re saying he’s beating us to the punch?”

“It shouldn’t be possible,” the subordinate stammered, “but—”

“Enough,” Boros snapped, hefting his axe. “If it’s that runt, I’ll crush him myself.”

The others flinched. Boros wasn’t known for patience—or mercy.

“Move,” he barked. “I want to find this bastard before he hits the boss.”

The groups surged forward, their footsteps echoing as they raced toward the upper floors.

On the 13th floor, Henry wiped blood from his cheek, his heart pounding. The dungeon was relentless, a maze of danger that didn’t let up. Thirteen massive beasts surrounded him—gorilla-like monsters with bulging muscles and glowing red eyes. Their steps shook the ground, their size enough to make most Hunters turn tail.

Henry just smirked. “Alright, big guys. Let’s dance.”

The first beast charged, its fist slamming into the ground where Henry had stood a second ago. Dust exploded, stinging his eyes. He pivoted, barely dodging, but another beast swung from behind, its arm catching his side. Pain flared, sharp and deep. [Vitality: -9.]

He coughed, stumbling into a stone pillar. These things hit hard—harder than the Crawlers. Another fist came down, and Henry ducked, slashing upward. His sword bit into the beast’s arm, drawing a roar that shook the cavern. [Progress: +100 experience.]

One down. Twelve left.

Three charged at once, their claws gleaming. Henry gritted his teeth, his new speed barely keeping him ahead. He dodged one swipe, then another, slicing through a beast’s ribcage. [Progress: +100 experience.]

A third tackled him, sending him sprawling. His sword clattered across the stone. [Vitality: -8.] Another fist loomed, and Henry rolled, grabbing his blade just in time. He activated Recovery, the cool rush knitting his wounds shut, his stamina surging.

The beasts hesitated, as if sensing the change. Henry grinned. “I can do this all day.”

The fight was brutal, sloppy. Henry took hits—claws raking his arms, fists grazing his ribs. [Vitality: -5.] [Vitality: -6.] But each time, Recovery kept him in the game. He fought smarter, adapting to their patterns. One by one, the beasts fell, their roars fading.

When the last one collapsed, the ground trembling under its weight, Henry stood panting, drenched in sweat and blood. [Progress: +100 experience. Total: 4200.]

A surge of warmth flooded him, golden light flickering across his vision. His body pulsed, stronger, sharper.

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 6, F Rank. All attributes increased by +30. Skill Points: +100. New Skill: Dash.]

Henry’s breath caught. Dash? He tested it, and his body moved—blurring across the cavern in a heartbeat, leaving faint afterimages. He laughed, the sound echoing. “This is insane.”

He knelt, collecting Beast Crystals from the fallen monsters. Each one dissolved in his hand, flooding him with energy. [Progress: +25 experience.] [Progress: +25 experience.] The power built, pushing him closer to something bigger.

But as he stuffed the last crystal into his bag, a chill ran down his spine. Somewhere below, footsteps echoed—fast, determined, and angry.

Boros and his crew were coming.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • Unstoppable Force.

    At first, it was low, almost breathless. Then, it grew, rising into something amused. The sound echoed through the chamber, slicing through the tension like a blade. One of the hunters, a wiry man with twin daggers, scowled. “The hell is so funny?” Even Boros hesitated, his expression darkening. Henry wiped the blood from his mouth, shaking his head. “Ah, man. "You guys really don’t know what you’re getting into.” And the, a chime rang in his head. A system notification flashed before his eyes. You have defeated the Stonebreaker Troll.[ Level Up! All Status increased by 20][ Strength +20 | Agility +20 | Endurance +20.][ HP Fully Restored.][ Skill Gained: Domain of the Stonebreaker.][ Quest Received: Survive or Eliminate the Threat.] His body thrummed with raw energy. His wounds vanished. The ache in his muscles faded as his HP surged back to full. He flexed his fingers—his body felt lighter, his mind sharper. His muscles hummed with power, like an engine roaring to l

  • The last stand

    The dungeon trembled, as if the Stonebreaker Troll’s defeat had shaken its very core. Dust swirled like a ghostly fog, settling over the cracked chamber floor, where fissures spread like shattered glass under Henry’s boots. The aftermath of his bare-knuckled brawl was etched into the stone—trenches carved by the troll’s club, dents from his fists.The troll lay sprawled, its massive frame still, its iron club discarded beside it. One of the dungeon’s fiercest bosses, brought low by a lone F-rank Hunter. It hadn’t expected Henry to be a threat, not some “insect” who’d dared to fight back.Henry flexed his knuckles, the sting of raw power pulsing through them. It hurt, but it was the kind of pain that fueled him. The troll had felt it too—every punch, every crack in its rocky hide. He rolled his shoulders, a grin tugging at his lips. “Not bad for a nobody,” he muttered.The beast’s final roar still echoed in his ears, a mix of rage and disbelief. Its glowing yellow eyes had dimmed, its

  • The shattering clash

    The boss chamber was a pressure cooker, the air thick with the weight of the Stonebreaker Troll’s presence. Each breath Henry took felt heavy, laced with the damp scent of stone and the faint tang of his own blood. The troll loomed before him, its four-meter frame nearly brushing the cavern’s ceiling. Its rocky skin glinted in the dim dungeon light, muscles rippling like a living mountain. Its yellow eyes glowed, locked onto Henry, watching, waiting.This wasn’t a mindless beast. It was calculating, sizing him up. Waiting for him to make the first move.Henry’s grip tightened on his sword, his body taut, heart steady despite the ache in his ribs from Boros’s earlier hit. He’d faced monsters before, but this was different. This thing knew how to fight.“Alright, big guy,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders to shake off the lingering pain. “Let’s see if you’re all muscle and no brains.”He shifted his stance, then moved. [Dash] kicked in, his body blurring forward in a zigzag, unpredict

  • The chase

    Henry stepped onto the 14th floor, his breath steady but his body aching. The fight with the gorilla-like beasts had left his muscles sore, each step a reminder of how close he’d come to breaking. He wanted to collapse, to rest, but the dungeon didn’t care about his exhaustion. Neither did the Core—or the Hunters chasing him.A chill crawled up his neck, sharper than the damp air or the eerie silence of the stone corridors. Something was off—a heavy pressure, like a storm about to break. His grip tightened on his sword, the blade’s weight grounding him as he moved forward.Then—BOOM!The ground exploded behind him. Instinct kicked in, and Henry activated Dash, his body blurring backward just as a massive crater formed where he’d stood. Stone and dust erupted, the shockwave ringing in his ears like a war drum.As the debris settled, Henry’s eyes locked onto the cause: a battleaxe buried deep in the floor, its blade wide enough to split him in two. The weapon hummed with raw power, glin

  • Unseen rivalry

    Henry stood in the dim glow of the dungeon’s bioluminescent moss, his chest heaving, a grin spreading across his face. “Hell yeah,” he muttered, the thrill of survival buzzing through him.He focused inward, and a faint shimmer appeared in his mind’s eye—a status display, like something from one of Tom’s video games, but real. Too real.[Status: Henry Gray. Level: 2, Rank: F. Progress: 120/3000. Vitality: 150/150. Strength: 45. Agility: 50. Endurance: 38. Perception: 25. Skill Points: 60.]No time to overthink. He needed to be stronger, faster—now. He poured most of his skill points into raw power and speed, trusting his instincts. [Strength +40. Agility +20.] His stats surged: Strength to 85, Agility to 70.The change hit like a jolt. His muscles tightened, his body felt lighter, like he’d shed a heavy coat. His arms were steadier, his legs itching to move. He smirked. “Alright, let’s see what I can—”He took a step and nearly stumbled, his body lurching forward too fast. The sudden

  • Leveling up

    The Lesser Crawlers didn’t give Henry a moment to breathe. They weren’t waiting for him to strategize or catch his bearings—they were out for blood.He tightened his grip on his sword, the cheap blade already slick with sweat and ichor. A Crawler lunged, its jagged jaws snapping. Henry swung wildly, the blade scraping across its armored shell with a shower of sparks. The creature recoiled, stunned but alive.No time to hesitate. He stepped forward, throwing his weight into a desperate strike. The sword found a weak point—the soft joint where the Crawler’s head met its body. It sank in with a sickening crunch. The creature screeched, thrashing before collapsing in a twitching heap.[Progress: +10 experience.]One down. Four to go.The others swarmed, moving as a pack. Henry swung again, but a Crawler latched onto his leg, its claws digging into his flesh. Pain flared, sharp and hot, stealing his breath. Another slashed across his back, tearing through his jacket. Blood trickled down hi

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App