The Sovereign Overlord: I Can See The Hidden Stats

The glowing blue portal in the center of the city street looked like a giant torn piece of the sky.

Ten years ago, these gates opened all over the world. The earth changed into a live video game. People suddenly got magical classes, levels, and stats. Some became heroes who could throw fire and lightning. Others, like Chidi Vance, became nothing.

Chidi adjusted the thick straps of his giant leather backpack. It weighed over eighty pounds, filled with broken monster teeth, dirty rocks, and empty glass bottles. At eighteen years old, his official magical class was Scavenger. It was the lowest rank in the entire city. People called him a human trash can. He did not fight monsters. He only picked up the garbage that real hunters left behind.

Near the blue gate, a crowd gathered. Ifunanya Cross stood alone near the edge of the portal. She wore simple dark clothes, and her eyes were as sharp as glass. She belonged to a powerful, hidden family, and her ice magic was famous. A low-level hunter tried to steal a mana stone from her bag. Without turning her head, Ifunanya moved her fingers. A sharp spike of ice shot from the ground, stopping an inch from the thief's throat. The thief froze in terror. Ifunanya did not look angry. She just took her stone back and walked into the portal without saying a single word. She did not care about fame or rules. She only cared about strength.

Chidi watched her go, wishing he had even a fraction of that power. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked toward the front of his own raid team.

"Hey, trash can! Move faster!" Tunde shouted.

Tunde was the son of the richest guild leader in the city. He wore bright gold armor that caught the light, and a heavy sword hung at his waist. He looked at Chidi with pure disgust.

Next to Tunde stood Amina. She was Chidi’s childhood sweetheart. They grew up in the same poor neighborhood, sharing cheap bread and dreaming of a better life. Amina had rare fire magic, but she hated being poor. Right now, she wore expensive red robes. Chidi had worked three jobs for six months, skipping meals and destroying his hands, just to buy her those robes and the magic potions she needed to increase her flame power.

Chidi looked at Amina, hoping for a kind word. "Amina, I brought the extra health potions you asked for," he said quietly.

Amina did not look at him. She stepped closer to Tunde, wrapping her arm around the rich boy's golden sleeve. "Just put them in the bag, Chidi," she said, her voice smooth but distant. "Don't talk to me right now. Tunde is trying to plan our path.

Tunde laughed, patting Amina’s hand. "Do not waste your breath on a beggar, Amina. He is only here because we need someone to carry our trash.

The other hunters on the team laughed loudly. Chidi felt a sharp pain in his chest, but he forced a smile and nodded. He needed the money for his family. He could swallow his pride if it meant surviving.

The team stepped through the blue light and entered the dungeon.

Inside, the air was heavy and grey. The dungeon looked like a massive maze made of old stones. Tunde led the way, easily cutting down the small goblins that ran toward them. Every time a goblin died, it turned into black ash, leaving behind a few broken teeth or a low-grade magic stone.

"Pick it up, trash can!" Tunde threw an empty glass bottle backward. It hit Chidi’s shoulder, leaving a wet spot on his shirt.

Chidi did not complain. He knelt down, picked up the bottle, and placed it in his bag. He looked at Amina again. She saw the bottle hit him. She knew how hard he worked for her. But she quickly looked away, laughing at another one of Tunde's jokes. She wanted to climb to the top, and she knew Chidi could never help her get there.

They walked deeper into the maze for two hours. Chidi’s legs felt like lead. The heavy backpack cut into his shoulders, but he kept moving. He kept his eyes on the ground, collecting every piece of scrap.

Finally, the team reached a massive set of iron doors. The doors were covered in ancient symbols. This was the final room of the dungeon. The boss room.

Tunde pushed the heavy doors open. Inside, the room was massive. In the center sat a giant monster made entirely of grey rock. It was the Stone King. It was twice the size of an elephant, sleeping soundly with its rocky chin resting on its chest.

"This is too easy," Tunde said, drawing his glowing golden sword. "I will kill this thing in one hit. The news cameras outside will love it."

"Wait, Tunde," one of the older hunters said, stepping back. "The monster looks different. Its stats are hidden. We should be careful."

"Shut up," Tunde snapped. "I have the best armor money can buy. Watch this."

Tunde ran forward, his boots loud against the stone floor. He jumped into the air, bringing his golden blade down onto the monster’s shoulder.

A loud metallic sound echoed through the room. The sword did not cut the rock. Instead, a bright red light exploded from the monster's body.

The giant Stone King opened its eyes. They glowed with a furious red light. The monster let out a loud roar that shook the entire room. Large stones began to fall from the high ceiling, smashing into the ground.

The sleeping monster was not a normal boss. It was completely enraged.

The red light grew brighter. The Stone King raised a massive fist, swinging it toward the team with unbelievable speed. The wind from the blow knocked two hunters off their feet.

Tunde’s face turned completely white. His golden armor did not make him brave. He turned around and ran back toward the iron doors as fast as he could.

"Run!" Tunde shouted, grabbing Amina’s arm.

Chidi tried to run too, but his massive backpack was too heavy. His foot caught on a cracked stone, and he fell hard against the ground. The heavy bag pinned him down. He tried to unbuckle the straps, but the leather was jammed.

He looked up desperately. Tunde and Amina reached the heavy iron exit doors first. Tunde began to push the door closed from the outside to keep the monster trapped inside.

"Amina! Help me!" Chidi called out, stretching his hand toward her.

Amina stopped at the doorway. She looked back at Chidi, pinned under the heavy bag. She saw the giant rock monster raising its massive fist right behind him. She knew that if she went back to save him, she might lose her chance at fame and wealth. She might die poor.

Cold determination filled her eyes. She looked Chidi straight in the face.

"I am sorry, Chidi," Amina said clearly.

She reached out, grabbed the edge of the heavy iron door, and slammed it shut. The heavy lock clicked from the outside, leaving Chidi completely trapped in the dark room with the furious giant.

Chidi stared at the closed door, his mind completely blank. The girl he loved had just locked him in a grave. Behind him, the giant shadow of the Stone King fell over his body, and a massive fist came crashing down toward his head.