The Unawakened Porter's Divine System

I Will Not Die Here

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An important personality arrived without fanfare.

A black limousine rolled to a stop outside the dungeon entrance.

The front passenger door opened.

A woman in a black suit stepped out and walked around the vehicle.

Her expression was stern, her posture straight, and one hand rested near the weapon concealed beneath her jacket.

She opened the back door.

A young woman stepped out.

She was beautiful.

Not the kind of beauty that demanded attention.

The kind that drew it without effort.

She wore a long white garment beneath golden armaments that covered her shoulders, forearms, and parts of her chest. Her pale skin seemed to carry a faint radiance beneath the morning light.

But it was her eyes that drew attention.

Golden.

Clear.

Unnaturally bright.

Her fine blond hair fell around her shoulders, though most of it was hidden beneath a white scarf wrapped loosely around her head.

The men waiting outside immediately straightened.

"Welcome, Holy Maiden."

They bowed.

The young woman merely raised her left hand.

"I-it is an honor to..."

"It seems someone else has entered this dungeon before me." The Holy Maiden stated.

The man's words caught in his throat.

He blinked.

"That is impossible."

The Holy Maiden turned her golden eyes toward him.

She didn't glare.

She didn't need to.

A faint golden light flickered within her pupils.

The man's face paled.

"I... I apologize."

He lowered his head.

Beside the Holy Maiden, the female guard scoffed silently.

'Foolish to dare doubt the Divine Eyes'

The Holy Maiden's gaze returned to the dungeon entrance.

"Let's go, Alexandria."

"Yes, my lady." Her guard replied.

Alexandria followed.

Inside the dungeon, Xavier was running for his life.

His lungs burned.

Behind him came the sound of dozens of footsteps pounding against stone.

They weren't slowing down.

Neither was he.

'Keep Moving'

His hand tightened around the battered sword.

His other hand gripped the small shield.

He turned sharply at the next intersection.

A narrow corridor.

Another turn.

Then another.

The dungeon twisted beneath the earth like an enormous maze of stone.

Xavier didn't know where he was going.

He didn't care.

As long as it was away from them.

He pushed himself harder.

The sound behind him grew louder.

His heart hammered against his ribs.

Then he saw an opening.

The corridor suddenly expanded into a large chamber.

Unlike the narrow catacomb like passages behind him, this room had space.

Stone pillars rose from the floor, some intact, others cracked and leaning at dangerous angles.

Ancient stone structures stood between them, half-buried beneath dust and age.

Arches connected some of the pillars overhead, creating pockets of darkness throughout the chamber.

Xavier's eyes darted around.

He rushed behind one of the larger pillars and crouched.

His chest heaved.

He immediately checked his ring.

'Come on.'

The Stealth Ring had already been used.

He needed time.

Just a little.

How long until it recovers?

He waited.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Nothing.

The footsteps drew closer.

Xavier pressed himself against the stone.

His breathing became shallower.

Another few seconds.

Still nothing.

Then...

A low growl echoed through the chamber.

Xavier froze.

Yellow eyes appeared at the entrance.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then more.

His stomach dropped.

'No...'

The goblins entered the room.

Their heads moved from side to side.

Searching.

One of them sniffed the air.

Xavier held his breath.

The goblin turned toward his pillar.

His fingers tightened around his sword.

The goblin took a step.

Then another.

Xavier's heartbeat thundered in his ears.

The goblin suddenly shrieked.

"GRAAAH!"

"Shit!"

Xavier burst from behind the pillar.

The goblins screamed.

They charged.

Xavier ran.

He barely made it three steps before something slammed into his back.

He crashed onto the stone floor.

Pain exploded through his chest.

"Urgh!"

He rolled.

A crude blade struck the ground where his head had been.

He rose to his feet.

Xavier swung his shield at the goblin behind him.

Bang!

The goblin stumbled.

Xavier thrust his sword.

The blade entered its stomach.

The goblin shrieked.

Xavier pulled the sword free.

Another goblin attacked.

He raised his shield.

CLANG!

The impact sent pain through his arm.

Another.

He blocked.

Another.

He couldn't.

A blade cut across his thigh.

"AAAGH!"

Xavier staggered backward.

Blood soaked through his pants.

The goblins surrounded him.

There were too many.

He backed away.

One step.

Another.

His sword trembled in his hand.

'I...I can't win.'

He knew it.

There was no technique.

No training.

No experience.

Just a battered sword and a shield he barely knew how to use.

Another goblin rushed him.

Xavier swung wildly.

The sword connected with its shoulder.

The goblin stumbled.

Xavier kicked it.

It fell.

He stabbed downward.

The goblin stopped moving.

Xavier breathed heavily.

"Two."

He had killed two.

And there were still...

Too many.

A goblin slammed into him.

Xavier fell.

The back of his head struck the stone.

His vision blurred.

Something stabbed into his side.

"Ghk!"

He screamed.

The goblin pulled its weapon free.

Blood spilled across the floor.

Xavier pressed his hand against the wound.

It was warm.

Too warm.

His fingers trembled.

The goblin raised its weapon again.

Xavier stared at it.

At its yellow eyes.

At the crooked grin spreading across its face.

His body wanted to run.

His mind wanted to run.

But there was nowhere left to go.

'Is...this it?'

The thought came quietly.

Another goblin stepped closer.

Then another.

Xavier's breathing became ragged.

His hand slipped against the blood coating his side.

'No..'

His fingers tightened.

'No...'

He couldn't die here.

He couldn't.

Not after everything.

Not after finally getting a chance.

His eyes hardened.

'I haven't even started yet.'

He remembered the hospital.

The hunters.

The way they had left him behind.

The way they had looked at him.

Like he was worthless.

Like his life meant nothing.

Xavier's jaw tightened.

'I can't die here...'

"I WILL NOT DIE HERE!.." Xavier screamed out loud.

A goblin lunged.

Xavier moved.

Not because he knew what to do.

Because he refused to go down today.

He caught the goblin's arm.

It slammed its other fist into his face.

Blood burst from Xavier's nose.

He didn't let go.

His gaze returned to the goblin.

His crimson eyes burned beneath his disheveled black hair.

The goblin snarled.

Xavier headbutted it.

Once.

Twice.

The creature recoiled.

Xavier grabbed its throat.

The goblin clawed at his face.

He didn't care.

He strangled it.

Hard.

The goblin shreiked.

Xavier pressed harder.

Just as the goblin's eyes began rolling backwards, another goblin attacked with a club.

It hit Xavier jaw sending Xavier to all four.

Xavier spat out blood.

He glared again at the goblins.

His red eyes filled with rage.

He almost looked like...

A demon...

The goblins instinctively felt fear for a moment.

They stepped back a moment.

It felt like, anyone of them who stepped forward at that point would die.

But soon, they forgot that fear.

They began approaching again.

As soon as the first goblin came within range.

Xavier lunged.

He smashed its head hard into the stone floor.

Another charged at him striking his face.

He he grabbed its two arm apart and with his mouth wide open.

He clamped his teeth around the goblins neck.

The goblin struck him continuously.

Xavier bit down harder.

The other goblins recoiled in terror.

His teeth tore through flesh.

Warm blood flooded his mouth.

He pulled.

Something tore.

The goblin collapsed.

Xavier spat the mangled piece of flesh onto the ground.

He remained hunched over it, panting.

Blood ran from his mouth.

Down his chin.

Across his neck.

His entire body trembled.

He looked at the dead goblin.

Then at the others.

His eyes were no longer filled with the same fear.

"I'm going to survive..."

The words came out hoarse.

Barely audible.

But certain.

"...No matter what."

[Level Up.]

[Host has unused Stat Points.]

Xavier froze.

His eyes widened slightly.

'Stat points...'

For the first time since entering the dungeon, his mind finally returned to the thing he had almost forgotten.

The System.

The Status.

The points.

'I have them.'

Why hadn't he thought of that?

His eyes flickered.

'Because I was running.'

That was all he had been thinking about.

Run.

Hide.

Survive.

He hadn't even considered anything else.

Xavier swallowed.

"How many?"

[Available Stat Points: 14.]

His eyes narrowed.

It was something.

He slowly rose to his feet.

"Strength, four..."