The cavern stank of rot. Acidic fumes lingered in the damp air, seeping from slime-coated walls.
At the far end of the chamber, the earth shifted.
She rose.
The Ant Queen towered above Kenji, her body thick and black as obsidian. Mandibles larger than his torso clacked together with a sound like cracking bones. Hundreds of smaller ants scuttled across her swollen abdomen, their claws scraping like rain against stone.
Above her head, a name burned crimson:
[Ant Queen — Boss]
Kenji's breath slowed. A red name.
That was the system's way of saying: this fight will break you.
He leaned against a pillar, pulling up the forum overlay. Threads scrolled past in frantic speed.
CardTheory101: "Spades = crit path. Best for assassins and sword users."
MageLord: "Hearts for healers/tanks. Clubs = defense. Diamonds = loot/crafting."
ShadowCrow: "Don't waste your best card. Register trash until you understand the system."
PokerKing: "Royal Flush combos will be the real endgame. Best hands = god-tier skills."
Kenji exhaled through his nose. His inventory glimmered in his mind's eye.
Cards (Unregistered):
10♠ (Tier 0)
5♣ (Tier 0)
His 10♠. His starting draw. If he died here and it vanished unregistered, he'd never forgive himself.
His hands hovered over the prompt.
[Do you wish to register 10♠ — Ten of Spades into your deck?][Warning: Registration is permanent.]
Kenji pressed Yes.
[10♠ Registered.][Stats Applied: +15 Crit Rate, +10 Spell Penetration.]
A faint pulse thrummed through him. His grip lightened. His vision sharpened. The world felt… quicker.
It was time.
The Queen shrieked.
Dozens of ants poured from the walls, mandibles clicking, claws tearing.
Kenji rolled aside, [Twin Slash] carving through the first wave. His crits landed sharper, slicing deep into soft chitin. He baited them into narrow tunnels, forcing them to funnel one by one, cutting them down with precision.
But the Queen was no passive watcher. Acid sprayed from her mandibles, sizzling as it struck the stone where he had stood moments before.
Kenji darted behind a pillar, heart hammering.
Her screech rattled his chest. Poison clouds thickened in the chamber, eating away at his HP bar.
He gritted his teeth and moved.
The battle dragged on.
Minutes blurred into a brutal rhythm—dodge, slash, retreat, recover. His stamina bar dipped low, forcing him to pause behind collapsed stone while ants clawed at the edges. He used the terrain constantly, circling the Queen, luring swarms into dead ends, even baiting her acid to collapse weaker stalactites onto her brood.
His crits flared constantly now, the 10♠ carrying its weight. Blades sank deeper, faster, punishing every exposed joint.
But still, her HP bar barely moved.
This wasn't just a fight. It was war.
Kenji's body ached though none of it was real. His focus was razor-thin, his vision tunneled on every motion. The Queen's mandibles snapped past his face, close enough to graze his cheek with glowing sparks.
One mistake would end him.
And yet—
Step, pivot, strike.
Years of raiding, of tanking wipes, of calculating cooldown rotations—they all converged here. His instincts screamed warnings seconds before her acid sprayed. His feet moved before claws struck.
He wasn't just surviving. He was dancing.
The Queen shrieked one final time.
Kenji lunged. Both blades buried deep in the soft undercarriage of her neck. A critical pulse flared. Her HP bar collapsed.
The cavern shook as her massive body fell, smaller ants scattering before dissolving into ash.
[Victory: Ant Queen slain.][Dungeon Cleared — Ant Nest.][EXP Gained: +950]
Kenji's bar surged.
[Level Up — Lv 5 Reached.][Level Up — Lv 6 Reached.][+20 Attribute Points Gained.]
His shoulders sagged. He laughed once, breathless.
"Finally…"
The system wasn't done.
[Regional Announcement]Player "GrayWolf" has cleared the first Solo Dungeon in Ashwood Frontier!
[Reward: +100 Regional Reputation.][Title Gained: Protector of Hollowbrook.]
The cavern echoed with phantom fireworks; above ground, the sky over Ashwood flashed with brief auroras. Instantly, every channel erupted:
World ChatStormPike: "FIRST SOLO CLEAR IN ASHWOOD??? LET'S GO!"
SaltFactory: "Speedrunner? More like luckrunner."
VividLuna: "Clip it! Who's got the POV??"
IronBear88: "Name's GrayWolf. Remember it."
RogueTheory: "Solo? In Tier 0? That queen hurts. Respect."
Regional ChatMillwrightTom (NPC): "Protector… I'll brew a stronger ale."
LeafCutter: "Anyone know him? Recruiting for dungeon science."
CrimsonAsh: "Bet he cheese-walled the adds."
HealerMoss: "Nah, red-name boss. That's no cheese."
Guild Recruiters (DMs)ZenithGuild: "Congrats on first! Interested in structured progression? Voice comms, theorycrafting, supply lines."
ValkyrieOrder: "We want you in our elite cell. Name your terms."
BlackLotus: "We value secrets. Trade yours for ours."
Conspiracy CornerLagSwitchLOL: "Devs buffed him, watch."
PatchNotesPlz: "He just played well, cope."
Back in Hollowbrook, NPCs felt the shift. Guards straightened as if sensing a breeze. The blacksmith paused, eyes flicking to an unseen notice. A pair of children shouted in the square: "Protector! Someone beat the nest!"
Kenji stared at the glowing announcement until it faded, a slow grin breaking across his face. For the first time, the world would see him.
Reputation (Regional): 130 — Protector
Regional benefits:
Minor inn discounts.
Shopkeepers show respect.
Villagers acknowledge presence.
Loot shimmered where the Queen had fallen.
[Loot Acquired: Staff of Crawling Shadows (Epic, Tier 0)]
+10 INT
+2 Poison Damage
Skill: Venom Spit (launch a glob of poison; 10s cooldown)
Kenji turned the staff over in his hands. Black wood, runes crawling like worms.
"Not my style," he muttered. Still, Epic was Epic. In a world where most hadn't even seen a Rare, this was fortune. Sell, trade, or bargain—it didn't matter. This staff was power.
Another shimmer.
[Drop Acquired: King♠ (Tier 0)]
+25 Crit Damage
+15 Attack Speed
Kenji froze.
A King. Of Spades.
His heart hammered. From Ten to King, both in Spades. The path ahead was clear: a Royal Flush.
Fate was whispering.
He pulled his menu open. His stats glowed, stronger than ever.
✦ GrayWolf — Lv 6 (Commoner)
Reputation: 130 (Protector — Regional Rank 2)
Attributes (Base):
STR: 10
VIT: 10
DEX: 60
INT: 10
Item Bonuses:
Cracked Iron Bracers (Common, +1 STR)
Tattered Leather Belt (Common, +1 VIT)
Reinforced Leather Vest (Common, +2 VIT)
Sturdy Leather Boots (Rare, +2 DEX, +1 VIT)
Card Bonuses (Registered):
10♠ (Tier 0): +15 Crit Rate, +10 Spell Pen
Total Effective Stats:
STR: 11
VIT: 14
DEX: 62
INT: 10
Skills:
Twin Slash → Strike twice in quick succession (5 Stamina, 5s CD).
Venom Spit (from staff, unequipped).
Cards (Unregistered):
King♠ (Tier 0) → +25 Crit Damage, +15 Attack Speed.
5♣ (Tier 0) → +5 Armor, +5 Block.
Kenji closed the window, staring at the cavern ceiling.
He had gone in alone. The system itself had expected him to fail.
And yet here he was.
Level 6. Protector of Hollowbrook. Carrying an Epic and a King.
The Queen was dead.
And for the first time, Kenji smiled—not out of relief, but pride.
Because this wasn't luck.
This was skill.