I pulled into the park's visitor lot, surprised to find it nearly empty on a weekday afternoon. The Mustang's engine ticked as it cooled, a counterpoint to my quickening pulse.
The purple gate shimmered like a heat mirage, its surface rippling with unnatural energy.
'Arcan,' I thought as I gathered my newly purchased gear, 'why can only I see the purple gates? Normal people can't see them at all, right?'
『Insufficient data,』 she replied after an unusual pause. 『Most gates are visible to all individuals. Your ability to perceive purple variants appears unique, but I lack complete information on this phenomenon.』
'That's... not reassuring.'
『My knowledge base continues to expand as you progress. Some questions can only be answered through experience.』
I slung the pack over my shoulder, feeling the weight of the blades Tenten had helped me select. 'So I'm a special snowflake. Great.'
I approached the gate, its surface undulating like liquid amethyst. No one else in the park seemed to notice the seven-foot-tall anomaly or the white-haired man approaching something with weapons strapped to his body. The benefits of living in LA—people had seen weirder shit on their morning commute.
'Here goes nothing,' I thought, stepping through the threshold.
The transition felt like passing through a membrane—a moment of resistance, then sudden release. The familiar world vanished, replaced by something altogether different. I stood in a vast cathedral-like space, but it wasn't any earthly architecture. The walls, floor, and ceiling appeared to be formed from enormous vertebrae and ribs, bleached white and polished smooth. Dim purple light filtered through translucent membranes stretched between the bone structures.
'We're inside something,' I realized. 'A skeleton? Or something that looks like one?'
As I took in my surroundings, I noticed a faint red pulse in my peripheral vision. It pulsed like a notification icon, demanding attention.
'Open,' I thought, focusing on it.
A window of ethereal blue light materialized before me:
[Arcane Quest: Purification of the Ossuary]
[Difficulty: D-Rank]
[Objective: Eliminate the corrupted guardian and cleanse the bone sanctuary]
[Completion Rewards:]
- 300 Attribute Points
- Skill Selection
[Bonus Conditions:]
- Complete within 180 minutes (+100 Attribute Points)
- Defeat at least 50 minor entities (+50 Attribute Points)
- Take no critical damage (+1 Passive Ability)
'Accept,' I thought, and the quest window dissolved into motes of light that seemed to sink into my skin.
'Status.'
The familiar blue mandala appeared in my vision, displaying my current attributes:
[Player: Xavier Valentine]
[Level: 1]
[Class: None]
[Title: None]
[Core Attributes:]
Strength: D - 217
Endurance: C - 412
Dexterity: D - 308
Agility: F - 187
Magic: F - 86
[Available Skill Points: 120]
[Active Abilities: 0]
[Passive Abilities: 3]
I frowned at the uneven numbers. They bothered me in a way I couldn't properly articulate—like seeing a picture hanging slightly crooked on a wall.
'I want to allocate some points,' I thought. 'Let's round these up a bit.'
『Distributing attribute points is irreversible,』 Arcan warned. 『Consider your allocation carefully.』
'Three to Strength, eight to Endurance, two to Dexterity, three to Agility, four to Magic. That's twenty points total.'
The blue light pulsed, and my attributes adjusted:
[Player: Xavier Valentine]
[Level: 1]
[Class: None]
[Title: None]
[Core Attributes:]
Strength: D - 220
Endurance: C - 420
Dexterity: D - 310
Agility: F - 190
Magic: F - 90
[Available Skill Points: 100]
[Active Abilities: 0]
[Passive Abilities: 3]
'Much better,' I thought, oddly satisfied by the rounded numbers. 'What are my passive abilities?'
A new window appeared:
[Passive Abilities:]
Six Eyes
Detoxification
Longevity
I blinked in surprise. 'Three? I thought I only had two.'
『The system recognized a latent ability during your recent mana utilization,』 Arcan explained. 『Six Eyes was always present but required activation through mana exposure. Now, it works automatically.』
I looked around the bone cathedral, suddenly aware of faint blue currents flowing through the structure—like veins pulsing beneath translucent skin.
'I can see it,' I realized. 'The mana flowing through this place.'
『Detoxification enables your body to automatically neutralize poisons once detected in your bloodstream. This includes recreational substances like alcohol, which your system will process before intoxication can occur.』
'So I can't get drunk? That's... inconvenient.'
『Longevity grants immunity to diseases, poisons, and status-affecting abilities. Your natural regeneration exceeds human baseline by approximately 400% and increases exponentially during sleep cycles. Fatal wounds and dismemberment remain permanent, however.』
I flexed my fingers, feeling a new awareness of my body. 'How do I improve my stats naturally? Without spending points?'
『Attributes increase through relevant activity and experience. Physical exertion strengthens Strength and Endurance. Precision tasks enhance Dexterity. Movement and reflexive challenges improve Agility. Mana manipulation develops Magic capacity. Combat against entities offers accelerated growth in all categories.』
A soft clicking sound interrupted our conversation. From a side passage formed by curving ribs, a creature emerged. It resembled a human skeleton but moved with unnatural fluidity. Pale purple flames burned in its eye sockets, and its bones were etched with faint, glowing sigils.
'Showtime,' I thought, drawing my twin blades.
The skeleton sentinel noticed me immediately. It tilted its skull, as if puzzled by my presence, then reached for a bone spear leaning against the wall.
I didn't give it time to arm itself. Lunging forward, I slashed at its rib cage with my right blade while the left swept toward its neck vertebrae. The skeleton was faster than I expected, twisting away from the killing blow but catching the first strike across its ribs. A high-pitched keening sound escaped from its skull as my blade carved through bone with surprising ease.
'These weapons are better than I thought,' I realized, pivoting to avoid its counter-attack.
The sentinel jabbed its spear at my midsection. I sidestepped, feeling the air displacement as the weapon missed by inches. The skeleton overextended, and I capitalized on the opening, bringing both blades down in a cross-cut that severed its spine at the neck.
The skull tumbled free, purple flames guttering out as it hit the floor. The rest of the skeleton collapsed into a heap of bones.
A small purple crystal emerged from the remains, hovering momentarily before floating toward me. When it touched my skin, it dissolved, and I felt a rush of energy spreading through my body.
『Mana crystal absorbed,』 Arcan announced. 『Minor attribute increase detected.』
I checked my status quickly:
Strength: D - 221
Dexterity: D - 311
'It actually worked,' I thought, surprised despite Arcan's explanation. 'I got stronger just by killing that thing.'
『As expected. Combat provides optimal growth opportunity.』
The corridor ahead branched into three passages. I chose the leftmost path, moving cautiously through the bone architecture. The space felt alive somehow, as if the entire structure were breathing slowly around me.
In the next chamber, I encountered three more skeleton sentinels. They moved in eerie coordination, trying to flank me while keeping their bone spears between us.
I backed against a wall, eliminating one angle of attack. 'Remember what Tenten said about technique compensating for power.'
The first skeleton lunged. I parried its spear with my left blade, then stepped inside its guard to drive my right blade through its skull. The creature collapsed, but I was already moving, rolling beneath a thrust from the second sentinel.
Coming up behind it, I slashed through its spine at the waist, then pivoted to face the third. This one seemed more cautious, circling warily after seeing its companions dispatched.
I felt different—lighter, faster. My movements flowed more naturally, and I could anticipate the sentinel's attacks before they came. When it finally committed to a thrust, I was already moving, sidestepping the spear and countering with a fluid combination that reduced it to a pile of broken bones.
Three more mana crystals absorbed into my skin, and I felt another surge of energy.
『Multiple attribute increases detected,』 Arcan noted. 『Combat efficiency improving by 7.3% per engagement.』
I checked my status again, noting with satisfaction that several attributes had increased:
Strength: D - 223
Endurance: C - 422
Dexterity: D - 314
Agility: F - 193
'This is how the system works,' I realized. 'The more I fight, the stronger I get. The points are just a bonus.'
I continued deeper into the ossuary, encountering increasingly difficult groups of sentinels. Some wielded bone bows that fired sharpened fragments with surprising force. Others carried shields fashioned from shoulder blades and curved swords made from ribs.
Each encounter tested me differently. The archers forced me to use cover and close distance quickly. The shield-bearers required patience and precise strikes at exposed joints. With each victory, I absorbed more mana crystals, and my attributes steadily increased.
An hour into the dungeon, I'd dispatched forty-seven sentinels and found myself approaching what appeared to be a central chamber. My body hummed with accumulated power, and the blades that had initially felt foreign now moved like extensions of my arms.
I checked my status one last time before facing whatever waited ahead:
Strength: D - 241
Endurance: C - 439
Dexterity: D - 345
Agility: D- 211
Magic: F - 95
'Not bad for a first run,' I thought, rolling my shoulders. My muscles ached pleasantly from the exertion, but I felt sharper, more attuned to my surroundings than I'd ever been.
『Caution advised,』 Arcan warned as I approached the chamber entrance. 『Boss entity detected ahead. Significantly stronger than previous opponents.』
I tightened my grip on the blades. 'How many more sentinels do I need for the bonus condition?'
『Three more entities required to reach fifty.』
'Then let's hope the boss brings friends,' I thought, stepping through the archway formed by massive interlocking ribs.
The central chamber opened before me—a vast circular space with a domed ceiling formed from countless interwoven smaller bones. In the center stood what could only be the corrupted guardian—a massive skeleton three times human size, assembled from mismatched bones of different creatures. Its skull was vaguely canine but with too many eye sockets, all burning with intense purple flame. In one hand it clutched a massive femur club; in the other, a shield made from a turtle's shell.
Around it stood exactly three more sentinels, these wearing scraps of ancient armor and wielding more sophisticated weapons than their brethren.
'Perfect timing,' I thought, stepping fully into the chamber.
The guardian turned its burning gaze toward me and let out a howl that seemed to vibrate through the entire ossuary.
I settled into a fighting stance, blades at the ready. 'Let's see what you've got.'