I landed in a stone chamber, unceremoniously thrown into the Goblin Dungeon without so much as a warning. Those who had just awakened were usually granted a head start — a brief window to hunt and strengthen themselves — the only time where growth came easily.
My sharp gaze swept across the cavernous expanse, locking onto two goblins skulking a short distance away. Green-skinned pests, barely four feet tall. Their beady little eyes gleamed with the arrogance of predators who thought they'd cornered easy prey.
Now even the overgrown vegetables think I am an easy prey?
Before I could even process the situation, a sudden notification echoed in my mind. The unexpected voice nearly made my heart lurch.
[Mission]
→ Objective: Kill 50 F-rank Goblins in 3 hours.
→ Grade: F
→ Reward: +1 to All Attributes permanently.
A mission? Since when do Portals issue missions?
My initial confusion soured quickly… as the pieces started falling into place. Someone or something had altered my Evolution Class.
First, they sealed my Class Skill and my Mana.
Then, they altered my Attributes, rendering them unique and also impossible to develop through normal means. By erasing all conventional paths to strength, they left me with only one option: complete these Missions, or stagnate.
My expression darkened as I briefly entertained the idea of throwing it all away and living a quiet, unremarkable life.
But then, I suddenly remembered the promise I made to my late mother.
A promise to slap my bastard father.
Twice.
It was a joke to her. But I took it very seriously. That bastard abandoned us in the streets and let her die.
My fingers clenched into fists. I will ruin that bastard.
Just like that, any hesitation vanished.
I moved forward, my mind sharpening as I activated my [Arcane Spear].
A swirling blue spear of condensed mana materialized on my right side, the air around it rippling from sheer force.
With a mere thought, the spear shot forward.
Swoosh!
It pierced the first goblin's skull with pinpoint precision. The creature barely had time to react before disintegrating into loot, leaving behind a dull-looking F-rank sword.
Screech!
The second goblin shrieked, startled, but before it could even twitch, another [Arcane Spear] formed and lanced through its chest, dropping it instantly.
I didn't even bother checking the loot.
F-rank weapons weren't worth the effort—too cheap to sell, too much of a hassle to carry.
My backpack was reserved for [Cores], nothing else.
I didn't know if I could reach E Rank, so I decided to collect as many F Rank [Core]s as possible and sell them off. That way I could live like a rich man among the poor!
A new group of goblins charged at me, clutching crude weapons in their gnarled fingers, their fury ignited by the deaths of their kin.
Even goblins can have emotions? Seriously?
...!
I stepped back to maintain distance. My body was still too weak to withstand a direct clash, and facing a dozen goblins head-on was out of the question.
I lanced a spear forward and watched it pierce the goblin at front, then I took another step back as I shot another on.
I began to follow the same pattern...
Every time I took a step back, I released an [Arcane Spear], and each one finding its mark, cutting through the goblins like paper.
When the last goblin dropped, I approached the shimmering loot left behind.
Amongst the discarded weapons, I saw a glowing Core, barely half the size of my fist. [Physique Core].
I picked it up, gave it a quick look, then tucked it into my backpack. I'd killed nine goblins so far, yet only managed to obtain one Core?
Is my luck debuffed or something?
Even as irritation settled in, something gnawed at the back of my mind.
I'd been casting [Arcane Spears] one after another… but I still couldn't feel where the mana was coming from. No depletion, no cooldowns.
Mana without mana… What kind of joke is this?
…!
Maybe my Class isn't complete trash?
I didn't wait long as I ventured deeper into the dungeon, intent on completing the mission.
Every unfortunate goblin that crossed my path never survived more than a single spear. It wasn't surprising — this was a beginner dungeon inside an Evolution Portal, a place designed solely for newly awakened hunters.
The goblins were weakest monster with their stats barely around 4, so unless one was ambushed by dozens of them, it was relatively easy to clear the dungeon.
Especially if they had unlimited Mana!
Just like that, I killed 50 goblins before I even realized it.
More importantly, I'd only managed to collect 3 [Strength Cores] and 1 [Perception Core] — which only deepened my suspicion that luck wasn't just avoiding me; it was actively mocking me.
Normally, a Core dropped every three monsters. Five if you were unlucky. But me? I might as well have been cursed.
[Mission Complete!]
[Congratulations! You successfully completed the mission. Your stats have permanently increased by +1!]
[Diligence must be rewarded! You received a bonus +1 Physique for completing the mission in 30 minutes!]
Suddenly, an invisible force penetrated my body. A dense, almost overwhelming energy flooded my muscles, bones, and organs—refining them without my control.
My entire body turned red as heat surged through my veins, as if I'd been thrown into a forge. I let out a low groan, barely keeping myself upright before the sensation finally faded.
What the hell was that… How do they even have access to my body?
I touched myself all over, checking for abnormalities. Found none. I sighed.
But I could feel it — the subtle increase in strength. My limbs felt lighter. My vision and mind had improved a little too.
A rush of excitement surged through me.
If I get a couple thousand missions like this... maybe I really can slap that bastard?
At this point, I didn't even care if I was someone else's pawn.
As if listening to my ambitions, another mission flashed across my mind.
[Mission]: Clear the Goblin Dungeon in 10 hours
[Grade]: F+
[Reward]: +1 random attribute for every 50 goblins killed, +2 to all attributes upon mission completion.
I accepted it without hesitation — and marched straight into the deeper zones where goblins were abundant.
On that day… a catastrophic rain of [Arcane Spears] descended upon every goblin settlement in the dungeon. Their cries and shrieks never lasted longer than a few minutes.
After four hours...
I had massacred more than thousand poor goblins, and managed to push my [Physique] and [Mental] attributes to their 20s.
A proud achievement indeed, but did these stats truly belong to me?
I arrived before a large metal door. Behind it lay both the dungeon's exit… and the Goblin BOSS guarding it.
I took a deep breath and pushed it open.
A green goblin, tall as a human, awaited me with an axe gripped in one hand.
ROAR!
Hello big guy! I greeted it back, in my mind.
I didn't give it time to charge as two blue spears materialized beside me.
With 20 points in [Mental Power], I could cast two spears simultaneously... well, three if I didn't mind flirting with a migraine. Of course, I could still cast them endlessly in one by one sequence, since my nonexistent mana was… infinite?
I shot the spears at the goblin Boss.
Whoosh!
The first spear shattered on impact, barely leaving a dent in its thick skull.
Followed the second as it dug in deeper, making the goblin Boss recoil, but not enough to bring it down.
I guess I'll just push my limits, then.
Another pair of spears formed beside me as I unleashed them again.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Again and again, I fired, my relentless barrage carving through its forehead until, finally... the boss crumpled.
Its body glowed white before vanishing, leaving behind an ancient parchment.
A [Skill Scroll] — [Brute Force (E)]
An useless skill.
I, the ultimate F Rank cursed a proud E Rank skill. Strangely, I felt good about it!
Without hesitation, I shoved the scroll into my backpack which was already heavy with [Cores] looted from the massacre.
[Mission Complete!]
[+2 Increase to all Attributes!]
The familiar force invaded my body again, refining me further. I'd gone through this enough times now — but that helplessness never really faded. It felt like someone, somewhere, was casually poking around my anatomy with a remote in hand.
The force retreated as its work done!
I took a deep breath and scanned the room.
My gaze landed on a large blue gem embedded in the wall opposite the entrance — the exit. There were two ways to leave an Evolution Portal: die and be expelled, or kill the BOSS.
Death wasn't permanent here, but it came at a cost. Sometimes, it was as minor as losing a skill's proficiency or a stat. But die too many times, and you could lose your Evolution Class entirely.
My first Portal raid was spectacular if not for the few minor disasters!
With a smirk, I stepped forward and placed my hand on the gem.
Light engulfed me — and I vanished.
[Status Window]
[Lucian Vale]
[Evolution Class]: Portal Novice (F+)
[Title]: ██████
[Rank]: F
[Physique]: 22
[Mental]: 24
[Mana]: None
(Note: Your Title—[ ██████] bears all mana costs for skills.)
[Skills] → [Arcane Spear (17.4%)]