"Survival tests usually happen in survival dungeons designed by the system. Since it's indefinite, you will never know when it'll show up. Whether you're prepared or not. The key point is to strengthen yourself because if you die, there's no coming back."
"Wow. You're not going to help me?"
"No. I'm partially activated. I can't help you with the battle yet. The conditions haven't met yet. Once you survive and level up more, you will be able to unlock my features. Until then, you are on your own."
"That's sick! I'm like level 15. I don't know what to expect inside these survival dungeons."
"You'll not go inside an armed, Captain. The system will provide a temporary weapon for you. So, I'm suggesting that you practice the weapon you think you have knowledge about. I'll provide some prototype weapons. Choose one."
On the table just beside Marcus, a dagger, a longsword, a bow and a claymore appeared. Marcus was neither familiar with those weapons, but he didn't have a choice to pick something or he would die.
He went to the claymore. His choice was the dagger, small and light. He had played countless mobile games back then. And his favorite weapon was a dagger. Smiling, if he puts himself into training, he'll learn to use the weapon in no time.
And with those past days, weeks, and months, Marcus mastered the moves of a dagger-user. He has been watching some famous Hunters doing some tricks, pros and cons of using a dagger.
He knew daggers weren't created for swinging, they're for stabbing. And to pass the enemies' guard, he needed to get close and hit their vital spots. And with that, he needed speed.
"Tacman."
"Hmm?"
"Can you help locate my points?"
"What do you want? Strength? Magic? Speed? Tell me."
"I figured it out, I should go for speed since I'll use a dagger, but I'll not use it all for speed. Help me," he replied.
"Confirmed. You wanted the speed and yet you didn't want the other stats to be left out."
"Yes."
A few seconds later, a familiar screen appeared before my eyes.
Power: 12
Agility: 20
Magic:6
Luck: 2
"I added 19 points for Agility, 2 for power, 1 for magic, and 2 for luck. Did you like it or would you like me to re-do it?"
"This is fair. I'll take it. Thank you."
Marcus knew he was still a beginner.
"You have given access to see the agility effects for beginner agility-based passive to match you. Would you like to check it?"
"Yes."
"Beginner Agility- Level 20 [10 points Spent]
Attribute:
Movement Speed
Effect: +15 faster sprint and dodge
Attack Speed:
Effect: +10% faster dagger swings
Dodge Timing:
Effect: +8% bigger evasion window
Critical Chance:
Effect: +2% unaware enemies
Passive Unlocked
-Quickstep
*Dodge rolls have 20% longer distance
*Cooldown reduced by 1 second
-Silent Breath
*Reduces sound by 50%
*Enemies are less likely to detectduring crouch or sprint
-Snap Reaction
*+10% chance to automatically dodge non-critical attacks.
"That's what I got when I was allotted 10 points on Agility?"
"Yes. And every time you increase points on it, passives and attributes will increase too."
"Okay. So, if I tell you I want to reset it, would it be possible?"
"No, it can't be reset. The points allocation is final. You only have to allot points to the other attributes to catch up with agility."
"I see."
The next morning, when Marcus had finished his breakfast, he grabbed his backpack, he bid goodbye to his grandpa, and opened the door, stepping out from the house only to be met by unfamiliar scenery.
Instead of the sight of his grandpa's old truck, he was met by eerie scenery instead. There were catacombs, cracked, and some were destroyed. Some twisted pale vines were scattered around, wrapping everything. At the center of these crumbling catacombs, there was a broken shrine or at least it was like that for Marcus. He saw it as a statue of what he could only describe as a statue of a winged person, his left hands holding a spear, striking someone beneath him. The shrine probably used to be sacred. It was sunken halfway into the earth.
Something about it made Marcus shudder. Marcus saw a grayish smoke like mana leaking from the shrine. The air started to feel heavy, suffocating, like he was underwater. Marcus could hear sharp sounds and screeching, and then it vanished in an instant.
The place looked like it wasn't built by anyone; it looked like they tried to bury a nightmare and failed.
Marcus suspected it was a survival dungeon. He has been waiting patiently for it to appear. He thought he had prepared himself, but that resolve he was slowly slipping away. The place was something any hunter would scramble and run away from.
Suddenly, the winged statue sank, and right before it stood once was a spiral stairwell, descending into black, framed by the same pale vine. Beside the stairwell was a stone tablet saying:
"There is no escape. There are no allies. There is only adaptation or death."
And then a familiar ping of the System was heard.
Survival Dungeon: Beneath the Spear
Type: Solo Trial
Entrance Method: Triggering the Corrupted Celestial statue
Warning: Only those who were meant to awaken can enter
Description:
Beneath the spear is a chamber buried down after the corrupted celestial struck it with his powerful spear. It used to be a breeding chamber until it was shot down. It smelled like rot, and sounds of screeching could be heard. And something down here forgot what dying means.
Objective: Survive for 72 hours.
Marcus never expected that his first survival dungeon would be the day of his exam. Not only did he need to take the exam, but he also needed to survive this fight.
Marcus swallowed hard as he started to descend down. To him, he was weak despite training for like almost a year. He had never killed anything before, and this would be his first time. And he'll learn what surviving actually means.