Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wrong Dungeon

Luke jolted awake, his cheek tingling from having fallen asleep with his face on the ground. His mind was a storm, thoughts tangled and scattered. He glanced around, heart pounding. This… wasn’t his house. He was inside a vast cavern, dimly lit by natural light filtering through a jagged opening above. Something was wrong.

How did I get here?

He looked down at his clothes: coarse trousers, a plain shirt, old-fashioned shoes coated in a layer of fine dust. The fabric scratched at his skin, heavy and stiff against the warm air. None of it felt right. He tried recalling the night before. The past week. Nothing. His head was still shaking off the fog of sleep.

Drawing a deep breath, he stepped out of the cave. Light forced his eyes to squint. When they adjusted, the words died in his throat. A lush field stretched out before him, trees heavy with crimson apples. A stream whispered in the distance. Everything looked peaceful… until he looked up. The “sky” was a cavern ceiling. High above, a colossal crystal glowed, casting light like an artificial sun.

What the hell…?

[Luke, thank you for accepting the System’s Annual Integration!]

A translucent screen hovered before his eyes, the System. Then the memories hit, an avalanche of recollection crashing down all at once. He remembered everything. He had agreed. He had been transported into the System’s Integration Zone, the phenomenon that had changed the world over the past century. The System linked Earth to the multiverse, granting humans classes, powers, and evolution. Superpowers weren’t science fiction anymore. They were real.

Luke clenched his fists. “I really made it… I’m inside the Annual Integration.”

At eighteen, everyone received an invitation. Decline, and you’d have to wait another ten years. Luke had accepted instantly. He looked at his hands. They were clean, steady, though faintly trembling. Something lifted from his chest, like an invisible burden finally falling away. For the first time in years, his mind felt quiet.

“I’m here… I made it.” His eyes gleamed. “Mom… hang in there. I’m going to save you.” The words came out soft, barely a whisper, meant more for himself than for the world.

Ahead, a river wound across the field, feeding a lake that shimmered under the false sun. But it was a waterfall cascading into a deep cavern that drew his eyes. He approached, cautious, each step careful on the uneven ground. Then stopped, stomach twisting. A black abyss opened at his feet, so deep it seemed bottomless. A cold draft surged upward, silent and chilling, as if warning him to stay away.

[You have entered the Training Grounds]

Another screen appeared:

*Training Grounds*

Before beginning your journey, you’ve been transported to the Training Grounds. Here, you may choose a class, test weapons, level up, and unlock abilities. There is no time limit. Think of this as a lobby, where you may encounter other participants. Reach level 5 in your chosen class to begin the Tutorial.

Luke tapped to dismiss the screen. But another one flashed in front of him, marked with a glowing red “!”.

[Error!]

[Error!]

[Error!]

[Error!]

[This location is not the Training Grounds]

[You have been transported to an unknown location in the multiverse. Route failure.]

The messages overlapped in a chaotic cascade. “What…?”

He tapped frantically, but the interface jittered and shook. Notifications blinked erratically, as if the system itself had glitched. Then, one final screen emerged:

*Ruins of the Forgotten Temple*

An ancient temple devoted to a fallen being. Surrounded by monsters that thirst for blood. The only way out is to locate the temple and retrieve the key that activates the portal. But be warned… this challenge is not for the weak.

Objective: Find the key inside the temple, insert it into the mission statue, and activate the portal.

Difficulty: Hell.

Luke froze. He stared at the message, willing it to vanish, like sheer defiance might overwrite the screen. But it remained, pulsing faintly, glowing like a death sentence carved in light.

“No… this can’t be right.”

His body moved before his thoughts could catch up, legs tense, automatic. He began walking quickly, almost on instinct. The once-peaceful field now felt wrong: too open, too quiet. Apples were scattered across the ground like abandoned offerings. The trees stood too still, as if the entire scene wore a mask.

Then he saw it. Ruins. Half-hidden between the trees, a cluster of ancient stone buildings emerged, a fusion of Greek and medieval architecture: shattered, scorched, forgotten. Collapsed columns. Charred homes. Complete desolation. No other adventurers. No activity. Only silence.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Luke quickened his pace. His heartbeat slammed against his chest, each thump vibrating through his entire body. The muffled crunch of footsteps merged with his pulse, a rhythm of growing dread.

This wasn’t supposed to exist. The System is perfect.

But the reality screamed otherwise. He moved through broken remains, splintered wood snapping beneath his boots. Cracked stones were slick with moss and dust. The destruction was fresh, and the scent of something burned still lingered in the air. A shiver slid down his spine. Then he saw it. A statue. Weathered stone, darkened by time, cracked and crawling with moss. It wasn’t moving, but it felt like it was watching him.

“That’s the mission statue!”

He broke into a run, leaping over debris and dodging jagged rocks. His footsteps echoed sharply against the stillness. His breath came fast. Then Luke stumbled. He hit the ground hard, palms scraping against the coarse earth. As he pushed himself up, he felt it—something cold. Rigid. He turned his head and saw what he had fallen on. A body.

“Oh God!”

He scrambled backward, hands digging into the dirt as panic took control. He backed into a tree with a hard bump, sending apples thudding to the ground around him. He barely noticed. The corpse lay there, riddled with arrows, its face frozen in terror. It was recent. Luke’s chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven bursts, trembling as if the very air resisted entering his lungs. His shirt clung to his skin, damp with sweat.

What happened here?

He scanned the area, body tense. If that man had died here, then whatever killed him might still be watching, lurking behind a tree or crouched among the ruins. He swallowed, throat dry and raw. Reaching down, he picked up an apple from the ground, turning it in his hand. It was cold, slick with morning dew. He slipped it into his pocket. If something attacked, he could at least throw it… and run like hell.

Taking a breath, he stepped deeper into the center of the ruins. Each footfall echoed through the suffocating silence. Even the sound of leaves beneath his boots felt unnaturally loud. The statue stood tall, imposing.

Then it opened its mouth. A guttural sound rumbled from deep within. The voice that followed was strange—both male and female, as if two echoes overlapped. It carried weight, like it came from the stones, from the ground itself. It vibrated through his chest, challenging his heart to keep beating.

“Two paths lie before you, lost traveler.

The first is the trail of those who fear fate.

Step by step, rung by rung,

they descend into darkness as shadows without courage.

The second is the leap of the brave,

where only those who challenge death itself