Dimension Beta

As Tom and Felix reached deeper into the cave, Felix suddenly stopped and gestured for Tom to be silent.

Ahead of them stretched a massive chamber. Several kobolds were carrying crudely built wooden crates through the room and taking them deeper into the dungeon.

"What's in the crates, and where are they taking them?" Tom asked Felix in a hushed tone.

"The crates are full of ores, but I'm not sure where they're bringing them," Felix replied.

"What could they possibly be doing with so many ores?" Tom wondered aloud.

"Let's go deeper. Follow me," Felix said, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I thought we weren't going that deep," Tom protested.

"Oh, don't be such a scaredy-cat. Together, we can take on all the monsters in this dungeon!" Felix said confidently.

Tom didn't want to go further, but Felix had already started moving. Despite his reservations, Tom couldn't leave Felix to face this alone. He quickly caught up to his friend.

"I knew I could count on you," Felix said with a grin.

The two crept further into the room. In the center were countless crates of ore, guarded by several kobolds. Tom was about to attack when Felix grabbed him and pulled him back behind cover. The slight noise from their movement caused one kobold to glance in their direction, but neither of them was seen.

"What?" Felix whispered.

"Those aren't normal kobolds," Tom said with a grim expression. He quickly explained his previous encounter in the cave and how he had nearly died.

Felix thought for a moment, his eyes scanning the kobolds in the chamber.

"These are definitely the ones that drop magical items. I recognize them from the pictures on the forums. The enrage effect you described sounds dangerous, but I think we can handle it," Felix reasoned.

Felix made a move to charge in, but Tom pulled him back again.

"Dude, stop that and listen. At least pick them off one by one."

"But how? They're pretty close together," Felix pointed out.

Tom had a plan. He picked up a rock and threw it far off to the side. A few kobolds heard the noise and turned to investigate. At the same time, Tom hurled another stone at a nearby kobold and quickly ducked behind cover.

The startled kobold, hit by the stone, growled angrily and headed toward where the rock had come from. Tom and Felix retreated further into a side tunnel as Tom threw another rock to lure the kobold further in.

Tom's plan worked perfectly. As the unsuspecting kobold approached, both of them leaped from their hiding spot. Tom unleashed a flurry of punches while Felix planted his banner and drew his sword. The kobold charged at Felix in a blind rage, ignoring Tom entirely.

Both attacked relentlessly, but Felix quickly started sweating. "Damn it, my health bar is already at 50%! Hurry up!" he shouted.

Their strikes became more frantic, and luckily for Felix, the kobold went down before he reached critical health.

Tom pulled out a health potion and handed it to Felix.

"Whoa, where did you get potions from?" Felix asked as he drank it. "I thought there weren't any left in our town. Even the surrounding towns are all out."

"I have my ways," Tom said with a smirk.

"Tch… lucky. Hey, did it drop anything?" Felix asked eagerly.

Tom checked, but to their disappointment, there was no loot. Felix was annoyed that their first opponent dropped nothing, but Tom managed to salvage something by skinning the kobold.

Watching Tom skillfully handle his knife, Felix whistled. "Not bad, bro," he said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Tom inspected the hide:

[Corrupted Kobold Hide]

A once-normal kobold, corrupted by the darkness.

A chill ran down Tom's spine as he read the description. Just then, a horn echoed through the cave, loud and foreboding.

"We need to get out of here!" Tom yelled, bolting toward the exit.

"What? But we just got…" Felix started, but the cave began to tremble violently.

In the center of the chamber, where the crates had been piled, a blue vortex formed, expanding into a shimmering dome. From the vortex emerged eerie figures made of rotting flesh clinging to their bones. Though sluggish in movement, they were clad in heavy plate armor.

The creatures began collecting the crates, hauling them back into the vortex. More emerged, repeating the process in an endless, unsettling rhythm.

Felix started to speak, but Tom clamped a hand over his mouth and glared at him, his eyes warning, "Don't make a sound."

The worst was yet to come. Another figure stepped through the vortex. This one had crimson red hair and wore clothing that resembled that of nobility. A long black cape, a pristine white shirt, extravagant purple trousers, and pointed leather shoes that emphasized his elegant build. His sharp, angular face exuded an otherworldly beauty, so striking that even Tom found the man mesmerizing.

The man barked commands at the gathered kobolds, clearly furious about something.

Tom froze, praying they wouldn't be noticed. But as if sensing their presence, the man turned his piercing gaze toward their hiding spot.

The skeletal creatures immediately dropped what they were doing and charged toward them.

"Run!" Tom shouted, grabbing Felix by the arm and pulling him toward another exit.

Their escape route was blocked by kobolds, so Tom veered into an unfamiliar tunnel, yelling, "This way!"

The two ran as fast as they could through the twisting tunnels, the horde of monsters close on their heels. They came to a sudden dead end.

"Damn it!" Tom cursed.

"Then we go down fighting!" Felix yelled, throwing himself into the approaching horde.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tom screamed, but it was too late. Felix was already battling four monsters at once.

"You idiot!" Tom shouted, reluctantly joining the fight. He knew Felix had no strategy or experience. If only they had used the narrow corridor to their advantage, they could have fought off the monsters one by one. Instead, they were now surrounded.

Felix was quickly overwhelmed and fell after just thirty seconds of combat, leaving Tom alone.

"This is hopeless," Tom thought bitterly. He regretted following Felix into the dungeon. He would lose a level and twelve hours of playtime. He wouldn't even be able to explain to Pablo why he didn't show up at the tavern.

Tom retreated to the narrowest part of the corridor, forcing the monsters to fight him one at a time. He recognized the kobolds' attack patterns from his earlier battles and managed to dodge most of their strikes.

The first kobold fell, then the second. With each enemy, Tom grew more precise, taking fewer hits.

By the fifth kobold, Tom's health was dangerously low. He pulled a healing potion from his spatial pouch, one of the gifts his mother had included when she gave it to him.

With five potions left, Tom resolved to make every one count. If he was going to die, he might as well gain as much XP as possible beforehand.

After defeating twenty kobolds and using three more potions, a grotesque bone monster appeared.

It attacked sluggishly with sharp claws, and Tom was able to dodge easily. However, every strike he landed on its heavily armored body registered as -0. Even his most powerful attacks did no damage.

"This can't be happening," he muttered, striking again and again.

-0

-0

-0

Frustration consumed him. He aimed for the head, but the monster blocked with its arms every time.

"I refuse to believe I can't kill you!" Tom shouted, attacking relentlessly. But after three minutes of futile effort, he made a fatal mistake.

The monster feinted, then drove its claws deep into Tom's side. Pain shot through him as he lost 80% of his health in an instant. The creature grabbed him with its bony, decayed hands, immobilizing him.

Tom struggled but couldn't break free. Desperate, he reared his head back and smashed it into the creature's face.

-50 appeared above Tom's head, indicating the self-inflicted damage. But to his surprise, a -1 appeared above the monster.

"Ha! You're not invincible after all, you filthy pile of bones!" Tom shouted triumphantly.

But his victory was short-lived. The monster began dragging him toward the vortex at the center of the chamber.

Nearly all the crates had been transported through the vortex, which Tom assumed was some kind of portal leading to another place.

The handsome man Tom had seen earlier stood with his back to him, speaking to the kobolds in a harsh tone.

"Krik nah vork me son!" the man barked.

One of the kobolds responded angrily, "Hakr sob mrk!" pointing furiously at Tom.

The man turned sharply, shouting at the kobold, "Kark hodk bak hamak!"

Reluctantly, the kobolds grumbled and turned away, clearly displeased but obeying the command. Tom couldn't understand a word, but it was obvious they were talking about him.

The man turned back to Tom and approached him, his movements fluid and deliberate. He reached out and stroked Tom's cheek, speaking in his strange language. "Nolk berg hask turn tet?"

"Get your hands off me, you freak! I don't understand a word you're saying!" Tom snapped, biting toward the man's fingers.

The skeletal creature holding Tom squeezed tighter, forcing him to stop mid-attack.

"A feisty one, I see," the man said suddenly in Tom's language. "So, you don't speak the monster tongue, young man."

Tom was stunned that the man could suddenly speak his language.

"What do you want from me?" Tom demanded. "Just kill me or let me go!"

"Oh, such anger," the man said with an unsettling smile. He gestured toward the kobolds. "If it were up to them, you'd already be simmering in a pot of soup to fill their bellies. They've demanded your death, given the number of their kin you've slaughtered."

The man leaned closer, his crimson eyes boring into Tom's. "But I… I see potential in you. Serve me, and I will resurrect your body as one of my warriors. With this new form, you will gain immortality and powers beyond your imagination."

A quest window suddenly appeared before Tom.

[Race Change Quest Detected]

Lampus Rüdiger of the Undead Faction has offered you the chance to become his minion in exchange for an undying body and immense power.

[Accept] [Decline]

Tom stared at the quest prompt in shock. He hadn't expected the opportunity to change his race to come this early in the game!