Life

Steven stared at the book for a long moment.

"...It's cool."

He really meant it.

Vine Grasp wasn't a bad skill at all.

He could already picture it.

A vine shooting from his hand, wrapping around an enemy before yanking it closer like some kind of botanical Spider-Man.

With fourteen Wisdom, the skill would probably perform fairly well.

Still...

He shook his head.

"It just isn't me."

He wasn't interested in fighting with vines.

He wanted to punch things.

Kick things.

Be right in the middle of the fight.

The skill simply didn't fit his style.

Rather than learning it, he tucked the book away into his Inventory.

"I'll sell it later."

His HP was still dangerously low.

20 / 100

"So..."

"Meditation first."

Before beginning, however, Steven remembered the three Skill Points he'd accumulated.

He immediately invested all three into Eternal Breath.

The warm golden icon shimmered as the skill leveled.

Previously, two upgrades had dramatically increased its effectiveness.

The first had effectively doubled its healing speed.

The second had increased that even further, to roughly seventy-five percent faster than before.

These three new upgrades pushed it even further.

By the System's own estimate...

Its healing performance now operated at roughly one hundred and fifty percent above its original effectiveness.

Steven grinned.

"Fantastic."

Next came his attributes.

Three levels.

Fifteen Status Points.

Without hesitation—

Six into Strength.

Six into Dexterity.

Immediately his muscles tightened.

His posture felt more stable.

His reflexes noticeably sharper.

His updated Status read:

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 20

The remaining three...

He considered for a moment.

Then shrugged.

"Good measure."

Three points entered Charisma.

Charisma: 9

"It can't hurt."

Satisfied, Steven crossed his legs on the stone floor.

"Eternal Breath."

Warmth flooded his body.

The difference was incredible.

The acid burns faded almost visibly.

Bruises disappeared.

His aching muscles relaxed.

By the time boredom finally forced him to open his eyes...

His Status displayed:

HP: 100 / 100

"...Okay."

"I officially love this skill."

Following the map he'd created himself, Steven easily retraced his steps through the ruins and emerged back into the forest.

The Mapping skill had already proven worth every Skill Point.

"No getting lost anymore."

He wandered even deeper into the woods.

Along the way he continued clearing wandering plant monsters.

Flowers.

Flytraps.

Animated vines.

Walking bushes.

None of them posed much threat anymore.

His twenty Strength and twenty Dexterity made an enormous difference.

Whenever another Leaf of Life dropped, he casually tossed it into his Inventory.

Eventually...

Four more leaves joined the stack.

Leaf of Life ×12

"Nice."

The forest suddenly opened into a wide clearing.

Only one creature stood within.

Steven immediately stopped walking.

"...Well."

"That looks important."

The monster resembled an enormous tree nearly twenty feet tall.

Despite its height, it was surprisingly thin.

Four long branch-like arms hung from its trunk.

A huge leafy canopy sat atop its head like an oversized green afro.

Two large knots served as eyes.

Below them...

A gigantic mouth stretched across the trunk itself.

Jagged wooden teeth filled the opening.

The thing looked permanently angry.

Steven wisely kept his distance.

"Identify."

A familiar blue window appeared.

Living Tree of the Forest

"..."

"...Of course."

He sighed.

"Still vague."

Nothing else.

No weaknesses.

No level.

Nothing.

"Thanks, System."

Steven cracked his knuckles.

"Guess we're doing this."

The Living Tree roared.

Its branch-like arms whipped toward him.

Steven charged.

His enhanced Dexterity let him weave beneath the first swing.

He drove a powerful punch directly into the trunk.

THUD!

The Slime Gloves hissed.

Acid immediately began eating into the bark.

The tree bellowed.

Another arm swept sideways.

Steven ducked.

Spun.

Delivered a crushing kick into the monster's side.

Chunks of bark exploded outward.

The fight became a relentless exchange.

The Living Tree's reach was enormous.

But Steven's speed had dramatically improved.

His movements flowed naturally.

Punch.

Slip.

Kick.

Counter.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The tree landed only a handful of glancing blows.

By the end...

One final flying kick shattered the monster's trunk completely.

The towering tree groaned.

Then slowly collapsed before dissolving into countless green particles.

Steven checked his Status.

HP: 72 / 100

"...Could've been worse."

Then something appeared where the boss had fallen.

Not one leaf.

Not two.

An entire stack.

Steven rushed over.

Leaf of Life ×33

"..."

"...SCORE!"

He pumped both fists into the air.

"YES!"

The leaves vanished into his Inventory.

Leaf of Life ×45

"Jackpot."

Immediately afterward...

The world became strange.

The clearing blurred.

Colors stretched.

Light intensified.

Everything became hazy.

Steven blinked.

Then blinked again.

The forest was gone.

Instead...

He stood in the middle of the neighborhood playground.

Children laughed nearby.

Parents chatted on benches.

The enormous white Gate...

Had vanished completely.

Steven slowly smiled.

"...I did it."

"I cleared my first Gate."

It wasn't anything prestigious.

It had only been a beginner dungeon.

But...

It was his.

His first victory as a Player.

That alone made it special.

The final boss's experience pushed him up another level.

Level Up!

+5 Status Points

+1 Skill Point

He looked over his Status.

Without much thought...

Every Status Point went into Constitution.

Immediately his Health increased.

Constitution: 15

Maximum HP: 150

"Now we're talking."

The extra Skill Point, however...

He decided to save.

"No need to spend it immediately."

It was only around two in the afternoon.

Steven pulled out his phone.

"Let's see if anyone wants that skill book."

He opened the Player Marketplace.

Unfortunately...

No one currently had buy orders posted for Vine Grasp.

"Hm."

He checked the sales history instead.

Recent transactions averaged around—

$10,000

Steven rubbed his chin.

"...Or..."

"I could undercut everyone."

Five thousand dollars was still an incredible amount of money to him.

He listed it.

Vine Grasp Skill Book

$5,000

"Quick sale."

He locked his phone and started walking home.

Less than fifteen minutes later—

Buzz.

His phone vibrated.

Skill Book Sold

Item automatically removed from Inventory.

Funds transferred to Player Account.

Steven blinked.

"...Player account?"

"I never gave them my banking details."

Curious, he explored the financial section of the app.

Apparently every Player automatically possessed a secure System-managed account.

Money earned through the marketplace was deposited there first.

Players could then voluntarily link a normal bank account.

Steven did exactly that.

Within moments...

The five thousand dollars transferred into his regular checking account.

Then he noticed another line.

Dungeon earnings are tax exempt under current federal law.

Steven stared.

"...Seriously?"

"No taxes?"

He laughed.

"I love being a Player."

Five thousand dollars richer...

Steven decided to celebrate.

He stopped at Taco Bell.

Two chicken quesadillas.

Extra creamy jalapeño sauce.

A side of cheesy potatoes.

One large Baja Blast.

"Light ice," he added automatically.

More drink.

Less ice.

Basic economics.

Sitting alone by the window with his tray in front of him...

Steven smiled.

A week ago he'd been wondering whether he'd ever walk again.

Now...

He'd earned five thousand dollars in a single dungeon.

Life was changing.

Fast.

Rather than immediately diving back into another Gate, Steven spent the next week rebuilding the parts of his normal life he'd neglected for years.

The first priority...

His driver's license.

He retook the required tests, renewed the expired license, and walked out with a valid card in his wallet once again.

Step one.

Done.

Step two...

His car.

His little silver 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage had spent years sitting motionless.

He'd refused to sell it, even when people told him he should.

"If I ever walk again..."

He'd always told himself.

"I'll drive it again."

Now...

That day had finally arrived.

He rolled the Mirage onto jack stands in front of the house.

Off came the wheels.

The old battery was removed next.

His mother happily drove him to the local tire shop in her SUV.

Rather than buying the cheapest option...

Steven treated himself.

A fresh set of Falken Sincera all-season tires in 165/65R14.

Nothing flashy.

Just dependable.

Perfect for a fuel-sipping three-cylinder commuter.

Since he was already there...

He exchanged his dead battery as a core and bought a brand-new Odyssey battery.

The most expensive one they stocked.

"...Why not?"

Twenty minutes later...

The technicians had the new tires mounted and balanced.

Steven loaded everything into the SUV.

On the drive home...

He made one more stop.

A car audio shop.

This time...

He wasn't practical.

He bought what he wanted.

New 6.5-inch Kicker speakers for the front and rear doors.

A loaded Kicker subwoofer enclosure.

An AudioControl five-channel amplifier.

A new Jensen floating-screen head unit.

And every wiring harness, fuse, connector, and installation accessory he'd need.

The receipt made him wince.

Then smile.

"I earned it."

Back home, he attacked the project methodically.

Fresh tires went on first.

Then the new battery.

Every old fluid that had sat stagnant for years was drained into his battered drain pan.

Old gasoline.

Engine oil.

Coolant.

Transmission fluid.

Everything.

Using his mother's SUV again, he made another trip to the auto parts store.

Fresh oil.

Fresh coolant.

Fresh transmission fluid.

A five-gallon gas can.

Then one final stop at a gas station.

Fresh fuel.

Back in his driveway, he carefully refilled every system.

The Mirage was ready.

Steven turned the key.

The little three-cylinder engine hesitated.

Coughed once.

Then...

Vrrrm.

It settled into a smooth idle.

Steven rested a hand on the steering wheel.

"...Welcome back."

The following day belonged entirely to the stereo.

He carefully removed the factory radio.

Ran new speaker wire.

Mounted the amplifier.

Installed the subwoofer.

Connected the floating-screen Jensen unit.

Spent hours tuning crossover points, gain levels, equalization, and timing until everything sounded exactly the way he wanted.

When he finally finished...

He sat in the driver's seat.

Started the car.

Turned on some music.

The crisp highs.

Clear mids.

Deep bass.

Steven leaned back and smiled.

His driver's license was renewed.

His car was running better than ever.

He had money in the bank.

His body worked again.

And somewhere out there...

More Gates were waiting.

For the first time in a very long time, it felt like every part of his life—not just the dungeon-filled part—was finally coming together.