New Found Strength

[Notice]

[You have entered the instant Dungeon.]

As Izuku passed through the portal, he felt a sudden shift in his surroundings. The familiar sights and sounds of his world faded away, replaced by an ethereal landscape bathed in hues of blue and purple. The ground beneath his feet felt solid yet somehow different, as if it were composed of some unknown material. The air carried a faint scent of ozone and a gentle breeze whispered through the landscape.

However, this enchanting experience abruptly came to an end when Izuku opened his eyes to find himself back in the familiar setting of the subway. The once bustling underground station now appeared dirtied and dingy, its walls adorned with grime and neglect. The air was thick with a putrid smell that permeated every corner, assaulting Izuku's nostrils and reminding him of the harsh reality he had momentarily escaped.

Looking around in confusion and frustration, Izuku asked aloud, "Did it fail? Why am I still here? What was that feeling before? Shit..." He released a heavy sigh and only looked at the ground, his fists clenched tightly. As he stood there, he heard a strange sound, like the air around him was hardening. Suddenly, the blue portal that had appeared before him turned into a solid wall, and before he could even process what was happening, it completely dissipated, as if it had never been there in the first place. "Wait, what's happening?!" Izuku exclaimed as he pounded his fist against the wall. "Damn it… it's gone," he muttered, pushing against the wall in frustration. Suddenly, he noticed a couple walking through the wall that he was unable to pass through as if it were not even there. "So others can pass through, but my entrance is blocked? I'm guessing I must complete some particular task before being allowed to leave," Izuku mused aloud as he sighed, watching the couple's obliviousness to his presence, as if he were a ghost.

As if responding to his words a familiar blue window suddenly appeared in front of him, its bright light shining through the subway tunnel.

[Notice]

[The host cannot leave the Dungeon. In order to leave the host must defeat the BOSS or use the Return Crystal.]

Izuku stared at the message as it hovered on the wall. "So there exists a boss and something called a Return Crystal. This just gets more and more like a game..." Izuku couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as he contemplated the implications. Letting out a weary sigh, Izuku turned his attention towards the subway station.

The dim light flickered intermittently, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. The distant scurrying of rats and other creatures echoed through the desolate underground space. The subway appeared shrouded in darkness, giving off an aura of abandonment and solitude.

With a resolute expression on his face, Izuku muttered to himself, "Looks like there's only one thing to do..." Stepping forward into the depths of the subway, he braced himself for what lay ahead. His emerald eyes reflected determination, yet concealed within them was a subtle undercurrent of fear.

Soon, a soul-piercing howl resonated from the depths of the subway, sending shivers down Izuku's spine. With determination etched on his face, he pressed forward, his fists tightly clenched at his sides. The flickering lights hanging above him cast eerie shadows on the cracked cement walls, intensifying the unsettling atmosphere that permeated the subway station.

As Izuku surveyed his surroundings, he couldn't help but notice shreds of grass defiantly sprouting between the unforgiving cracks in the pavement, a stark contrast to the desolation that surrounded him. The once bustling store gates now stood firmly shut and locked, with moss and vines slowly taking over them as Izuku reached a cross-section.

'What should I do...What should I do?' Izuku pondered, his gaze fixed down the hallways as he took a deep breath. Contemplating his next move, Izuku's thoughts drifted to the first Random Box he had received for completing the Penalty Quest. He muttered to himself, "Relying on luck seems risky, but what other options do I have?" Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention, accompanied by a menacing growl that echoed through the surroundings. Izuku's eyes snapped towards the source of the growl, only to find a red-furred beast leaping towards him with intent to decapitate him. Reacting swiftly, Izuku propelled himself backward, narrowly evading the creature as it skidded along the floor its claws digging into the cement. "A-A wolf?" Izuku's emerald eyes scanned the creature as he assumed a defensive stance, momentarily captivated before a blood-red name materialized above the beast's head.

[STEEL FANG RAIKAN]

The beast's red fur, vibrant and striking, seeming to glow in the dim light of the subway. But it was not just the color of its fur that caught Izuku's attention. The wolf possessed a lower jaw that appeared to be made of metal, adding an eerie and menacing touch to its already fearsome appearance.

As Izuku's eyes met the wolf's gaze, he was immediately drawn to its piercing crimson eyes. Eyes seeming to hold an otherworldly intensity, as if they could see into the depths of one's soul. They glowed with an inner fire, reflecting the primal instincts and power that resided within this predator.

The sheer size of the wolf was awe-inspiring. It towered over him, its massive body easily twice the size of a large dog. Every muscle rippled beneath its thick coat of fur, giving it an air of strength and agility.

Izuku gulped as he clenched his fist, taking in the sight of the wolf. "So I have to fight a fucking wolf! I've never fought in my life," Izuku muttered to himself, his voice filled with a mix of uncertainty and determination. "Beaten up... yes, fought... oh hell no."

Izuku's mind raced with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he was terrified of the unknown and unsure if he possessed the strength to face the wolf. On the other hand, a flicker of defiance burned within him. He refused to let fear dictate his actions any longer.

Izuku's past experiences flashed before his eyes with every punch thrown at him, every insult hurled his way. The memories fueled his resolve to stand up for himself and prove that he was not weak. This encounter with the wolf symbolized a turning point in his life a chance for him to finally break free from the chains of victimhood.

The beast growled again, revealing its sharp teeth as saliva dripped from its mouth. Izuku looked down, seeing he didn't move an inch even though despite thinking he had. "Am I really that afraid?" he wondered, trying to muster up the courage to face the beast. 'Come on, move damn it !' The beast crouched low, its body tense and ready to pounce, as it prepared to charge at Izuku.

Izuku swiftly leaped to the side, narrowly evading the wolf's vicious attempt to attack him. Determination burned in his eyes as he muttered, "I can't live in fear forever I must embrace change!" He willed his legs to move, fixating his gaze on the menacing creature before him. "You moved instinctively once before, damn it... Do it again!"

Without hesitation, the wolf lunged once more, its gaping jaws elongating as Izuku instinctively jerked his head to the left, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp metal teeth that snapped shut where his head had just been. The resounding clang of metal echoed throughout the subway, intensifying the adrenaline coursing through Izuku's veins.

Reacting swiftly, Izuku propelled himself backward, utilizing his hands to push off the ground and land on his head with a forceful thud against the cold metal gate. A grunt escaped his lips as he found himself suspended upside down, now viewing the world from an inverted perspective. The snarling figure of the wolf loomed above him, its ferocity undeterred as it locked its gaze onto Izuku.

"Shit...!" Izuku said as he pushed off the floor, doing a handstand with ease as if he did acrobatics his whole life. 'My body feels lighter, as if a weight has been lifted off me!' With a graceful motion, Izuku pushed off the ground with his hands, swiftly righting himself and landing firmly on both feet. He stood face to face with the beast as it went for another attack. A small smile tugged at the corners of Izuku's lips as he said, "This power really is something else." He pulled his fist back and said, "I had my dreams crushed and stepped on, and I almost died a few days ago. I'll be damned if I'm dying now!" Izuku slammed his fist against the metal jaw of the wolf the sound of flesh and metal clashing resounded. The force of the impact caused the wolf's jaws to snap shut before its massive body was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the sturdy metal gates and causing them to cave in under the immense pressure.

Izuku staggers back his hand hurting a bit as he raised his hand, seeing a soft green glow around it. 'Interesting this must be because of my increase in my strength stat.' Izuku said as he curiously and thoughtfully looked at his hand which protruded a soft green glow. 'I wonder what else I can do now?' Izuku said as he reflected on his actions thus far. "16 pathetic years of being a quirkless kid being bullied, beaten, and laughed at...It could finally be over" he said with a relieved sigh. Suddenly a growl snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked back towards the metal gate. Izuku watched as the wolf walked out of the broken storefront, its body had visible bruises and its metal jaw dented, blood trickling from its mouth. 'I did damage… but It's still stronger than me!'

Charging forward Izuku met up with the wolf and punched it as many times as he could struggling desperately to not get hit. However, his poor fighting skills and lack of combat experience proved to be his downfall as he suffered much damage. His left arm was numb as it dripped with blood. The wolf's bite left a deep mark on his leg, causing immense pain. As Izuku leaped backward to evade another attack, his labored grunts and heavy breaths filled the air. Frustration welled up within him as he realized that his relentless assault had barely affected the wolf as he said, 'It's barely affected by my hits… and I'm covered in bruises I don't know how much longer I'll be able to go... On the first enemy...I need to keep pushing I'm not dying here!' Izuku said as he then leaped away, but not before a claw mark was left across his thigh. "Inventory!" Izuku said as the blue screen popped up next to him as the wolf was digging itself out of the metal hole it created in a different gate. Izuku's eyes scan over the Random Loot Box he received from the nightmare run called the Penalty Quest. His hand quickly reaches into the screen, grabbing the box as it emerges in his hand. "I'm not the type of person to rely on luck over my brain but what other choice do I have it's either I die here or hopefully pull out something useful to kill this thing." Without hesitation, Izuku crushed the box as blue light flashed throughout the subway causing the wolf to go blind for some time. When the light diminished blue particles formed in Izuku's arm as an old damaged axe materialized in his palm. 

[Item: Old Steel Axe]

Name: ???

Tier: Common

Type: Axe

Attack: Extremely Low (10)

Durability: Poor (7/10)

Special Abilities: None

Enhancement Potential: Limited 

[A random old axe on the verge of breaking grants the user +10 attack power.]

Izuku swung the axe with all his might, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly hiss. The wolf's vision returned, and it dashed towards him with a bloodthirsty snarl. Izuku's heart raced as he struggled to keep his footing, the axe's heavy head threatening to pull him off balance. He swung the axe in a forward motion, the blade embedding deep into the wolf's flesh as it lunged at him. The beast's body split in two, its intestines spilling out like a gory fountain of blood and intestines. The wolf's lifeless eyes stared at Izuku as it collapsed to the ground, its final breath a faint whimper.

Gagging, Izuku vomited uncontrollably as he looked at the sight of the wolf. Exhaustion and drainage, took over him as he dropped down to the ground, his gaze now fixated on the numerous window notifications flooding his screen

[Notice]

[The host has Defeated The Steel Fang Raikan!]

[Notice]

[YOU LEVELED UP]

With a heavy breath, Izuku breathes out, clutching the axe in front of him. "I could have died...This thing saved my life. And looks like I leveled up...Good." However, a sudden growl took Izuku's attention as he looked down the hallway as two more names popped up next to each other. Red eyes pierced the darkness that surrounded the wolf he just killed as two other Stell Fang Raikan's emerged. "Damn it...More? I'm Injured... and tired but I...I'm not afraid anymore!" Izuku managed to utter amidst labored gasps, tightening his grip on the bloodied axe. The wolves charge towards him, both lunging with ferocity.

Izuku swung the axe once more, the hiss of the air splitting resounding. When the axe landed on one of the wolves, it only got a shallow cut on the side. The second one caught the blade between its teeth, as the blade began to crack. "Shit!", Izuku grunted as he strained with all his might, pushing the blade further into the beast's mouth. With a loud crunch, the wolf's teeth shattered and pieces of the blade hit the floor. The beast's eyes soon became white, as Izuku pulled the axe from its mouth, cutting the wolf in half. The metal jaw of the wolf dropped to the ground with a clank, landing in a pool of its own blood and saliva. The first wolf gazed upon its dead comrade before turning its attention to Izuku, who stood tall, his emerald eyes glowing with power and his clothes and face stained with blood. 

With a confident smile plastered on his face, and in heavy breaths, Izuku exclaimed, "You monsters are tough, but you're getting weaker! I'm sure soon I'll be stronger than you even!" He watched with anticipation as the beast lowered itself, and the shadows surrounded it, only its red eyes showing before they disappeared.

Izuku breathed out a sigh as he pulled up his status sheet noticing the multiple changes to his stats.

[Status]

Name: Midoriya Izuku Level: 2

Job: None Fatigue: 62

Title: None 

HP: 98/205 

MP: 35/35

Strength: 18(10) Vitality: 11

Agility: 13 Intelligence: 12

Sense: 11 

Remaining points: 0

Skills

[Passive] 

?(Unknown) Max

Muscularity LV.1

[Active]

Sprint Lv.1

"I put some points in my strength stat and a few in my agility… but every time I level up, it seems that each stat goes up by one too. This just keeps getting better!" Izuku said, rubbing his chin as he looked at the blue screen in front of him. "Clearing the daily quest gives me the option to pick 3 stat points… if I were to level up every day, I could gain a total of 5 stat points, given I pick the +3 stat points as a completion reward!" Izuku said, taking a deep breath to keep the information organized since he didn't have his notebook. "Killing monsters and leveling up is more effective at gaining stat points… but how much stronger do I become with each stat point? Could my stats be weighted?" Izuku pondered, considering the possibility.

Izuku looked at the wounds that littered his body as he sighed in resignation. "Nothing new, but the pains still there, although a little lesser now." Glancing over at the two dead bodies of the wolves that attacked him Izuku said "I'm getting stronger before I would have died from just a scratch from these beasts." Izuku said as he utilized the hilt of his axe to rise up from the ground and walked towards the bodies. "So, this power can even make creatures and beasts for me to fight and get stronger?" He mused, a subtle hum escaping his lips. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind and he gently touched the jaw of the wolf before ripping out one of its teeth. Immediately after a new information window popped up as information on the fang he ripped out emerged. 

[Item: Steel Fang Raikan Fang]

Item class: None

Name: Raikan's Fang

Tier: Common

Type: Junk

Attack: Irrelevant (1)

Durability: Poor (4/10)

Special Abilities: None

Enhancement Potential: Extremely low

[A large and sharp fang of a Steel Fang Raikan.]

[The host can keep it in the inventory or sell it in the store.]

"It worked. And there's even a store..." Izuku said as the store screen menu popped up next to him while he was crouched over the dead Raikan. He looked at the multitude of possible items to choose from as his interest and curiosity grew. He decided to test the buy function on an Item called [Aetheral Shadow Scythe] as he said "Buy", but the system informed him he was not at a high enough level to buy from the store. "Okay, looks like new players can't use this function then... what about selling?" Izuku said as he spoke the word "Sell". "There has to be a way to make this touchscreen..." Izuku thought to himself as he surveyed the new information that had appeared on the window.

[Notice]

[Does the host wish to sell Stell Fang Raikan Fang for 20 gold?]

"Seems that there's a form of currency as well. Although I'm unsure what this is worth in cash.", Izuku pondered as he looked up towards the dark subway. "This is a dungeon… There's no telling what else could be lurking within here." He sighed before standing up. "It says I can't leave unless I kill the boss. I always have the return crystal… but would I be able to return back here if I did? There's still a lot about this system that I'm uncertain of so it's best to continue while I'm still able to." Izuku thought as he looked over the question of the system. "Decline," Izuku said as he looked at the axe's blade as blood trickled down it. Gripping the hilt of his axe tightly, Izuku surveyed the two wolves before him and began to cut away at their hides and limbs, his movements clumsy and unskilled as he was still feeling queasy from the sight before him and was inexperienced at butchering animals. Although his actions were crude and unrefined, Izuku's goal was to salvage as much as he could from the animals, as he carefully stored the pieces in his Inventory. 

Soon a low growl came from the end of the hallway leading into the deeper part of the station. Izuku looked overseeing a single wolf staring at him, its crimson eyes blazing with hatred. As if in response, multiple crimson eyes lit up behind the visible wolf, accompanied by a howl. The pack of beasts numbering in the hundreds then began charging towards him a smirk forming his face as he raised his axe. "Here we go again...Let's see how many levels I'll get out of them." His voice reverberated through the hallway. "I'm pretty sure I already died once before. No harm in dancing with death again if I can survive." With that, Izuku lunged forward into the pack of beasts.

As Izuku started attacking, flashes of green and blue intertwining mixed with each swing slicing through one wolf after another their blood and innards painting the ground, and Izuku. One of the wolves made it behind him, as it bit his hoodie and dragged him to the ground. In motion Izuku quickly swung backward, killing the wolf. "I won't die that easily!" Izuku said as he glared back towards the wolves in front of him. "So, you all should put up a good fight." Izuku's eyes glow blue before attacking with ferocity. 'This world is built on fighting,' Izuku killed three wolves before mowing down more. 'fighting with everything on the line. My life, my goals, my dreams, everything!' Izuku said as he swung his axe with all his might toward a wolf's head as it was decapitated.

[Notice]

[YOU LEVELED UP]

'I finally understand,' Izuku growled as he brought his weapon crashing down on the beast, sending a shower of blood and entrails raining down. Its dying wails echoed in the air. 'I always let them beat me never able to fight back.'

[Notice]

[YOU LEVELED UP]

Izuku's heart raced as the wolf lunged for him, but he managed to dodge out of the way, slicing the beast's legs off in a gagged swing. He then proceeded to hack away at its body with relentless ferocity. 'If I quit here, I'll be killed I'll never be able to prove to them."

[Notice]

[YOU LEVELED UP]

Izuku slammed the axe down on another wolf's skull, the heavy blade sinking deep into its brain. The creature let out a pained howl as it collapsed to the ground, twitching and convulsing in its final moments. The smell of blood and sweat filled the air as Izuku raised the axe high above his head, preparing to strike again.

Another wolf charged toward him, jaws open wide, but Izuku was ready. He swung the axe in a wide arc, the blade biting deep into the wolf's neck as it started to chip away. The creature's body jerked backward, its legs stiffening as it bled out rapidly. Izuku pulled the axe free, the wolf's blood splattering onto his clothes and skin. Izuku turned to face the remaining wolves, his eyes burning a deep blue.

'If I die here I'll never be able to prove to him...' The figure of All Might flashed in his mind as he swung towards another wolf hacking away at its skull. 'That I can be something, not a hero nor a villain but something more!' Izuku walked towards the remaining wolves as he pulled the axe out of the one he just killed. 'I won't keep my head down like a weakling anymore!' Izuku swung the axe in front of him before gripping the handle with two hands. 'If I can become stronger… I'll follow these rules to get there!' Izuku roared dashing forward with the axe, ready to strike.

[Notice]

[YOU LEVELED UP!]

Soon the last wolf fell to the ground, its body still and lifeless. Izuku stood over it, his chest heaving as he panted for breath. He looked down at the axe in his hands, the blade covered in blood and gore. "It's finished," before his own body gave way, collapsing onto the ground. Surrounding him laid a multitude of wolf corpses, their blood splattered across the walls and ceiling, creating a macabre tableau. As he exhaled, sweat and blood dripping from his head, Izuku surveyed the carnage he had caused. 

With a grunt, Izuku used the axe to lever himself up, and muttered "It's finally done." Taking a few steps forward he looked at the wolves once more as he began to salvage the pieces. With each swing of the axe, he crudely chopped away the pieces of the wolves putting the pieces in his inventory. Continuing to go deeper into the station Izuku walked into an open area where the gates were. He turns his head, seeing a wall of shadows and darkness as crimson eyes light up within. Izuku turned and faced them as he breathed out a sigh looking at the damaged axe in hand. "Let's finish this before this axe gives out..." Izuku said as he walked towards the next hoard of Wolves.

[Notice]

The Player has earned [Title: Wolf Slayer].

A/N: Due to my midterms being this Thursday I will be putting my all into studying meaning there sadly won't be a chapter ready for next week but don't worry I'll be back before you know it. Wish me luck!