Chapter 10: Bizarre Notification (A Quest)

Chapter 10: Bizarre Notification (A Quest)

**[Death✓]**

**[Quest 1✓]**

**[Welcome to the Underworld]**

Axel's eyes snapped open, the cold, unyielding text of the notification searing into his brain. 'The underworld? How the hell is that possible?'

He shot to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest as he checked his body for injuries. To his astonishment, every wound from the battle was gone, not even a scar remained. His muscles felt strong, his senses sharp. He was... healed?

'I thought I died. I did die. So why am I still here?' Panic surged through him as he scanned the dark, enclosed space for clues about his location. But there was nothing, no sign of life, no way out. He was trapped in some kind of cave, the faint, eerie light barely illuminating the jagged rocks around him.

And then there were the notifications, hovering in his vision, impossible to ignore.

**[Quest: Kill the Boss of the Entrance]**

**[You have received a weapon. Would you like to view it?]**

Axel's mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. The words floating before him were alien, yet somehow familiar. It was too much to process, too surreal to accept—but what choice did he have? He had to survive, no matter how bizarre this was.

"Uh... Can you display my weapon?" Axel asked hesitantly, his voice echoing in the dark cavern.

The response was immediate.

**[Weapon: War-Damaged Dagger (User has been proficient with daggers for years according to bio. This is the best weapon that suits you.)]**

'At least the system seems to know me,' Axel thought, though it did little to ease his nerves. But where was the weapon?

His question was answered as the dagger materialized before him, hovering in midair. Axel grabbed it instinctively as it dropped, the cold steel sending a shiver up his spine. The blade was worn and rusted, its edge jagged and scarred from countless battles—but it was still sharp. Deadly sharp.

'A brown hilt and a tough blade... this could fetch some decent cash back on Earth,' Axel mused, weighing the dagger in his hand with a merchant's instinct. But his thoughts were interrupted by a low, guttural growl that sent a chill down his spine.

A few yards away, a beast emerged from the shadows. It was like nothing Axel had ever seen—a monstrous, dog-like creature with enormous fangs dripping with saliva, its bulky frame covered in thick, spiked armor. Its eyes gleamed with a primal hunger, and its breath came in ragged, menacing huffs.

'What the hell is this thing?' Axel's hands trembled as he gripped the dagger tighter, his legs shaking uncontrollably. The beast was unlike any alien or monster he had ever encountered. It was something far worse.

**[Hellish Hound: Easy-Grade Beast]**

"Easy?!" Axel spat out incredulously, but there was no time to question the absurdity of it.

The Hellish Hound roared, launching itself at Axel with terrifying speed, its jaws wide open, aiming straight for his throat.

"Damn it!" Axel cursed, barely managing to sidestep the beast's lunge. The hound missed him by inches, its razor-sharp fangs tearing through his clothing, leaving a shallow gash on his side.

He winced, blood trickling down his side, but there was no time to recover. The Hellish Hound was on him again in an instant, its claws slashing through the air.

Axel raised his dagger in a desperate attempt to block the attack. The blade met the hound's claws with a resounding clash, sending a shower of sparks into the darkness. The force of the blow nearly knocked Axel off his feet, and he staggered back, struggling to keep his balance.

Breathing heavily, Axel stared at the beast, his eyes wide with fear. 'I'm already out of breath... I'm not going to survive this...' The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, his mind flashing back to every moment of failure, every time he had relied on someone else to save him.

He barely managed to parry another attack, the force of it driving him to his knees. 'Why am I so weak?' His thoughts spiraled into despair, every ounce of confidence slipping away. 'It's happening again... I'm always relying on others... I'm always looking for someone's help... But no... Not this time...'

"ARRGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Axel roared, the sound echoing off the cavern walls as he pushed himself to his feet, his fear burning away in the fire of his determination. This time, he wouldn't run. This time, he would fight.

The Hellish Hound lunged at him again, its eyes glowing with murderous intent, but Axel was ready. He dodged the beast's charge, the movement instinctive, and before it could recover, he surged forward, his dagger gripped tightly in both hands.

With a primal scream, Axel plunged the dagger into the Hellish Hound's skull, the blade cutting through bone with a sickening crunch. The beast let out a final, anguished howl before collapsing to the ground, dead.

"I... I did it," Axel gasped, his body trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. He shoved the hound's corpse off his dagger, the blood dripping from the blade pooling at his feet. He had survived. Somehow, against all odds, he had survived.

**[You have killed a Hellish Hound]**

**[5 EXP gained]**

**[5/5 EXP]**

**[You have leveled up]**

**[Would you like to see your stats?]**

Axel's eyes widened as the notifications appeared. 'Leveled up? Is this some kind of RPG?' The absurdity of it all almost made him laugh, but there was no denying the reality of the blood on his hands, the dead beast at his feet.

"Display my stats," he whispered, needing to understand just what had happened to him.

---

**//Stats//**

**Name: Axel Teras**

**EXP: 0/50**

**Level: 1**

**Job Class: None**

**<Attributes >**

**Strength: 2**

**Agility: 2**

**Senses: 2**

**Mana: 2**

**Health: 10**

**No stat points available now. All attributes have been given a bonus of two stat points.**

---

'Just like I thought... It's a system, like in an RPG,' Axel thought, staring at the stats in disbelief. But this wasn't some game. The blood under his shoes, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins—this was real. All too real.

**[Congratulations on healing your traumatic experience of reliance. A gift will be awarded after this quest.]**

Axel's heart skipped a beat at the promise of a reward. But before he could even begin to wonder what it might be, a chorus of growls rose from the darkness.

Dozens of Hellish Hounds emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with malice, their fangs bared, and their claws ready to tear him apart.

Axel tightened his grip on the dagger, his heart racing as the beasts closed in on him from all sides. There was no escape. There was no help. This was it.

"From the looks of things," he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and determination, "I've got my hands full."