Chapter 4

[1st POV]

For the first twenty hours, I sat on pins and needles.

I felt terrible inside, and my moral principles were suffering even more.

To avoid slipping into despair and sadness, I decided to use the System and enter a Dungeon.

I checked the Map to see where the nearest one was located and realized it was not far from me in the park.

So, I took my father's double-barreled shotgun, gathered all the ammo, and grabbed a hunting knife.

After packing everything into my "Inventory," I went to a store and bought camouflage gear and body armor specifically for motorcycles.

Unfortunately, the armor was expensive, and I couldn't get it immediately.

I arrived at the park, found a secluded spot, put on all the protective gear and camouflage, and pulled out the shotgun.

After loading myself with ammo on my belts, I headed toward the dungeon.

Fortunately, I didn't run into any people to avoid being thrown into jail for carrying a gun in a crowded place without reason.

"Ding!"

[You are in the Dungeon zone.]

[Garden of the Dead.]

[Do you want to enter?]

[Yes/No]

I had completely forgotten that such locations exist in games and can acquire many things: experience, weapons, artifacts, money, and so on.

So, I eagerly pressed "Yes."

The Dungeon was noticeably different from the real world.

First of all, everything was in black and gray tones. Secondly, I didn't see any living people with my own eyes or on the Map.

There were scattered objects and garbage everywhere as if the park had been abandoned for years.

"Ding!"

[You are in the Dungeon "Garden of the Dead."]

[Duration: 1 hour (1 second in the real world).]

[Features: All enemies are undead, the opportunity to earn money, the opportunity to obtain weapons, a chance to gain experience, "Special Reward."

The first undead was not far away.

[Risen Undead

Level: 10

Race: Undead

Health: 100

Relationship: Hostile]

These "freaks" are quite typical for dungeons.

I don't mind having a bit of fun, but next time, I need to have something heavier for weaponry.

For now, I had to shoot the undead with the shotgun.

It noticed me and started approaching with clear intentions. It even had a sword and shield, but it didn't think to use the shield for protection.

In the end, the hit rate was quite high, and before those bones reached me, I managed to finish it off completely.

"Ding!"

[You have unlocked a new skill: "Marksmanship."]

[+100 experience.]

Not bad.

However, I needed to aim better for the head because it took four shots, and I only killed it with the fourth.

After that, I took everything and anything else of value from the skeleton, namely a hundred dollars, a ruby, and a diamond.

Afterward, I proceeded with more confidence toward the next skeleton undead.

Repeatedly, I just fired one or two shots to kill it. I only missed once, forcing me to grab the sword and defend myself.

Fortunately, I had enough agility, and I managed to finish it off with a single blow before it could take me down.

[+100 Experience]

[+1 Agility]

Then I looted this skeleton too, taking a helmet, shield, and sword, as well as another hundred dollars, two diamonds, and a sapphire.

However, I immediately equipped the good leg armor and bracers I found.

Soon, I encountered three more skeletons.

After taking them down and collecting the loot, I gained a new level in "Marksmanship."

After wandering around the area for a bit, I stumbled upon another undead standing guard at the entrance to a cave.

It was an archer, which made things tricky. I climbed a small hill that happened to be where the cave was and found a large rock.

With some effort, I managed to lift it and carry it to the edge where the skeleton was.

Then, I threw the boulder, and the skeleton happily crumbled into pieces under almost half a ton of weight.

I climbed down and looted the skeleton.

Unfortunately, it didn't have any gems or money, but it did have a helmet, a bow with a quiver of arrows, and, of course, I gained another hundred experience and an additional point to strength.

Then I entered to the cave.

Inside, I faced seven skeletons one by one, using my tried-and-true tactic of shooting from cover.

However, there was one moment when an archer nearly hit me, but I managed.

I took the loot and leveled up my "Marksmanship" again.

After that, I decided to try my luck with melee weapons. I was able to kill one skeleton using a sword while protecting myself with a shield.

It did manage to hit me once, but I only lost six health points that were fully restored by the end.

I even unlocked a new skill—"Melee Weapon Mastery."

At the end of the cave, there was an altar with three small chests on it.

A message from the system immediately appeared, indicating that this was a reward for completing the dungeon early with the opportunity to choose one of the chests.

I didn't know what was inside any of them, but I picked the one on the edge.

I wasn't wrong—I managed to snag the "Special Reward."

It was a small stone under the "Player's Eye," identified as a "Small Soul Stone" capable of holding five hundred souls of living beings.

That realization hit me like a bolt of lightning.

I could farm these stones in every dungeon, and the higher the dungeon's level and the stronger they were, the better my chances of acquiring something valuable on the "Player's Store."

"Bwaha-ha-heh-ha-ha... ha-ha-ha-ha..."

I burst into an evil laugh at that moment. Before returning to the real world, I received another notification:

+ 1% chance of becoming a supervillain.

'Well, whatever with that probability—I'll just laugh less...'

I changed back into my normal clothes right inside the dungeon and then exited it.

I was in high spirits.

Although I didn't know how to sell the stones I'd earned, I was confident I'd figure it out.

After having a meal back home, I summoned my workers and told them I was giving them paid time off due to some minor renovations at the café and the purchase of the neighboring building to expand the business.

Now that I didn't have to worry about money, I decided to withdraw some funds from my account to cover the costs.

I figured they could enjoy a five-day break—or, better yet, a whole week—on me without looking for another job.

It was easy to give up money, especially since it had been given to me "for free."

The next day, I withdrew the funds and made arrangements with some employees to start the following day.

The work wouldn't be too extensive—knocking down part of a wall, fixing the roof, replacing windows, and painting the exterior the selected color.

Once I had taken care of all that, I returned to the same dungeon.

This time, I stocked up on two boxes of shotgun shells, buying them from different stores to be cautious.

Spending five hours in the dungeon, engaging in shooting and melee combat, allowed me to level up my critical skills.

I managed to raise my "Marksmanship" skill by three levels, while "Melee Weapon Mastery" only went up by one.

Reaching each new skill or level was getting harder, and progress gradually slowed down. 

The same applied to my attributes.

There wasn't a "Special Reward" available at this time, and it likely hadn't been "reset" yet.

The only useful loot I collected included five thousand dollars in cash, two sapphires, nine rubies, one large emerald, and a handful of diamonds.

I also managed to level up my character, which awarded me ten Free Attribute Points and a one-point increase in all my stats.

After that, I exited the dungeon and made my way home.

I was in a great mood while momentarily forgetting about the mess the God of Games had thrown me into when suddenly, I noticed a wormhole opening up in the sky.

Through it, I could see the vastness of space, and small spacecraft began to emerge, firing upon the buildings below.

"Ding!"

The notification flashed before me:

[New Quest: "Patriot"

Description: As a true American (transmigrator), you will not be afraid of an alien invasion of the Chitauri and will protect yourself and your loved ones.

Reward:

1 Level Up.

+200 Reputation with other "patriots"

+10 Free Attribute Points

Title: "Honorary Citizen of the City"

+1 Attribute Points every ten Chitauri eliminated]

'Damn it! Why now? Why did I have to get dragged into this? I said I didn't want any part in this kind of chaos.'

I grumbled, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

I briefly entertained the idea of relocating once I amassed enough wealth to live a quiet life.

But for now, there was no escaping it, and I had to face this head-on.

'Sigh... The life of a transmigrator is never easy.'

The alien invasion would undoubtedly bring danger and chaos, but it also presented an opportunity to gain experience, rewards, and perhaps some new abilities.

Gripping my shotgun tightly, I prepared to enter the battle and do what I could to protect my city.

If I was going to be a part of this world, I might as well start making a name for myself—whether I liked it or not.

To be continued…