[First Steps for the Hopeless]
Difficulty: Pathetic
Objective: Exit the cave alive.
Bonus Objective: Do it without bleeding out.
Optional: Retrieve your dignity. (0/1)
Rewards:
+2 END
Unlocks [Title: Cave Survivor]
The floating screen pulsed softly, the pale blue glow reflecting off Kael's dirt-smeared face as the quest solidified before him.
His first assignment from this mysterious system.
And it was—
Stupidly easy.
"That's it?" Kael barked a short, incredulous laugh. "Gladly."
He turned on his heel, the new sword resting with satisfying weight on his shoulder. His other hand still leaned on the rusted blade like a makeshift cane, each step dragging his bad leg with practiced stubbornness.
Old wounds or not, this quest was basically a gift. And if nothing else, he might be able to pawn off one of the blades later for a quick buck or a hot meal.
But fate, of course, never gave him long to enjoy small mercies.
Just as he limped toward the exit, a second goblin emerged — seemingly popping into existence like some pixelated trash mob from a budget game. Same size. Same rusted dagger. Same ugly mug.
Same suicidal lunge.
"Oh, goddammit—!" Kael snarled, ducking back a step as the goblin charged with all the subtlety of a fireball to the face.
The goblin swung, again going for a direct slash to the chest — like it was following a script.
"Give me a rest!" Kael growled, bracing both blades.
CLANG.
Steel clashed as he caught the blow with a dual block, one sword supporting the other. The raw impact vibrated up his arms, but his footing held — barely.
Digging his heel into the dirt and shifting his center of gravity, he shoved forward with a sudden burst of force. The goblin staggered back, screeching in confusion as its momentum was turned against it.
"Never used dual sword style before…" Kael muttered under his breath, lowering into a stance that was half-instinct, half-desperation. "But hell, it can't hurt to try."
The goblin shrieked and charged again — faster this time, its movements wild and erratic.
CLANG!
The first sword met its strike in a solid parry.
SLASH.
Kael's second blade arced cleanly across, catching the goblin's left eye and bursting it like a ripe grape. The creature screamed, flailing blindly now.
It swung wide — a clumsy, enraged slash.
CLANG.
Kael batted the weapon aside, sidestepped, then—
THRUST.
His new blade drove straight into the goblin's forehead. Smooth. Effortless. Like the beast had been waiting to die.
"Now that's better." Kael exhaled, a dry chuckle rattling from his throat.
Optional: Retrieve your dignity. (1/1)
The screen chimed softly again, almost smugly.
"My dignity?" Kael blinked, then shook his head with a grin. "Good to hear then…"
With a practiced flick, he swung his sword to the side — casting the goblin's blood in a red arc across the cavern wall. His blade remained clean. Pristine. It somehow felt like a silent promise:
This one's worth keeping.
The air grew fresher with every step as he neared the exit. Then—
Moonlight.
Soft silver spilled into the tunnel, bathing the cavern walls in pale luminescence. The two swords in his hands caught the light, their surfaces glowing faintly — one new and gleaming, the other rusted and reliable.
"Finally," Kael whispered, tilting his face up toward the sky. "Fresh air…"
[Quest Completed]
[All optional goals completed]
Rewards Increased
Rewards:
+1 STR
+2 END
Unlocks [Title: Cave Survivor] → [Title: Cave Savant]
[STATUS]
Name: Kael R. Rhydan
Level: 1
—
STR: 5 +1
AGI: 5
MAG: 1
END: 5 +2
LCK: ???
—
Condition: Minor Limp | Fatigued | Crippled
Title: Cave Savant (Instinctually understand a cave's layout)
Class: Unassigned
Kael read the updated stats, his brow twitching at the title.
"Cave Savant?" He muttered. "What, so now I'm a glorified rock whisperer?"
But even as he joked, he could feel it — a subtle shift within. The fatigue still weighed on his limbs, but… lighter now. Manageable.
The sword's weight felt like it adjusted to him. His breathing steadied. The pain dulled into background noise.
And stranger still, he could almost sense the cave behind him. The slopes. The curves. The forks in the path. Like it had left its shape burned into the back of his mind.
"An odd instinct to explore more caves…" he mused, eyebrows raised.
For a moment, he simply stood there, letting the moonlight wash over him. Two swords. A new title. A strange system.
And, for the first time in a long while—
Hope.
"All in all…" Kael murmured, smirking faintly.
"A damn good night."