“Get off me, you damned feline!” Sabrina spat.

  “I knyew you two weren’t training! You were making nasty vampiric love!”

  “That’s not what we were doing!”

  “Shut up!” Nia hissed at me. “You don’t need to speak! You’ve already sealed your fate, and anything else you say can and will be used against you in the bed tonight!”

  “I need a new room. One with a lock.”

  “”NO!!”’ I cried softly as the two of them refused my request in sync.

  The two girls struggled with each other for a while longer before I steadied my nerves and wiped away my tears.

  “I’ll do it,” I said.

  “YOU WILL!” Nia’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

  “Me or her?” Sabrina asked, also looking at me with a sparkle.

  “Huh? What the hell are you two talking about? I’m referring to the dungeon.” I smiled wide. “I’ll solo and clear it.”

  “Dungeon?” Nia’s ears drooped.

  “Solo?” Sabrina’s eyes filled with fear. “No. You can’t do that?”

  “I thought that’s what you were going to ask me to do, though.”

  “No!” Sabrina pushed Nia away and got to her feet. “You can’t do that. I told you that entire parties die in there!”

  “And I told you that’s because they’re complete NOOBs.”

  I don’t care what she says. I knew I could do it. I could solo the dungeon on my own, especially with Flow and the gear she gave me that increased my stats. It would make speed-running easier.

  “I don’t know what that means,” Sabrina grabbed my wrist tightly. “But I won’t let you solo the dungeon. Not even you could do that.”

  “You say that like I’m a powerhouse of a player. You know better than anyone just how weak I am,” I scowled. Her jaw clenched as she averted her gaze.

  “Then you should know it should be impossible for you to do on your own. I want you and Nia to enter together. I want her to help you, but only when you absolutely need it. She’s the last resort.”

  “Uh-huh.” I frowned.

  “You don’t have to clear it either. I just want to see how far you can get on your own.” She looked at Nia. “I want you to watch him and count the times you had to help him and what he struggled with.”

  “Can do!” Nia chirped.

  “Good. Then get some rest, both of you.” Sabrina looked at the setting sun. “You both have a long day ahead of you.”

  “Mmm. Fine.” I grumbled, and Nia and I made our way to our rooms.

  “As if!” I chuckled as I ran through the night streets, jumping from the rooftops. “I don’t need help speed-running!” I used Ripple Walk and began running on the air high above the buildings. “Even if she is stronger than me,” I kicked off and spun through the air. “She’ll only slow me down!”

  Using the map in my HUD, I was able to scan the area around the town. The dungeon showed on the map with the classic dungeon icon of a stone door. As I made my way there, my heart raced in excitement. I had changed into the cloak and hood Sabrina had given me, and I could feel the shift in my power.

  I had looked at my stats, but they didn’t show any change. I figured that it was an invisible buff, but because it wasn’t my true stats, it didn’t show the change in them. I had taken the mask as well, but it rested in the pocket of my cloak. I didn’t need it since I had no reason to hide my identity and was going in solo anyway.

  It wasn’t long before I reached the door—a stone arc with two large doors in between. The doorway was flush against a large mountain's base. I smiled wide as I eyed it.

  “I will be the first,” I stepped forward. “I will clear this dungeon!” I pressed my hands to the doors. “Alright! Let’s-“

  Notice:

  You have been chosen

  The world zoomed in; before I knew it, I was in the dungeon.

  “Eh?” I turned to see that the door was gone, replaced by a wall of rocks. “Eh?” I turned around again to see several goblins approaching me. “Meh,” I shrugged as a smile crept across my lips. “I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway.” My eyes glowed brightly, casting a yellow light over the goblins and the dimly lit room. “Now!” I threw my arms out on either side of me, finding confidence in my newfound buff. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

  As if accepting my taunt, the goblins ran at me with their weapons raised. I activated Flow, lowering myself to the ground in a rocket-start stance.

  “Just kidding.” I stuck my tongue out as I kicked off the ground and twisted between them. “I’m speed-running this shit baby!” I began kicking off the air, using my ripples to adjust myself before launching myself down another corridor. “Unless it’s a mandatory fight, I ain’t fighting!” I was met with several lizard men as I turned down a corridor. They were spread out, blocking my path. “Too easy!” I ran on the floor before kicking into the air and twisting so my feet faced the ceiling.

  A ripple appeared, and I ran upside down, passing the monsters. They hissed and stabbed upwards but were too slow and missed. I turned another corner before coming across a staircase.

  “That’s floor one cleared!” I laughed as I launched myself down the stairs. “What else does this dungeon have in st-OOF!”

  “KYA!”

  “Rubellia!”

  “Monster!”

  Boobs! I drooled as I found my face buried in the girl's chest I had crashed into. Wait. I entered the dungeon alone. How are there other people here? That was when I recalled that this wasn’t a game, and unlike games that could put you in a private server, this world wasn’t like that. That meant I wasn’t the only one in the dungeon. So much for no one being in the way. I quickly rolled off the girl before anyone could see my face, pulled the mask from my cloak, and put it on.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “No one can see your face while you’re wearing that, understand?” My conversation witb Sabrina sounded in my mind.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Because anyone with that much power will be seen as a monster.”

  “Fair enough. I mean, it is a buff that multiplies my stats by five.”

  “Huh? What are you-oh, r-right.” She laughed weakly. “You mean the cloak.”

  It sucks that I can’t talk, but oh well. Not like I needed to. I would get up and continue through the dungeon as planned without their interference.

  “Kill it!” The girl I had crashed into cried as she held her chest with one hand and pointed at me with the other.

  Eh?

  “KYA! I-It’s looking at me! HAN!” An axe slammed into my rib.

  Hm? I looked to my left, where the attack had come from.

  “Hngh!” The man jumped back. “W-What?” His face turned white.

  Is this the power of this cloak’s buff? I looked at my hand and clenched it into a fist. The leather gloves creaked as I closed and reopened them. I didn’t even feel that. However, a message still told me I survived with one HP. I don’t get that. I sighed internally as I scratched the back of my head. But whatever.

  “W-What is that thing?!” Another girl cried out as she readied an arrow in her bow and shot it at me. It looked like it was traveling in slow motion as it approached. The buffs were broken.

  Useless. I grabbed the arrow midair and crushed it in my hand.

  “Ya!” The archer stepped back.

  “Rubellia!” The man, Han, cried out to the mage girl I had crashed into.

  “Already on it!” Rubellia pointed her staff at me as a fireball began to form at the end of it.

  Look at them. I turned my head, getting a good look at the trio. Judging by their gear and terrible class placement, I knew they were scrubs. Their warrior was behind the archer, and their mage was in front of her. Scrubs. I activated Flow again, appearing behind the mage.

  “Wha?” Her face turned to look back at me and turned blue as she realized my face was inches from hers. “I-I,” she collapsed to her knees. “I don’t want to die!”

  “Get away from her!” Han charged at me with his axe, swiping it at me. I jumped and flipped so I was suspended upside down on a ripple on the ceiling.

  “It can walk on walls!” The archer panicked. “What is that thing!? I’ve never seen a monster like it!”

  “Now isn’t the time to think, Sora,” Han shouted. “We just need to kill it!”

  As if, I waved a hand dismissively as I turned my back to them. NOOB’s like you would only hurt yourself.

  “Hey! Where do you think you’re going, you little rabbit!” I vanished, appearing in front of Han in an instant. Before he could even cry out, I grabbed hold of his face with a hand and lifted him.

  Watch your mouth, boy. I said that, but he looked around my age. So did the two girls.

  Han had tan skin, red hair and eyes, and armor that fit a warrior. Sora had short black hair, blue eyes, and light armor. Rubellia had long white hair and silver eyes with a white and blue robe. Unlike Sora, she had ginormous breasts.

  “W-Why is it staring at me like that?” Rubellia shivered.

  Shit! I quickly turned my attention back to Han.

  “Han!” Sora screamed. “Let him go!” She released another arrow at me that I swatted away with a hand. It was by complete luck I had done it. I was only trying to swat away a gnat I kept seeing in my vision.

  “I-“ Han gripped my wrist tightly. “Run!” His eyes filled with determination.

  “But we-“

  “I SAID RUN!” He shouted. “We can’t…we can’t win!” Tears filled his eyes. “I don’t know what this thing is. It’s never been reported before. It probably has something to do with the dungeon telling me I was chosen…but how the hell does it expect me to beat this?”

  Wait, the dungeon said what?

  “I don’t want you two to suffer because of me. So please, RUN!”

  “Han…” Sora grabbed her chest. “No! We won’t leave you!”

  Oh, God. I don’t want to hear this cringe MC dialogue. I dropped Han before walking away. The two girls flinched as I walked past them. I looked back at them before running off. Stay out of my way.

  With that, I continued my way through the dungeon. I made it past four floors, reaching floor six when a new challenge arose. I stopped running as a magical barrier appeared between me and the door frame.

  “This is insanity! Who the hell do you think you are just running through my dungeon like this? You haven’t even killed a single enemy or searched for treasure!”

  “Huh?” I scoffed as I removed my mask. “Who the hell said that? And why are you complaining? I’m speed-running, now let me through!” I banged at the barrier but was bounced back.

  “No! This is supposed to be a trial for the strong, not the fast!”

  “Who cares? Just let me clear this shitty dungeon already!”

  “SHITTY! Do you know who I am? You clearly don’t, otherwise you’d never-“

  “You’re the creator of this dungeon, right?”

  “Eh?”

  “I figured. You remind me of one of the dungeon creators from Arifureta, minus all the tedious traps.”

  “Areyoufruity?”

  “Just let me through!”

  “I refuse! I haven’t gotten to gauge your strength and adjust my minion accordingly!”

  Oh? One of those dungeons, huh? I hated them. Dungeons that, no matter how much you farmed, would match your level and stats. They were the worst. They made all your farming a huge waste of time.

  “So?” I snorted as I crossed my arms. “Not like anything you throw at me would stand a chance.”

  “Oh, it looks like we have Mr. Confident over here.” The female voice chuckled. “Fine then. If you’re so strong, let’s see you handle all the monsters you’ve skipped from the beginning!”

  “Eh?” My eyes widened as every single enemy I ran past spawned in the room with me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I raised my hands and started bouncing on my toes.

  “What? Are you sc-Wait, why are you smiling? That’s creepy. Why are you smiling?”

  “Because,” My eyes glowed vibrantly as I grabbed a goblins wrist that tried to attack me with its club before bouncing back to execute a roundhouse kick. “I love a challenge!”