I moved through the Daily Quest with mechanical efficiency. The push-ups, the squats, the run—it was becoming routine. My body, fueled by my [Uzumaki Vitality], recovered faster than I could damage it.
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETE]
[REWARDS]:
-
1000 Ryo
-
Full Recovery
-
+3 Stat Points
I sat on the bed, toweling off the sweat.
"Nine points," I muttered. "I have nine points saved up."
It was time to spend them. I couldn't go into the Gate with civilian-level stats.
"System, allocate points as follows..."
-
+3 into DEX: I needed speed, and to hit what I aimed at.
-
+3 into INT: I wanted to process things faster, and gain better chakra control, which I needed.
-
+2 into STR: If I hit something, I wanted it to stay down.
-
+1 into CHA: I just wanted everything to be somewhat even.
[STATS UPDATED]
A tingle ran down my spine. It felt electric.
Wow.
I flexed my fingers. The air felt thinner. I tossed a kunai into the air and snatched it by the handle without even looking. My reflexes were sharper. My thoughts connected faster, recalling pages from the guidebook I read yesterday with crystal clarity.
"Okay," I exhaled, feeling the power settle. "I think I'm ready."
I checked my inventory: Bandages, potions stolen from the supply closet, Tenten's weapons, and the Key.
I checked out of the hospital properly this time. I walked to the front desk, signed the discharge papers, and told the receptionist I was going for a field test. She nodded but didn't look up from her paperwork.
Perfect.
Abandoned Training Ground 43
I stood in the center of the clearing. It was quiet.
I opened my inventory and pulled out the [E-Rank Gate Key].
"Let's do this," I said activating the Key.
The air in front of me shimmered. A door with a curved top silently floated down to ground level. It had a distinctive grey energy protruding around it. In the center of it rested a bold [E] insignia that exhibited the same grey energy.
The key vibrated in my hand. I let go. It floated forward, inserted itself into the insignia. The key dissolved into light as the System chimed.
[GATE UNLOCKED.]
[DUNGEON: THE FESTERING SEWERS]
[ENTER?]: Y/N
I took a deep breath, gripping a kunai in each hand. “Yes,” I said as I stepped through.
[LOCATION: THE FESTERING SEWERS]
The first thing that hit me was the smell. It was a thick, physical wall of ammonia, rot, and stagnant water. I gagged, covering my nose with my sleeve.
Ugh, that reeks.
I was standing on a narrow concrete walkway. To my left and right, knee-high sludge water flowed sluggishly into the darkness. The only light came from patches of glowing green moss on the walls.
There’s definitely shit in this water.
SQUEAK.
My head snapped to the right.
[ENEMY DETECTED]
[PLAGUE RAT - Level 3]
A rat lunged from the darkness.
But this wasn't a normal rat. It was the size of a Great Dane. Its fur was matted and oily, its eyes glowed yellow, and its teeth were dripping with a green, viscous sludge.
"Whoa!"
I threw myself backward. My newly enhanced reflexes saved me. The rat’s jaws snapped shut on empty air, inches from where my leg had been.
It landed with a heavy splash, hissing at me.
This thing’s heavy.
The rat coiled its muscles and leaped again.
This time, I didn't dodge. I stepped in and caught it mid-air by its throat. It was heavy, writhing and scratching at my arm, but my grip held. I slammed it into the concrete wall with a sickening crunch.
It squealed, stunned.
I didn't hesitate. I drove my kunai into its skull, twice.
Blood—dark and foul-smelling—sprayed onto my orange jumpsuit. The rat twitched and went still.
Ugh, that’s disgusting, I thought. I might need a tetanus shot after this.
I dropped the carcass, stepping back. My hands were shaking. I looked at the blood and felt the bile rise in my throat.
[YOU HAVE DEFEATED AN ENEMY]
[LEVEL UP!]
[TITLE EARNED: FIRST BLOOD]:
-
Effect: Allows the Player to maintain composure in the face of gore or death.
A warm wave washed over me. The shaking in my hands stopped. The nausea vanished, replaced by a surge of energy that felt like drinking a double-shot of espresso.
"Okay," I breathed, wiping the blood off my cheek. "Time to grind."
A grin stretched across my face as I looked down the dark tunnel.
Two Hours Later…
Slash. Stab. Kick.
I moved through the darkness like a wraith.
My initial fear was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating survival instinct. The [First Blood] title was doing its job—I didn't flinch at the gore anymore. I just saw targets.
I learned quickly that I couldn't fight them in the water—the sludge slowed me down too much while they swam through it effortlessly. So I used the environment. With my newly improved chakra control, I was able to briefly run along the rusted pipes and midway up the walls. I used Tenten's ninja wire to create trip lines across the walkways, sending rats stumbling into the filth before I dropped down to finish them.
As I recollected the wires a group of three rats charged me, squealing in a frenzy.
I jumped over the first one, threw a shuriken into the eye of the second, and kicked the third into the deep water with a satisfying splash.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
The feeling was addictive. Every time I killed, a wave of warmth flushed through my veins. My stamina refilled. My cuts and bruises knitted together.
I felt lighter, faster, stronger.
By the time I reached the end of the tunnel, the floor was littered with carcasses, and I felt like a completely different person than the guy who woke up in the hospital ward this morning.
[NEW LEVEL: 12]
"Twelve levels," I grinned, flexing my hands. The chakra humming in my coils felt denser, more potent. "I feel incredible."
I stood before a massive iron door. It was rusted shut, but I could hear breathing on the other side. Heavy, wet, rattling breathing.
[NOTICE]: Dungeon Boss Ahead.
"The Boss Room. So that means after this guy, I can finally exit this place," I said. “Anything worth noting?”
[BOSS FIGHT MULTIPLIERS]:
After the Player completes a boss battle, the amount of health remaining will be multiplied by a fixed currency amount, then multiplied by the rank bonus amount of that boss monster. Resulting in the amount of bonus currency earned for the battle.
"Really? Can I get an example of that?" I asked.
[EXAMPLE]:
(Rank of Boss) Amount = ((% of remaining health) x 50 ryo) x Rank Bonus
Rank Bonus goes from 1.5 (E-Rank Boss) to 6.5 (S-Rank Boss)
Bonus ryo, huh? I thought, reinvigorated. Now I have even more reason to come out unharmed.
"System, let me get the full calculations for all boss battles going forward."
[REQUEST AKNOWLEDGED.]
I checked my gear. My kunai were chipped and my wire was pressing thin. But my HP and CP were full thanks to the level ups.
“Well, time to see what a boss looks like,” I said as I pushed the doors open.
[LOCATION: THE CENTRAL CISTERN]
The room was massive, a circular chamber filled with deep water and a central concrete platform.
And on that platform sat a nightmare.
[BOSS: THE RAT KING]
It was the size of a delivery truck. It wasn't just one rat—it was a horrific, fused ball of white albino rats, all writhed together into a single consciousness. Multiple heads snapped and hissed from the central mass. A massive, singular tail whipped the air like a lash.
"Oh my god," I muttered, tightening my grip on my kunai. "That’s insane."
The Rat King shrieked—a sound of a hundred voices screaming at once—and charged.
It didn't just run; it rolled. A ball of teeth and claws thundered towards me with surprising speed.
I didn't even try to block. I pumped chakra into my legs and leaped to the side, scrambling up a rusty pipe as the Rat King smashed into the wall where I had just been standing. The concrete cracked, sending dust raining down into the murky water.
It's fast!
The Boss turned, its multiple red eyes locking onto me. It shook its body, and three smaller rats detached themselves, scurrying up the pipe to flush me out.
I threw two shuriken, pinning the first rat to the wall. I kicked the second one off, watching it fall into the maw of the King below.
The Rat King roared and charged the pipe itself. The metal groaned under the impact.
"Oh no you don't!"
I jumped from the pipe, soaring over the Boss. In mid-air, I unspooled my ninja wire. I wrapped it around a heavy support pillar on my left, then swung around a pillar on the right as I landed on the wet concrete.
But I wasn't fast enough.
The Rat King turned... its tail whipped out faster than I anticipated. I dodged, but the tip of the tail slammed into my ribs, knocking the wind out of me and sending me skidding across the wet concrete.
[-6% HP LOSS]
"That… that little graze felt like a truck," I wheezed, clutching my side.
The Rat King turned, hissing, and charged at me again.
"Come on, you ugly bastard!" I yelled, pulling the wire taut.
The Boss barreled forward, blind with rage. It didn't see the thin steel wire stretched across its path at neck height.
SNAP.
The momentum carried the beast forward. The wire dug in.
The screech was deafening. The wire sliced through the primary cluster of heads, bisecting the "jaw" of the creature from its body. Black blood sprayed across the cistern.
The massive bulk crashed into the water, thrashing for a moment before dissolving into black smoke.
[BOSS DEFEATED!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW LEVEL: 15]
I stood there, chest heaving, watching the smoke clear.
[DUNGEON CLEARED]:
-
+ 5,000 ryo
[CALCULATING REWARDS...]
[BONUS RYO EARNED]:
-
((94% HP) x 50 ryo) x 1.5 Rank Bonus = 7,050 ryo
[ITEM OBTAINED: Rat King's Fang]:
-
Rank: D
-
Type: Dagger
-
Effect: 10% chance to inflict Paralysis Poison on hit.
[ITEMS OBTAINED: Gate Key x5]
[NEW SKILL OBTAINED: DASH]
[LEARN NOW?]: Y/N
"Yes," I gasped, tapping the screen.
Knowledge flooded my brain instantly.
[SKILL LEARNED: DASH (ACTIVE SKILL)]:
-
Effect: +30% Movement Speed Increase.
-
Cost: 50 CP per activation. 10 CP consumed per minute activated.
[LEAVE DUNGEON?]: Y/N
“Yes, get me the fuck outta here!”
The dungeon began to shimmer. The walls faded. The smell of rot evaporated.
"System, how long was I in there for?" I asked.
[TIME ELASPED IN DUNGEON: 4 HOURS]
"Okay, that's not too bad," I said, then I noticed that it was evening time. "Hey System, has it been 6 hours here? I remember leaving in the morning"
[TIME ELASPED OUT HERE: 12 HOURS]
Whoooooaaaaa! A 6 hour difference?! That must be the time dilation it told me about, I mused. But that's insane. After getting up at 5, I completed my Daily Quest and that takes 90 minutes to get through, then I took about 30 minutes to reset and get everything else in order. I went into the Dungeon around 7 am, but It's around 6 pm now, that's insane.
"Is every Dungeon like that?" I asked.
[NOTICE]: Some Dungeons may speed up the flow of time while others may slow it down.
"That's crazy," I muttered, nodding at the information. "I guess this just means that I'll have to wrap up every Dungeon as quickly as possible."
I should my head. I couldn't help but laugh at the situation.
"Things could be worse," I shrugged.
Some time later, I stood in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi’s desk.
I had cleaned myself up (mostly), but I still smelled faintly of old blood. My clothes were tattered, but my eyes were sharp.
Hiruzen didn't look up from his paperwork immediately. "You’re very late checking in, Naruto. I was about to send people to come find you."
"Yea, my bad. I went for solo training," I responded. "And I got preoccupied with something."
Hiruzen finally looked up. He took one look at my tattered clothes, the dried black blood that wasn't mine, and his eyes narrowed.
"That blood," Hiruzen said, his voice low and dangerous. "It’s not human. And it’s not from any animal native to the Fire Country."
He stood up slowly, his chakra flaring just enough to make the air heavy. "Tell me exactly what happened."
"I found a rift," I explained, not flinching under the pressure. "A tear in space. I went inside and cam across a sewer, but not Konoha's. There were monsters."
Hiruzen remained silent, studying me.
"A rift..." he muttered. "What do you mean there were monsters?"
I reached into my inventory. "I killed the boss."
I pulled out the [Rat King's Fang]. I placed the wicked, curved white dagger on his desk. It clattered loudly against the wood, radiating a faint, toxic heat.
Hiruzen leaned forward. He recognized the quality of the bone; it wasn't something natural. He reached out to pick up the weapon.
ZAP.
The moment his fingers brushed the hilt, the dagger vanished in a spark of blue light and reappeared instantly in my hand.
[SYSTEM ALERT!]
[UNAUTHORIZED USER DETECTED. ITEM RETRIEVED.]
I blinked, looking at the dagger in my hand. "Uh... that wasn't me."
Hiruzen stared at his hand, then at me. He didn't look angry. He looked... fascinated. And a little wary.
"Space-Time manipulation," Hiruzen murmured to himself. "And another soul-binding seal. But this time, inherent to the object. Rejecting anyone but the user..."
He looked at me, his gaze piercing.
"What do these rifts look like?” he asked. “Are you the only one that knows about them?”
“They look like doorways, and yes only I can see and enter them,” I said. “If anyone tries to enter, I think they’ll be rejected like how that weapon rejected your touch."
“Then this ability of yours is unprecedented,” he said, stroking his chin. “Everything you’ve shown bears similarities to the Second Hokage's research, but with far more intuitive results."
He sat back, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"Can you handle these monsters," he asked studying me. "And will they escape from these rifts?
"Yes, they're not a problem," I lied smoothly. "And no they cannot escape, it's impossible for them.”
It really was. The System informed me that Gate entry was the only way the monsters had any chance of escaping their space. But since they needed access, i.e. the Key, it was impossible for them. And even if they somehow found a Key, the Gate acted as a barrier and would disintegrate them if they tried to enter.
"Alright then, continue your training," Hiruzen said aloud, his voice serious. "And continue these... excursions. But report everything to me. If you can retrieve items from these dimensions that cannot be stolen or used by enemies... you may become a vital asset to this village."
Vital asset?! Maaaaan, Fuck this village! I said mentally.
"Yea, you got it, Old Man," I nodded, giving him a thumbs-up.
After leaving the office, I walked home, feeling the cool evening air on my face. My body hummed with power. It was intoxicating.
"System," I whispered. "Status."
[PLAYER STATUS]:
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Age: 12
Level: 15
Titles: Jinchūriki, Contractor, First Blood, Etc
HP: 860/860
CP: 440/440
[STATS]:
-
STR: 24
-
CON: 43 (base 23 + 20 Passive Unlocked)
-
DEX: 22
-
INT: 22 (+? Locked Passive)
-
WIS: 32 (base 22 + 10 Passive Unlocked)
-
CHA: 22 (+? Locked Passive)
[PASSIVE SKILLS UNLOCKED]:
-
Uzumaki Vitality (Awakened): Massive boost to Health and Stamina recovery.
-
Mental Fortitude: Resistance to fear and shock. Increase to WIS.
-
Chakra Sensitivity or Sense (Basic): Allows the user to sense chakra signatures within a specific radius.
[ACTIVE SKILLS UNLOCKED]:
-
DASH: +30% Movement Speed Increase. 10 CP per minute active. Cost: 50 CP.
[TOTAL RYO EARNED]: 15,050
-
3,000 ryo balance from wallet
-
12,050 from completing Dungeon.
I stopped walking. I stared at the numbers.
"Whoa."
My [CON] stat had exploded to 43 thanks to the passive awakening. My [WIS] stat was sitting at a massive 32. I was Level 15 in a single day. The difference between yesterday and today wasn't just physical; it was exponential.
I also needed to figure out a way to make these items transferable to others, or else Hiruzen would constantly be on my neck about it.
“System, can you make it a quest?”
[QUEST INITIATED]
[SHARING IS CARING]: Find a way to grant item permissions to others.
Ight, cool.
I looked at the five new [Gate Keys] in my inventory.
"The Graduation Exam is in three weeks," I whispered, then a wicked grin marred my face. "I’m not just gonna pass, I’m going to dominate."