Chapter 1: Second Chance and the Birth of a Dungeon Core
"Where... am I?"
No, seriously, where was I? Last I could recall, I'd flopped into bed just like any other soul-sucked-out adult, then—bam—lights out. And I mean, everything went black. Except now, I was floating…somewhere? Or nowhere? Both? Was this what being dead felt like? Underwhelming.
And then—of course—right when I started to freak out, a voice popped up. Outta nowhere, just echoed right between my ears—a woman's voice, gentle but somehow... annoyingly calm.
"Please choose a system."
Whoa, what? I practically did a mental backflip. Choose a system? Was this a fever dream or had I flatlined and landed smack in the prologue of yet another isekai novel? And the voice—she didn't care. Not a single hint she was fazed by my confusion.
"Do you want to see what kind of systems you can choose?"
I paused, partly freaked out, but I still said, "Yeah…" Because, look, curiosity might've killed the cat, but I wasn't about to pass up a menu called "system." I mean, I'd read enough light novels to know how this worked, right?
"Say 'Status'."
So I did. Or maybe I just thought it really loudly. Doesn't matter. Because out of thin air, a floating black panel, all fancy golden letters and that cool semi-transparent vibe, blinked into view. Legit like an in-game UI—I almost started checking for a mouse cursor.
Systems galore. Rows and rows, half of them sounding way too grand for a nobody like me. "God Maker System." "God of Magic System." "Supreme Sovereign System." Geez, was there a discount on divinity today? All that golden text blurring, bigger and bolder the more I scrolled. If I wasn't dead, maybe I was hallucinating.
And right as I started mentally organizing all these OP options, the voice dropped a lore dump straight outta nowhere:
"You had a difficult life in your previous world. The God of Systems has granted you this second chance to live a fulfilling existence with an overpowered system."
Man, that hit. All at once, memories I hadn't wanted to revisit came crashing in. I remembered the hospital smell, cold sheets, pills I couldn't swallow, doctors running batteries of tests that never figured out what was wrong. The kind of pampered misery money can't fix. Honestly, web novels and those trashy online stories had been my only escape—totally embarrassing if you think about it, but survival is survival.
Gotta say, I never expected gratitude to a system god, but whatever, I'll take what I can get. "Thanks, I guess," I said, a little awkward. Deep breath. "I choose the Hard Work and True Talent System."
The voice was back, businesslike as ever. "You have selected the Hard Work and True Talent System. Please choose the next system."
Wait, hold up—next? There was a next? This was a package deal?
"Choose the next system within 3 seconds."
"Wait, what?!" Not cool! Three seconds? I hadn't even finished scrolling!
"3… 2… 1… You have not chosen a second system. A random system has been selected."
So I get punished for indecisiveness in death, too? Cool. Really cool. "Random? What—what am I stuck with now?!"
"You will discover its nature in your next life. Rebirth commencing in 3… 2… 1…"
Instant panic—and then, just like that, out again.
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Waking up was nothing like last time. This was dark, but the dark wasn't scary, just soft, cozy, kinda like those late winter mornings under heavy blankets—still, silent, weirdly peaceful.
"You are being formed as a Dungeon Core."
Of course the voice was back. Persistent, this one. I almost laughed—she was like a pop-up notification I couldn't uninstall.
"Still here," I thought, relief bubbling up even though I was, uh, not technically breathing.
"You should say 'Status' to view your systems."
Muscle memory, or maybe 'soul memory' now, kicked in. "Status."
Sure enough, a new menu slid in—glowing blue this time, all smooth and welcoming. Two lovely lines blinked back at me:
- Hard Work and True Talent System
- Dungeon Maker System
Well, I definitely remembered picking the first—but Dungeon Maker? That must've been the lottery pick. Not gonna lie: something about "Dungeon Maker" sent a thrill down my nonexistent spine.
"What is the Dungeon Maker System?" If I was about to start a new life, I wanted a manual.
"It is a system that allows you to create dungeons using the power of your soul. Together with the Hard Work and True Talent System, it is incredibly powerful. The Dungeon Maker System will help you build your own forces and army. You should be able to live a very long and fulfilling life in this new world. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish."
Talk about an upgrade—never thought I'd go from sickly human to anime-powered, army-building core. Not bad. Not bad at all.
I was about to ask one of the thousand questions spinning around my mind—like, did I need to breathe? Could I get bored as a rock? Did I have legs?—but the voice wasn't having it.
"You will be able to use both systems from the moment of your birth."
Suddenly, blinding white light exploded through the darkness—seriously, it was like staring into a flashbang. I tried to close my eyes but...I didn't have eyelids. Definitely going to have to get used to this "not a human anymore" thing.
"Good morning. It is time for you to wake up."
The light softened and my weird, new senses clicked into focus. I could feel—feel, not see—the stone around me, every crack and fissure, plus something humming through the air, energy pooling in empty spaces. Mana, maybe? Or classic dungeon chi? Meh, I'd figure it out. Whatever it was, it was part of me now.
I got this sneaky feeling that, for the first time in forever, I had an actual future. The voice had called it a second chance—an honest-to-god redo, as someone (or something) with serious power. I could build something, maybe even gather people. Probably not humans—no way was this place just sitting under someone's house—but monsters, minions, a home of my own making.
There was a new kind of determination burning inside me, the kind they write songs about or stick in shonen manga.
Okay, bring it on. Let's see what I can do. This was my world now. Time to get to work.
End of Chapter 1