It was early morning.
The sky was gray, and the wind was cold.
Haru walked down a quiet street with his hood up.
He held a small envelope in his hand.
Inside the envelope was something very important.
Something illegal.
A fake ID card.
---
Two days ago, Haru met a man in a dark alley.
The man was short and had a long coat.
His eyes were small, and his voice was low.
"You want to enter a dungeon?" the man asked.
Haru nodded.
"You are too young," the man said.
"You need an ID. A real one. But I can make a fake one… for a price."
Haru pulled out money.
It was all the money he saved after quitting his jobs.
He needed it for training.
For his sister.
He gave the money without thinking twice.
The man took the money, then gave Haru the envelope.
"Don't show this to anyone," he said.
"If you get caught… I don't know you."
Haru nodded.
He walked away without looking back.
---
Now, Haru stood in front of the dungeon gate.
It was big and black.
Two guards stood at the front.
They wore armor and carried guns.
One guard looked bored.
The other one looked sleepy.
Haru took a deep breath.
His heart was beating fast.
He walked forward slowly.
---
"ID, please," the guard said.
Haru pulled out the card.
His hand was shaking a little.
The guard took the card and looked at it.
Then he looked at Haru's face.
"You look young," the guard said.
"I just look small," Haru said with a nervous smile.
"I'm 30."
The guard looked at the card again.
"…Beginner rank, huh?" the guard said.
He handed the card back.
"Alright. Go in. Don't die."
Haru nodded and walked past the gate.
---
Inside, the air was cold.
Dark rocks formed the walls.
There was no light except small glowing stones.
Haru could hear sounds deep inside.
Growls.
Footsteps.
Breathing.
Monsters.
He walked carefully.
He was finally here.
His first dungeon.
Not a dream.
Not a memory.
This was real.
---
Haru looked at his hands.
He could feel the mana flowing inside.
His body was stronger than before.
His mind was clear.
He whispered to himself:
"Time to test my magic.
Time to grow stronger."
He took his first step deeper into the dungeon.
And the shadows welcomed him.
The stone floor was cold.
Every step Haru took made a soft sound—tap, tap, tap.
The dungeon was quiet, but not empty.
He could feel it.
Something was watching.
Haru walked slowly.
He looked left, then right.
Dark tunnels stretched in both directions.
The walls were wet.
Small water drops fell from the ceiling—plip… plip… plip.
He took a deep breath and whispered,
"This place… it's real. Not like in books. Not like games."
His heart beat faster.
But his hands did not shake.
---
Suddenly—rustle… rustle…
A sound came from the dark.
Then he saw it.
A monster.
It looked like a dog, but bigger.
Its eyes were red.
Its teeth were long.
Dark fur covered its body.
It growled.
Then it ran at Haru.
Fast.
Haru stepped back.
He raised his hand.
Mana moved in his body.
"Fire Ball!" he shouted.
A small ball of fire flew from his palm.
Boom!
The fire hit the monster's face.
The smell of burning fur filled the air.
The monster screamed—Raaagh!
It fell, rolling on the ground, then stopped.
Dead.
Haru's chest moved up and down.
His first kill.
He stood there, breathing hard.
Then he smiled.
---
He moved deeper.
More monsters came.
Three bats flew from the ceiling.
They were black with sharp wings.
"Ice Shot!"
Thin ice needles shot from Haru's fingers.
The bats froze and fell.
Then a giant spider appeared.
Its eyes glowed green.
"Wind Blade!"
A sharp wind cut its legs.
Then another.
The spider dropped, split in two.
---
Haru wiped sweat from his forehead.
His mana was not full anymore.
But he still had more than half.
He was learning.
Each spell used a different amount.
Each movement of mana felt clearer now.
He started to understand.
"It's like breathing," he said softly.
"Mana is like air inside me.
I guide it. Shape it."
He kept walking.
---
He reached a big room.
The air was heavier.
The walls were thicker.
In the center, there were bones.
Old bones.
A growl echoed in the room.
Then came the sound—thud… thud… thud…
A big figure walked out of the shadows.
A troll.
It was tall, almost three meters high.
Its skin was green and rough.
It held a big wooden club in one hand.
Haru stepped back.
The troll roared.
But Haru did not run.
He whispered,
"This is still the first floor. I can do it."
He raised his hand again.
His mana circle glowed softly.
"Let's go…"
---
And with fire in his eyes,
Haru stepped forward to face the boss.
The troll roared again.
Its voice was loud.
The ground shook under Haru's feet.
But he did not move.
He looked at the monster with calm eyes.
"This is not fear," Haru said.
"This is focus."
The troll raised its big club.
It ran at Haru, fast and strong.
Each step made the floor crack.
Thud! Thud! THUD!
But Haru didn't step back.
Instead, he raised both hands.
Mana moved inside his body.
He guided it.
He shaped it.
Fire, wind, and ice circled around his hands.
Then—
"Triple Burst!" he shouted.
---
A big fireball shot from his right hand.
It exploded in the air—BOOM!
The troll stopped.
It raised its arms to block.
But Haru was not done.
"Ice Spear!"
A long sharp ice spear flew fast and struck the troll's shoulder.
Then—
"Wind Slash!"
A strong wind cut across the room, slicing deep into the troll's chest.
The troll screamed.
It swung its club, but Haru jumped back.
Too slow.
He landed softly and took a deep breath.
More mana flowed from his core.
He felt the heat, the cold, and the air.
He felt alive.
---
The troll charged again.
But this time, Haru was faster.
"Flame Tornado!"
A spinning fire whirlwind formed in front of him.
The troll walked right into it.
WHOOSH!
Flames wrapped around the monster.
Its skin burned.
It screamed in pain.
But it didn't fall yet.
Still alive.
Still fighting.
---
Haru narrowed his eyes.
"It's strong. But I'm stronger."
He brought both hands together.
He focused.
He remembered a spell from his past life.
Not just fire. Not just ice. Not just wind.
All three.
Combined.
---
Mana swirled around him like a storm.
His eyes glowed bright blue.
The ground cracked under his feet.
He whispered the words,
"Elemental Storm."
The air turned heavy.
Magic exploded from his body.
Fire, ice, and wind rose like a dragon behind him.
He pointed one finger at the troll.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
The full power of three elements struck the monster at once.
The troll roared.
Then it vanished in light.
Nothing left.
Only silence.
---
Haru fell to one knee.
He was tired.
But he smiled.
"That… was magic," he said.
---
The dungeon was quiet now.
No more monsters.
No more noise.
Only the sound of mana calming down.
He stood up slowly and looked around.
All the enemies were gone.
He had cleared the dungeon.
But no one saw.
No one knew.
He liked it that way.
A storm that moves in silence.
The room was quiet.
The troll boss was gone.
No monsters left.
No danger.
Only the smell of smoke and mana in the air.
Haru stood alone in the center.
His clothes were dusty.
His breathing was calm.
"I did it," he said softly.
His voice echoed in the empty room.
He looked at his hands.
They still glowed a little with magic.
But he was not afraid.
He smiled.
It was not a big smile, just a small one.
But it was real.
---
A blue light appeared on the wall.
It was the exit gate.
When a dungeon is clear, the gate opens.
That means the dungeon is safe.
No more monsters will come—at least, not today.
Haru walked toward the gate slowly.
As he walked, he thought about the battle.
He remembered the fire, the wind, the ice.
He remembered the feeling of power.
He liked that feeling.
But it was not for fun.
He had a reason.
"My little sister is waiting," he said.
"I have no time to play hero."
---
He stepped through the gate.
The world changed.
The dungeon light faded.
Now he was outside again.
The sun was setting in the sky.
The forest was quiet.
Birds sang in the trees.
Haru looked around.
There was no one there.
No one saw him enter.
No one saw him leave.
That was good.
He did not want to be found yet.
---
He hid the fake ID in his coat.
It was a risk to use it.
If the Guild found out, he could be banned—or worse.
But he needed this.
He needed to fight.
He needed to grow.
Not for fame.
Not for power.
For her.
He walked down the forest path.
Her bag was heavy because he had taken many items to sell so he could buy medicine for her little sister.
---
As he reached the road, the wind blew softly.
His hair moved in the breeze.
He looked up at the sky.
"I'm still weak," he said.
"But I'm getting stronger."
Then he began walking home.
Each step was quiet.
But his heart was loud.
Full of hope.
Full of fire.
---
Haru had cleared his first dungeon.
But it was only the beginning.
Many more dungeons waited.
Stronger enemies.
Deeper secrets.
And a truth hidden in shadows.
But for now, he walked alone.
A boy with magic.
A storm in his soul.