By default, all the guns I purchased from the System would never really run out of bullets. I wasn't quite sure how that worked, but that was exactly how it did work. Of course, to compensate for this overpowered little nugget, each weapon had a set amount of shots that automatically replenished within a few seconds, but would then enter into a long "reload" phase if I unloaded every single shot at once. That said, the replenishment period varied from weapon to weapon, with some happening instantly and others happening after a second or two. This kept things somewhat balanced, I figured, considering all the other wacky weapons that'd eventually be available to me. The [Tau Rail Rifle], for instance, had a total of ten shots and a short replenishment period of about one second – or five seconds if I sprayed every shot at once like a maniac. The [Las Pistol], in contrast, had a total of twenty shots with a replenishment period of like thirty milliseconds.

That meant I'd benefit more by conserving my shots. The [Tau Rail Rifle], with its ridiculous range and punching power, was best used as intended – one shot per second, unless in emergency situations, but – even then – the [Tau Rail Rifle], at best, could only shoot one shot every half a second, given its function as a kind of sniper rifle.

Those were the exact thoughts that went through my mind as I pulled the trigger of the [Tau Rail Rifle] and watched as the approaching Nurglite Zombie explode in a shower of green gore and steaming blood. Grinning, I waited for a second, before then firing on another, similarly breaking it apart. As the horde grew larger in response to the noise, I sent the [Tau Rail Rifle] into my Inventory and, instead, equipped my humble [Las Pistol], right before I went and sprinted off and jumped onto the ledge of a nearby rooftop, which had been about five meters away – a straight drop of about twenty meters in the gap between the buildings. Behind me, the Nurglite Zombies burst out of the windows and exhausts and doors, and just about everywhere else they could burst out of.

They couldn't get to me, however, and many of them died in the attempt as they fell off the ledge. I contemplated summoning Crentist and the other units I'd unlocked, but decided against it. I might've had plenty of combat experience in my head from the [Tempestus Scions Training], but I also needed actually learn to apply what I knew. And, in any case, this was the tutorial dungeon; there was nothing here that could threaten me as long as I didn't act stupid.

I breathed in and smiled. All things considered, I'd been here for like... ten hours already since I was shoved in this place and I was honestly still having the time of my life.

Alright, some context.

This morning, when I woke up, there was a sign floating right over my head. A question.

Due to your current progression, you have unlocked your first [Instant Dungeon]!

[Nurglite Dungeon] level 1 (Beginner)

Would you like to enter? [Yes] or [No]

(Warning: Once you enter a dungeon, you will not be able to leave until the requirements to do so have been met. You can enter any [Instant Dungeon] at any time, but only when no creature of sufficient sapience is currently perceiving you. Furthermore, time does not flow outside the [Instant Dungeon]. And so, no matter how much time you spend in one, it'll be as you never left once you returned to the world.)

I played enough games and read enough mangas to know what an [Instant Dungeon] was and how much of an advantage it represented. I did not hesitate and clicked yes. When I did so, the world warped around me and I immediately found myself sitting on a bench that overlooked some kind of park, but withered and empty, abandoned and covered in moss and odd pulsating growths; a putrid lake of boiling green water lingered at the center of the park, surrounded by bones and strange mushrooms. Withered, rotting trees sprouted from the blighted ground, shrouded by a thin veil of emerald mist. Tall buildings arose in the distance, themselves covered in moss, mushrooms, and other strange growths. I had no idea where I was, but I knew this wasn't any city I was familiar with, but I suppose it was designed to be generic and easy to understand; I knew, however, that this wasn't Earth.

Right, this seemed like it was going to be a lot of fun.

I blinked and stood up, and stretched my limbs when yet another message from the System appeared before my eyes.

Congratulations on entering your first [Instant Dungeon]. The rules are simple: every Dungeon has a set number of enemies that must be purged before you can progress further. This progression varies from one dungeon to another, but generally merely entails a boss fight, the danger of which depends on the level of the dungeon itself. After beating the boss – or main challenge – of the dungeon, you will be granted a choice between a Chest, which contains unique items not found in the store, or a major stat upgrade.

I raised a brow. Damn. A major stat upgrade looked really fucking good as the more of them I accumulated, the harder it became to earn more from training.

STR – 28
DEX – 20
VIT – 27

My stats weren't anything to scoff at, but I needed more. And, with what was probably coming after me, this dungeon was a freaking godsend. I needed the get stronger – a lot stronger than I was now. Bonus points from finishing [Instant Dungeons] were going to be so much fucking help in the long run.

A sudden low groan from a nearby bush alerted me. I turned, immediately summoning the [Las Pistol] in my grasp, and took aim. A sickly, withered, rotting human shambled out of the bushes, partially decayed and covered in fleas. A zombie – the basic enemy unit in any sci-fi or rpg setting. I raised a brow as the system informed me that it was apparently known as a Nurglite Zombie, specifically. Cool. I guess. Shrugging slightly, I pulled the trigger and erased its head with a laser beam.

And just like that, it dropped to the ground, a smoking stump between its shoulders. That was easy. But that was also the point. Zombies, in any setting, weren't strong on their own; their real strength was in numbers. And, as if on cue, my ears perked up at the sound of a rushing horde of Nurglite Zombies. Despite everything, I could not help but grin.

This was going to be fucking fun.

That was four hours ago.

As I watched the zombies tumble one by one from the ledge, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at how predictable they were. Clumsy, mindless, driven purely by that festering hunger in their decaying cores. It was a nice way to warm up, sure, but it was starting to get too easy. They were making this much simpler than I expected for my first dungeon.

I sighed and hopped down from my perch, landing in the middle of the street below with a soft thud. Instantly, the horde noticed me, their grotesque, bloated bodies jerking as they shifted direction. I could hear their gurgled groans and wet sloshing as they stumbled over each other, drawn to my living, breathing presence like flies to rotten meat.

"Alright, let's speed this up," I muttered, pulling my [Las Pistol] from my holster and letting it hum to life. I started jogging down the street, taking aim with pinpoint accuracy, dropping zombies with every squeeze of the trigger. Their heads popped like overripe fruit, green mist hissing from their decomposing forms as they hit the ground.

One shot, two shots... no need to panic. The [Las Pistol]'s replenishment rate kept up with the flow, giving me an almost uninterrupted stream of fire. Every time the weapon's charge got low, it would buzz for a fraction of a second, then it was back to full. It was rhythmic, efficient, almost therapeutic.

In no time, I'd cleared out a large chunk of the shambling horde. Their numbers didn't seem to dwindle though. For every one I dropped, two more appeared from the shadows or burst from the windows of dilapidated buildings. They poured out of cracks in the ground, squeezing through the gaps in walls and doors like some kind of revolting tide. Good thing I was a lot faster than they could ever be – stronger too. My tactic of leaping from one rooftop to another – or leaping from a rooftop and into an open window and vice verse – made things even easier. But, I didn't want things to get boring.

Time to change things up.

I stashed my [Las Pistol] back into the Inventory and equipped the [Tau Rail Rifle] again. The horde thickened, but this time, I wasn't going to play it slow. Lining up a shot, I squeezed the trigger and let the rifle's shot rip through dozens of zombies at once. The force of the impact sent their bodies flying in different directions, a spray of glowing, green blood marking the area where they had stood, even as their bloody remains plummeted.

I smirked. "Much better."

I kept firing at a steady rhythm, the [Tau Rail Rifle]'s power evident with every blast. This was a weapon made to kill something tougher than mindless zombies, meant to rip through the toughest armor and kill whatever was standing on the other side. Still, I had to be careful not to empty the entire clip in one go. The long reload time could spell disaster if I wasn't smart about it. Still, each shot was fucking satisfying, killing several dozen at a time. And, honestly, the [Tau Rail Rifle] was so powerful that I was pretty sure I'd be able to kill every single Nurglite Zombie if only they were kind enough to line up.

That said, I was very thankful for this dungeon, because it showed me just how bonkers the [Tau Rail Rifle] actually was without any real consequence. The damn thing was so powerful, it left holes in the sides of the buildings – holes that continued through several buildings at once. And I'd fired enough shots that I'd fucked up a lot of buildings. So, I was really lucky that this wasn't anywhere in the real world or I would've ended up killing a lot of humans, the very people I swore to protect.

The remaining zombies started to thin out—at least, on the rooftops. There were a lot of them still down there, I figured. So, I finished up the Nurglite Zombies that were closest to me, a task that took me maybe fifteen minutes at most, once I really started taking them seriously. The best thing about the [Las Pistol] was that, unlike with bullets, the laser beam it emitted was 100% accurate even at its maximum range. And, despite being at the bottom of the barrel when it came to weapons, the damn thing packed enough of a punch to blast apart entire portions of a zombie's body with each shot. And its replenishment window was so small that it didn't matter how many times I pulled the trigger in rapid succession.

Fifteen minutes later and the rooftops of this... odd and withered ruin of a city were covered in the smoking remnants of zombies. After making sure that I'd taken out the ones that were closest, I sent the [Las Pistol] back into my Inventory and, once more, took out the [Tau Rail Rifle], with which I then took aim at the streets below. There were still plenty of zombies shambling about down there and, with this weapon, they were pretty much just fish in a barrel. All I needed was patience and time. Sure, I'd finish this quicker if I summoned a few units, but I'd rather do it on my own.

Next time, perhaps, I'd make use of them if I still had access to this dungeon.

An hour later, a new message from the system popped up.

Congratulations! You've wiped out the hordes of Nurglite Zombies. The Boss Battle has been scaled to your level. Boss spawning in 3... 2... 1...

Quest Received!
Defeat Rotgut Maggotskin, Plaguebearer of Nurgle!