A woman, adorned in the attire of a mage, graced the chamber of a medieval-style office. Her slender form, the embodiment of professionalism and dignity, came to a halt a few meters in front of a large elm desk.
"Sir," she began with unwavering composure, "we have successfully tracked down and apprehended the party that infiltrated our Dungeon without the proper permit."
The man behind the desk responded, his demeanor tinged with amusement. "Excellent. Ensure that their punishment is both swift and severe so that none will make the same mistake."
"I have already made the necessary arrangements," she replied with a respectful bow. "I simply sought your confirmation."
A grin stretched the man's lips, his pearly white teeth rivaling the gleam of his impressive armor. "Always one step ahead as ever. You—"
His words were abruptly interrupted as a notification flashed in his peripheral vision. As the Guildmaster, he frequently received a multitude of notifications, yet this one demanded his immediate and undivided attention.
With a deft movement of his finger, he clicked on the mail icon, which brought up the «Leaderboard» Window by extension. Ignoring the other categories, he navigated to the latest update—the Hidden Dungeon scoreboard.
There, he saw it. A player by the name of Haxks had cleared the very first level one Hidden Dungeon in the game.
A mocking twist touched the corner of the Guildmaster's mouth. It's his very first Dungeon, and a level one no less, he mused, dismissing the achievement as a mere fluke. Hardly worth mentioning.
For Guildmasters like him, the pursuit of glory and fame was an ongoing strategy to attract potential members to their guilds. And one among the many grand stages for such displays was none other than the Hidden Dungeons.
Rankings were determined by clear times and the number of dungeons conquered, and competitors were known to go to extreme lengths to safeguard their positions—this Guildmaster was no exception.
***
Before Daisuke could fully recover from the shock, he was promptly teleported back to the surface, and the outcrop that had concealed the cave had vanished, leaving no trace behind.
Birds sang merrily, their warbles echoing from all directions. Sunlight filtered through the lush canopy of trees, casting dappled shadows on the vibrant landscape. The summer breeze, cool and refreshing, washed over him, a stark contrast to the humid depths of the cave.
However, Daisuke's attention was fixated on something entirely different.
"This... can't be real, can it?" his voice, rough and cracked, barely rose above a whisper. His wide eyes trembled in disbelief as multiple screens materialized before him, like a holographic projection.
DING!
[Congratulations! You have slain the Hidden Dungeon Boss «Globerax, the Elemental King»!]
[You have achieved an unbelievable feat!]
[Upon joining the Adventurers' Guild and successfully clearing a Hidden Dungeon, the System has recognized your desire and commitment to become a player.]
[The Status Window has been unlocked.]
[The title «Lone Wolf» has been acquired.]
[The title «Pathfinder» has been acquired.]
[The title «Unwavering Spirit» has been acquired.]
[The title «Congenial Denizen» has been acquired.]
YOU ARE READING
Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended
FantasíaWhat would you do if you found yourself trapped in a video game as an NPC with seemingly no hope of returning to the real world? Having grown up without parents, Daisuke finds himself in a perpetual cycle of poverty as he tries to survive in the bot...
