Finn opened his eyes with a harsh gasp and stared at the blue sky in confusion. He quickly sat up and looked around. Where the hell am I? Where’s Elena?!
The last thing he remembered was reading that wall of text on the freeway. Now, he was somehow in the middle of a… he didn’t know what to call it.
The air was thick with the scent of salt and damp earth, just like the beach where his research outpost was. But the scenery couldn’t be any more different.
He stood on a narrow strip of sandy land, a jagged peninsula that jutted out into a vast, shimmering lagoon. The water was unnaturally clear, its surface rippling with an almost hypnotic glow. Beyond the lagoon, towering cliffs dominated the horizon, their surfaces slick with moisture and dotted with bioluminescent moss. A dense jungle lined the rocky outcroppings beyond. Towering trees with twisting vines creep toward the water’s edge. Waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs, feeding into the lagoon below.
Greetings, Finn Dillashaw.
Welcome to the F-grade Tutorial Dungeon: The Shattered Coast
Team: Finn Dillashaw, Elena Martinez, Alex Pantoja.
Objective: Survive and locate your teammates.
Objective: Kill the Dungeon Boss, Tidecaller (0/1)
Objective: Kill the Mini-Boss, Leviathan Spawn (0/1)
Objective: Reach the Dungeon Exit (0/1)
Bonus Objective: Collect Tutorial Points (TP) from any bonus kills. TP will be tallied for use upon Toturial completion.
Completion: 0%
Time Limit: 96 Hours.
Finn chuckled sadly before it turned into outright laughter. He looked at the floating text as his amusement died. “This…I still can’t believe this!”
You should, Finn Dillashaw.
We are unsure why so many of your kind has yet to understand. Do try not to get yourself killed thinking you are in a dream. It is a regrettable waste of resources after being graced with the opportunity to be uplifted before the grand Integration.
“What the—” Finn stopped himself from cursing whatever this thing was. Just in case he’d get smited from the heavens. “Who…are you?”
You may refer to us as the system. Please receive your Level Up before you attempt to converse with us. Additional queries will not receive a response until then.
Finn’s lips twitched in irritation. Well, fuck you too, whatever you are.
His headache had gotten worse, even so, he started talking through it all. “Okay. There’s a game screen in front of me. That’s something out of RPGs, right? And Terraforming…is that why the radio cut out? Technology’s gone AWOL? No…one problem at a time—I have to find Elena. And…whoever Alex is.”
He had to just accept that he now had a status screen and appeared in an unfamiliar place. Just like spawning in the games he used to play in middle school. The problem was that—it’s been, what? A little more than a decade since then? There wasn’t much time for fun since he had to help support the family ever since he turned the legal age to work. It was either playing video games or doing some job after school to lessen the load on his mother, a single mother.
Still, Finn remembered some of the stuff he should do.
“Show my status.”
Denied. Level up first.
“Piece of…isn’t that a response?” Finn cursed below his breath before turning his attention elsewhere. “Alright, where to start?”
The System, or whatever had stuck the three of them in here. It also intentionally separated them. That had to be part of what made this tutorial hardcore. Considering the fact that to leave here required them to kill creatures with obviously aquatic names, they were in the water. And if these games had something in common, it was that the monsters blocked the exits. Then is the exit somewhere underwater?
Water was both a trap and an opportunity. If he had to swim, he could. If he had to hold his breath for minutes at a time, he could. A little over eight minutes to be exact. He wasn’t useless without an oxygen tank.
Finn let out a faint, humorless chuckle. “Thankfully Elena and I are accustomed to water. Wish I still had my wetsuit if I’m going to head into the water—”
Then, just as he took a step forward, the water moved.
A ripple, then a shadow—something massive just beneath the surface. Then the surface parted.
It climbed onto the shore in a single, fluid motion—a hunched, sinewy creature that stank of salt and rotting fish. It wasn’t much taller than Finn’s chest, but its body was covered in slick, scale-like skin, glistening as if perpetually wet. Its head was somewhere between a deep-sea predator and a nightmare—bulging, black eyes, a slitted mouth full of needle-like teeth, and gill slits flaring along the sides of its neck.
And in its webbed hands, it clutched a jagged, coral-tipped spear. It glared and chittered at me as it pulled a crude, stone-tipped spear back for a thrust.
It let out a wet, gurgling snarl, lowering its stance as it prepared to lunge.
Finn took a step back, instincts screaming at him. He mentally slapped himself in the face. Oh, hell no. Me and my big fucking mouth!
He threw himself sideways, his instincts kicking in just in time. Actually, no, it felt more like dumb luck. The spearhead slashed through the air where his chest had been a second earlier. He hit the ground hard, rolling over the damp sand before scrambling to his feet.
The creature didn’t stop. It took advantage of Finn’s shock. The spear punched into the meaty part of his right calf. And it burned.
Maybe it was because of the agony, but Finn managed to put his weight on his legs as he ran from the attacker.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
No weapons. No armor. No clue how to actually fight something like this. He’s spawned atop sand!
Blood trailed the sand behind him as he scrambled away. Okay. Think, Finn. What do you have?
The creature snarled and turned, its movements eerily fluid. Finn’s eyes darted to the environment—sand underfoot, but only a few feet behind him, the lagoon stretched out in all directions. The cliffs, too far to climb quickly. The jungle is also far.
It lunged again from a few paces behind. Looking around his neck, Finn didn’t dodge—he angled off and pivoted.
The move caught the creature off guard. Instead of skewering him, its spear scraped against his shoulder, tearing into his shirt but missing the flesh underneath. Finn crashed into it, throwing all of his weight into an amateurish football tackle.
The creature staggered back with a surprised gurgle but managed to hook its clawed hand, reversing Finn’s tackle. They were sent into the shallows, water rushing over them. Finn, while maybe not as experienced in the water like a half-fish monster, had some knowhow for a human. He recovered just as quickly, maybe even quicker. He grabbed its arm—webbed, cold, slimy—and twisted, forcing the spear from its grip. The creature let out a shriek, clawing at him with its free hand.
Finn barely managed to twist away before jagged claws raked across his side. Too close!
But the creature was fast! Unarmed, it thrashed violently, its strength unnatural for something so thin. Its clawed fingers dug into his arm, forcing him down.
Bubbles escaped Finn’s lips as the creature tried to drag him deeper. Not happening. Finn had his fair share of part-timing as a lifeguard in his teenage years. People panicked when they were drowning. People stronger than he was. So he knew his way around being drowned by something flailing in the water.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had, Finn twisted his body again, using the water’s natural buoyancy to slip out of the creature’s grasp. He planted a foot against its chest and kicked off, sending himself backward toward the surface.
He broke through with a gasp, flipping onto his back just in time to see the creature lunging up after him. But now, Finn had the advantage.
He reached for the spear—the one he’d wrestled from its grip earlier.
And drove it straight into the creature’s chest. It let out a strangled gurgle. Its black eyes bulged as it convulsed, clawing weakly at the weapon impaling it. Finn didn’t let go, pushing the coral head tip deeper until it punched out through its back.
Then, finally, the creature stilled.
Finn’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking from the adrenaline, and his injuries burned, but something else filled his heart. Triumph. The same feeling of beating a level in a game, but tenfold.
He turned to stare at the fallen monster, but as he did, a faint chime echoed in his head.
Ding!
You have slain [Brineborn Hunter – Level 2 Monster] - Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 4 TP earned.
Congratulations! You’ve leveled up by killing your first dungeon monster and unlocked your status menu. Monsters live both inside of dungeons and in [Earth’s] overworld. They exist for one purpose: improving System users like you, [Finn Dillashaw]. Despite any form they might take, monsters are not to be given mercy. We recommend immediate obliteration of any that comes to your attention. You are able to absorb the energy they contain as a reward for destroying these monsters.
Race: [Baseline Human] has reached level 1 - Stat points allocated, +2 Free Stat Point
Race Level 0—> Race Level 1
Free Stat Points: 0—>2
Please note that your stats will increase by 1 with each Race Level Up.
You’re now eligible to allocate Stat Points. Your unique stat layout and actions during the Hardcore Tutorial will determine your class options.
Before Finn could question what the box of text meant by stat points, the glowing text disappeared and replaced itself. This time, it wasn’t a description. It was a true blue status screen pulled straight from a game!
[Finn Dillashaw] [Race Level - 1] [Class - N/A] [Profession - N/A]
Race: Baseline Human (G)
Titles: N/A
[Skills]
?[Identify (Inferior)] – This basic skill allows you to attempt to identify any object or creature you are focusing on.
[Stats]
?Constitution: 3
?Endurance: 3.5
?Strength: 3
?Speed: 2
?Dexterity: 3
?Perception: 3
Stat Points Available: 2
In the future, to call up your status menu, think ‘Status’ and confirm.
“Huh. Convenient.” Finn sighed. There was so much to think over. First was something he had to know immediately, especially as he looked at where his wounds should be. “System. Does leveling up heal me?”
It does, with limits, of course. Restoring your body is a natural byproduct of absorbing the life energy released upon defeating a monster. Be warned, as this effect loses it’s potency at higher levels.
He nodded. Then to the rest. “What does it mean by Baseline Human, and that ‘G’ in front?”
Exactly as it says, you are a G-grade human. A being in the Levels range of 0-10. This tier is special because it only applies to beings that haven't been exposed to mana before being introduced into the System. All other beings are born with F rank.
Finn frowned. “Does that mean that monster I killed was F-grade despite being just a level ahead?”
Yes.
His itch for knowledge was scratched so he moved onto his stats. According to the System, his strengths were literally Strength, Endurance, and Perception. That made a lot of sense. His work as a deep-sea diver demanded both—strength to handle the heavy gear and powerful currents, endurance to push through long dives, and sharp awareness to navigate treacherous waters and avoid deadly mistakes that would’ve turned him into a statistic.
“Ah, and I don’t use magic and mana on the job.” he dryly laughed, looking at the lack of a magic type of stat.
Anyways, if he had been able to physically handle the Brineborn monster two levels ahead of him with his current condition, did that mean he should balance out his stats? Or should he double down on what he was already good at?
Maybe he was overestimating himself, but with a proper weapon—even this scavenged coral spear—he might be able to take down a Level 3 Brineborn outright. Actually, wait. That was a dangerous train of thought. Overconfidence got people killed. And here? Death wasn’t just a setback or another respawn. It was permanent.
Nope.
Finn clenched his fist, testing the soreness in his muscles. His body still ached from the earlier fight, and the Brineborn had gotten way too close to killing him. If that thing had been any stronger, he’d be bleeding out in the sand right now. There would be tougher creatures ahead—there had to be. If he wanted to survive, he needed every ounce of strength and reaction speed he could get.
He exhaled sharply. No, the choice was obvious. Finn loved being alive. Like, really, loved it. So being able to take a hit and avoid being hit was enough to have him make this decision.
“Allocate one point to Constitution, one point to Speed.”
Constitution 3—>4
Speed 2—>3
A rush of satisfying warmth spread through him. It wasn’t dramatic—no sudden burst of power, no lightning coursing through his veins—but he felt it. His muscles tensed like they’d been fine-tuned, his breathing grew a fraction steadier, and his body just felt better like a weight had been lifted, like everything was running just a bit smoother.
Finn flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders experimentally. The sting in his wounds dulled ever so slightly. His heart rate, which had been pounding in his ears, evened out. Yeah, not bad. That was the right call.
Before Finn could relish in his newfound prowess, the interface interrupted.
You have reached Race Level 1 and used your Stat Points. You are eligible to choose a Class. Once selected, you will have access to the Wisdom stat.
Make your choice carefully. Once you select a Class, it is permanent. Although there is an uncountable number of classes, they can all be derived from 6 options you will choose from here. These base classes serve as the foundation for all sentient species across the universe. Further evolutions will be influenced by personal growth and planetary conditions.
