Legion: Cursed Dominion

The chest was filled with mana crystals. Mana crystals are magic items gotten from low-ranked monsters, they can be sold like that or can be used to create low-level weapons and items like daggers, gauntlets, wands, bangles, and many other low-level weapons and items. Each mana crystal could cost a million or less depending on the buyer because it isn't so rare but then, there is something more rare and costly than crystals...

Mana core is often a magical organ or energy source found within a being, such as a magical creature or a being with magical abilities. It's typically associated with their magical powers, vitality, and overall well-being. It is the central hub of a beast's magical powers, governing its ability to perform magical feats, or exhibit supernatural abilities.

It is very difficult to find as they are only found in A-rank monsters, S-rank monsters, and even higher rank monsters. Each mana core can be sold for millions or even more, and they can be used to make rare weapons, items, or even portions.

Unfortunately for Benji, there were no mana cores inside the chest but the crystals is sold can amount to something much. It could cover some debts, his sister's hospital bills, and he could use it to buy some food for the house.

"Ain't I lucky?" He breathed. Indeed, he was very lucky.

While he was still gazing at the chest, the place began to shake. "Huh? I guess the dungeon is about to vanish, I need to get out of here."

He carried the chest and then left immediately. On the outside, the police officer had unintentionally fallen asleep on duty but the moment he heard the rumbling sound, he got up and just then, he saw Benji coming out from the dungeon.

"Mister, you are out already. Does it mean you...?"

"I've got it all covered," Benji replied and the officer beamed.

"Thank you sir," he said and Benji nodded and walked past him.

"Here's a gift," he said and threw a mana crystal at the police officer who caught it immediately.

To humans who were finding it difficult to survive, one mana crystal was enough to put smiles on their faces because they are very much aware of how much they'd make after selling it at the black market.

"Thank you so much, sir. Thank you!" He yelled as he gazed at Benji's fading shadow. 

Benji didn't know what he had done by giving the poor police officer a gift.

Meanwhile, Benji returned home and hid the chest under his bed. It was already very late at night and he had run all the way home so that thieves wouldn't harass him... But even if they did steal the chest, he wouldn't blame them entirely because everyone out there are looking for means to survive, even if it means killing another to do so. 

That night, Benji couldn't sleep properly. The thought of sleeping the mana crystals and making a lot of money out of them took all the sleep away from his eyes and in the next morning, dark circles gathered around his eyes.

Nevertheless, he wasn't bothered about it and went ahead to complete his daily quests.

[Push-Up: 100 times — Complete 100/100]

[Sit-Up: 100 times — Complete 100/100]

[Running: 20km — Complete 20/20km]

[Drink a glass of blood every morning — 0/1 glass]

[Name: Benji Martin]

[Job: Player]

[Class: None]

[Title: Goblin Slayer]

[Level: 3]

[HP:200]

[MP:30]

[Strength: 20]

[Agility:15]

[Intelligence:10]

[Stamina:15]

[Perception: 17]

[SKILLS:]

[Dash Lvl:

Info: With this skill activated, your speed level increases by 25 percent.]

[Healing Lvl:

Info: When this skill is activated, health will be restored by 25 percent.]

[For defeating a C-rank monster, you have an additional four stats to distribute]

"Add all the four stats to strength," he said, studying his stats carefully.

[Name: Benji Martin]

[Job: Player]

[Class: None]

[Title: Goblin Slayer]

[Level: 3]

[HP:200]

[MP:30]

[Strength: 24]

[Agility:15]

[Intelligence:10]

[Stamina:15]

[Perception: 17]

[SKILLS:]

[Dash Lvl:

Info: With this skill activated, your speed level increases by 25 percent.]

[Healing Lvl:

Info: When this skill is activated, health will be restored by 25 percent.]

After adding the four stats to his strength, Benji didn't feel anything like the first time.

"Is it no longer working?" He thought aloud and then shrugged. "Well, all I need to do is to fight monsters and level up but before then, there's something more important for me to do."

Benji took his bath and when he was done, he carried the chest in a bag and left his house. He had to sell it as quickly as he could and then focus solely on levelling up.

There were no black markets in his town but there was one in the neighboring town and it was a four hours journey from his town to that place. If it were before, it would be bothering him so much to travel because he had no money but now, things were about to change in his life.

He soon got to the park and boarded a bus going to the next town, inside the bus were rich merchants all going to the next town for business but none of them were hunters and he just happened to be the youngest person among them. This made him feel awkward but there was nothing he could do about it, he only hoped that the journey would be a quick one so he could get his stuff done and return home.

"Have you guys heard?" A man suddenly raised a question, turning everyone's attention to him. Even Benji could not help but be curious.

"Hear what?" A plump lady asked the man who raised the question.

"There are monsters on this road," the man whispered, earning series of gasps from the people.

"How are you sure about this?" An elderly man with gold teeth asked while glaring at the man. "Or are you trying to scare us?" He scoffed.

"I am not scaring anyone," the man waved his hands. "A friend of mine traveled through this road two days ago and he said that they were ambushed by a group of D-rank monsters. He barely made it back alive with the help of a teleportation stone."

"Hmmm," The gold-teeth man sighed. "If that's the case, we have to be careful."

"That's not going to help," the plump lady said with a worried expression on her face. "We don't have anyone who is a hunter among us."

"That's true," the gold-teeth man muttered.

 As the bus continued on its journey, the tension among the passengers grew thicker. The plump lady fidgeted nervously in her seat, while the gold-teeth man gripped the armrests of his chair tightly.

"We should have taken the other route," the plump lady whispered to the person sitting next to her.

"But that route would have taken us an extra hour," the person replied, trying to reassure her.

Benji, however, seemed unaffected by the growing unease. He sat calmly, his eyes fixed on the window as he watched the scenery pass by. Other than being worried, he was more curious about the monsters that were said to be lurking around.

Suddenly, the bus driver slammed on the brakes, and the vehicle came to a stop. The passengers were thrown forward, and some of them cried out in alarm.

"What's wrong?" the gold-teeth man demanded, standing up to confront the bus driver.

The bus driver's face was pale. "I...I saw something," he stuttered.

The passengers looked at each other nervously, and then they turned to gaze out the windows.

That was when they saw them.

A pack of massive, dog-like creatures surrounded the bus. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural hunger, and their jaws were open, revealing razor-sharp teeth.

The creatures were unlike any dogs the passengers had ever seen. They were larger, more muscular, and seemed to emanate a dark, malevolent energy.

The passengers gasped in terror, and some of them screamed. Benji, however, remained calm, his eyes fixed intently on the creatures or rather, the screen that had appeared before him.

[D-rank Shadow Dogs]

"What are those things?" the plump lady whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

"I don't know," the gold-teeth man replied, his voice equally shaky. "But we need to get out of here. Now."

The bus driver nodded, his hands shaking as he reached for the gearshift.

But it was too late. The creatures began to close in, their eyes fixed on the bus with an unspeakable hunger. 

"We are doomed!" The plump lady gasped and they all began to move backwards to the back of the vehicle.

As Benji studied the Shadow Dogs, a thought suddenly popped up in his head and he smirked.

"Hey," he said, calling the attention of all the frightened passengers. "I am a hunter and dealing with those monsters is nothing for me. I can help you guys get rid of them but you have to pay me.