Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori deactivated his ice shield, he leaned against the wall and continued to pant heavily.

His stamina had lowered down to its end and his heart raced like a horse due to his previous fight with the goblins.

He placed his hand on his chest and took three deep breaths, exhaled out deeply. And he was back to normal after he drank a stamina potion.

[you have entered the third floor's second room]

Hitori lifted his eyes. The room was not as dark as the previous one cause there was some strange dark green mist in the air.

He could hear the popping sound that came from a box that rested in front of him, at the end of the second room.

Hitori got up from the ground, pattered his cloak, and headed towards the box.

When he read the box's description, it told him that the box was a treasure box but Hitori could clearly see the box was open. No one would place their treasure in an open box.

The positive part was, he would gain rare or epic items from the treasure box without even wreaking his brains to figure out a way to open the box.

Or perhaps he was precisely the one who had opened the treasure box when he defeated the goblin king, that must have triggered the box to open.

Hitori took slow steps, he was not yet recovered, to the treasure box before he reached it. Hitori bent down and touched the box when the green mist that glowed over the box suddenly made its way to Hitori's hand.

When Hitori leaned closer, the green mist cleared and displayed Hitori a thin cement color key that lay at the bottom of the box.

"That key…" Hitori rubbed the back of his hand, "I… have seen it… somewhere, maybe." he shrugged.

The green mist that had moved towards Hitori's hand covered his hand under it. And as soon as it happened- Hitori felt a STING on his hand.

"Ah." Hitori acted on his reflexes and pulled away from his hand. He glanced at the green mist before he took a glance at the notification.

[you have made contact with the deadly green mist, your endurance stat will reduce by five percent]

"Just like that." Hitori tilted his head on both sides before he got closer to the box and spread his arms wide open.

Hitori leaned forward, pulled his right hand forward inside the box, "argh!" he let out a short scream, his hand came out from the box on its own.

He could not believe he was able to feel pain inside the game, yes, his health went down too. So he can not get in contact with the mist.

Hitori stared at the key. It was clear that he needed the key for unlocking something on the further floors but… how to get it?

An idea clicked Hitori, "kori no Mahou-" he stopped in between, he saw the mist had started to behave weirdly.

Hitori wanted to take a step back but he fell on his butt. The mist started to take the form of some kind of a beast, it looked more like a goblin.

Hitori got up and pushed away from the mist, the mist longed forward for Hitori. He turned, landed on the floor, and crawled away from the box.

The mist calmed down.

He sighed and shook his head after he took a look at the treasure box.

With no intentions to give up, Hitori got up and rushed to the box. He cast fire and ice spells together with water spells at the box but the green mist protected the box from every spell Hitori cast.

He failed to damage the box but he passed in attracting the mist to him. His aggro increased and he became the sole target of the mist.

"This might get ugly." Hitori dashed to the floor, he rolled forward and somehow managed to get close to the box.

But the mist appeared out of nowhere and pushed him away by hurting him in real.

Hitori did not stop trying. He used his brain, his skills, and his raw power to fight against the mist but the mist had managed to inflict half the damage of the goblin king's flail hit's total damage.

"I, have wasted time." Hitori declared. He stood straight in front of the treasure box, "get it."

Hitori pushed his right leg back, then with all of his strength he bolted from his position towards the treasure box.

The mist acted quickly too, it removed its cover from the box and started to flow in Hitori's direction.

Hitori dived forward, he stretched his arms and escaped the wrath of the mist. But he was not safe yet.

He rolled on the floor, got up, and quickly reached for the key inside the treasure box, "Argh!!" he let out a scream, his health declined by huge numbers.

He was at his limit. That was it, he could not do any more of that pain. As soon as his hand came out, he reached for the lid of the box, pulled it down, and shut the box with all of his might.

The mist was pushed back into the box, the pain left Hitori's body, and exhaustion came back to him.

Without any care in the world, he threw his back on the box and panted. Hitori slowly opened his eyes to look at the dark roof, then looked around at the dark walls around him.

Click, snap.

Suddenly, a voice popped into the room and Hitori felt something against his obliques.

His heavy breathing had calmed down. He lifted himself off the box and with a zap, a drawer opened from the box's right side.

In the hope to see a key lying inside the drawer, Hitori lit a fire torch and peeked into the side drawer.

"...."

Nothing. Empty. The treasure box left its side drawer empty and Hitori with disappointed.

Hitori sat on the floor for a few minutes. The box was empty, it should have been impossible but it had happened. The box was empty.

Hitori knew one thing for sure even if he advances further he will not clear the dungeon without this key and the help of Reon.

The key was not in the box even when it displayed it from the top which meant…

Hitori raced his hand and opened the menu screen, he opened the message window, "Reon-san, I will be back in a while." he texted.

Reon still struggled with the claws that were infinitely coming at her. She somehow got a glimpse of the message.

"W- wait, what? I- is he leaving…? Oh, get off me!" she shot another hand, kicked a few, and stomped on two hands.

Hitori did not wait for her reply.

[if you log out now, you will have to raid the dungeon from the start, are you sure?]

"Yes." Hitori replied with a calm expression.

[all of your drops will be lost, the used potions and other items will be lost too. Only experience points will be saved]

This dungeon belonged to a player who was not active right now or perhaps he let them attack his dungeon.

You can not attack a dungeon if the owner is online or unless the owner wants to spar with you. It all depends on the owner, in simple words.

Hitori knew the risks but it was worth it, "yes, I am sure."

The screen blacked out, Hitori's subconscious was transmigrated back to the real world.

Both Reon and Kamiya received the notification when Hitori logged out from the game.

Kamiya was confused but Reon, she was furious and scared at the thought, 'what if Hitori-san abandons me? Is this… where he betrays me?'