In the dimly lit corner of a rundown neighborhood, a convenience store flickered under the neon glow of its sign. Inside, a man named Eddie 'Bones' Malone was in the midst of what could be generously described as the least successful robbery in history.
[Status Screen - Invisible to Inhabitant]
Name: Eddie 'Bones' Malone
Age: 24
Rank: Thug (Advancement Available)
Health: 100%
Stamina: 60%
Strength: Average (Note: Could use a gym membership)
Intelligence: Questionable
Charisma: Low
Luck: Abysmal
Special Skill: None
Current Objective: Rob a convenience store (Probability of Success: 5.3%)
Eddie, holding a toy gun he found in his nephew's room, was trying his hardest to look menacing. The store clerk, an elderly man with more wrinkles than years left, looked more bored than scared.
"Give me all the cash, old man!" Eddie tried to sound tough, but his voice cracked midway.
The clerk sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Son, that's a toy. And this is a convenience store. We barely have enough to keep the lights on."
As Eddie fumbled with his words, a customer walked in, a middle-aged woman with a stern look that could wilt flowers. She glanced at Eddie, then at the clerk, and rolled her eyes.
"Not this again, Gary?" she asked the clerk, who just shrugged.
Eddie turned to her, trying to wave his toy gun menacingly. "Stay back, lady, or I'll—"
"You'll what? Shoot me with your plastic gun?" she interrupted, unimpressed.
Just then, a loud crack sounded outside. Eddie jumped, startled, and accidentally squeezed the trigger of the toy gun. It let out a pitiful 'pop', and a tiny flag with the word 'Bang!' unfurled from the barrel.
The woman burst out laughing, and even the clerk couldn't help but chuckle. Eddie's face turned a shade of red that could rival a tomato.
"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm outta here," Eddie grumbled, turning to leave, his 'criminal career' coming to an unceremonious end.
As he stepped outside, the world seemed to shift. The ground trembled, and a bright light enveloped Eddie. He squinted, trying to shield his eyes, but it was too late.
[Transition Detected]
Location: Changing...
Status: In Transit
Destination: Unknown (Probability of Survival: To be determined)
When the light faded, Eddie found himself in a completely different world. He was standing in a dark, damp dungeon, his skin gone, leaving only bones. He was a skeleton, but he didn't know it yet.
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In the distance, eerie howls echoed, and a floating screen appeared before his eye sockets. He stared at it, bewildered.
[Status Screen]
Name: Eddie 'Bones' Malone
Title: The Accidental Skeleton
Rank: Skeleton (Advancements Available)
Health: 100% (Note: Surprisingly good for a skeleton)
Stamina: Infinite
Strength: Enhanced
Intelligence: Unchanged
Charisma: Spooky
Luck: Still Abysmal
Special Skill: Bone-rattling (Note: Great for parties)
Current Objective: Survive
Eddie stood there, his eye sockets wide (as wide as they could be for a skeleton), staring at the floating status screen in front of him. His brain, or where it would have been if he still had one, struggled to process what was happening.
"Wha- What the heck is this?" he muttered, his voice echoing eerily in the skeleton form.
Just then, another screen popped up beside the first one. This one was different, more complex, and seemed to be tied to the place he was in rather than himself.
[Dungeon Status Screen]
Name: The Forsaken Crypt
Owned By: Eddie 'Bones' Malone
Dungeon Rank: F (Advancements Available)
Credits Available: 500
Monster Capacity: 5/5
Dungeon Health: 100%
Special Features: None
Current Objective: Expand and Defend (Note: Grow your domain, spooky overlord!)
Eddie's jaw, if it could, would have dropped. "I own a dungeon? And I'm some kind of... skeleton kingpin?"
He looked around. The dungeon was dimly lit, with torches casting dancing shadows along the stone walls. The air was musty, and the sound of his own bone-clacking footsteps echoed through the halls.
"Okay, Eddie, think. You're a skeleton, in a dungeon, and apparently, it's yours. Now what?" He started walking, his bony fingers tapping against his skull in thought.
As he explored the dungeon, he noticed other skeletons wandering aimlessly. They seemed to perk up at his presence, their hollow eye sockets turning towards him.
"Uh, hi there. I'm Eddie, your, uh, boss, I guess?" Eddie said awkwardly.
To his surprise, the skeletons seemed to understand and nodded, clattering their jaws in what he assumed was a form of acknowledgment.
"This is bananas," Eddie muttered. "But hey, I've always wanted to be in charge of something."
He continued to explore, finding various rooms and corridors. Some rooms contained old, rusty weapons, while others had remnants of what looked like failed adventurers' equipment.
As he ventured deeper, he stumbled upon a larger room, the center of which held a glowing orb. It pulsed with a mysterious energy, and another status screen appeared next to it.
[Dungeon Core Status]
Core Health: 100% (Note: Keep it safe, it's your lifeline!)
Energy Reserves: 100%
Upgrade Options: [Monster Variety Increase], [Trap Installation], [Dungeon Expansion]
Credits Required for Upgrades: Varies
Current Threat Level: Low
Eddie approached the orb cautiously. "So, this thing is like the heart of the dungeon? And I can upgrade stuff. Cool, cool."
He pondered his options. With limited credits, he had to be strategic. "Maybe start with some basic traps, and then see about getting some variety in my, uh, skeleton crew?"
As he contemplated his next move, a sudden realization hit him. "Wait, adventurers? Like, people coming in here to steal my stuff and wreck my dungeon? Oh, no, no, no. We can't have that."
Determined, Eddie started to plan. His days as a small-time thug might not have prepared him for being a skeleton overlord, but he was ready to rise to the challenge. After all, how hard could it be to run a dungeon?