The Ninth Floor

[Earth Komodo Lv.90

HP: 25,600

MP: 4,800

Strength: 2,340

Vitality: 2,030

Intelligence: 1,025

Spirit: 985

Dexterity: 960

Agility: 875

Skills:

Rock Skin

Venom Rain

Earthquake

Drops:

Komodo Skin

High Beast Blood

Beast King's Belt

Key to the Ninth Floor

The Komodo looked around and observed the entire pit while sticking out its black tongue. Its skin was so thick and hard. It appeared like many stones were attached to it. Its fingers had sharp and huge black claws. Komodos were a ferocious predator. It bit its prey and let them escape. The wound would be infected by bacteria and it was fatal. They would wait for some time until the prey died and by using its sense of smell, they would track them. They could detect carrion from 10 kilometres away.

As it was sticking out its tongue, it looked at Janu's direction. He was hiding behind a boulder. Even though the lizard couldn't see him, it could still feel his presence. It walked closer to where he was hiding.

'Did it notice me?'

Its ability to detect another presence was impressive and it made Janu surprised and amazed at the same time. Janu took out his flute and was ready to summon Garuda. He could hear the heavy steps of his opponent getting closer. Even though he was above the pit and the Komodo was in it, it wasn't impossible for it to climb. Anything could happen in this kind of situation.

Janu put the flute in his lips. Suddenly, he thought of something.

'I only depended on my skills and weapon so far. I'm strong enough now. My strength is doubled. I'll try to face it head on.'

He put away his flute and jumped to the top of the boulder. The Komodo raised its head as it noticed him, but it looked uninterested.

Janu posed confidently but when he saw the lizard's expression he became disappointed.

"Isn't it supposed to be aggressive? Does it underestimate me!?'

He became annoyed. The monsters he faced so far were all aggressive and wanted to eat him. Even though he was miniscule in the eyes of his opponent, but to be underestimated was beyond his expectation.

"You'll be sorry!"

He jumped and flew like a bullet shot from a gun. He had put away his weapon and shield as they wouldn't be effective against this monster. He wanted to use a blunt weapon, but he had none, so he tried using his bare hand.

The monster opened its mouth wide to catch him. Janu spun his body to dodge the attack and stretched his right leg to do a roundhouse kick.

BAANGG….

The sound of heavy collision could be heard as the kick landed on its jaw. The Komodo was pushed to the side and almost fell down to the ground. With his stats now, Janu was on par with the Komodo, and a direct hit was definitely effective.

It was enraged.

[Rock Skin]

[Venom Rain]

It activated two skills at once. Its body became more solid as it wanted to raise its defence. Then it opened its mouth and splattered its saliva to the air. The saliva, which contained venom, became droplets and fell down to the pit.

"Hmmph.."

Janu ignored the saliva. When the liquid touched his skin, he wasn't affected by it.

[Poison Immunity]

While his other skills were still locked, his newly obtained one wasn't. It took effect as soon as his skin was in contact with the poison.

The only thing that bothered him was the smell, which was like rotten flesh, but he couldn't complain about it. He had an opponent to defeat, so he ran towards the giant.

Tap..

Tap..

Tap..

The Komodo raised its right leg to swat him as he got closer. As its leg went down to his spot, Janu accelerated at full speed.

Brruuggg..

Its foot hit the ground and left a mark. Janu, who escaped it, was now under its body. He tightened his fist and jumped from below.

Buuggg…

The Komodo staggered as its stomach received a heavy blow from Janu's fist. Their size was incomparable; Janu was like an ant to humans if he was to be compared to the monster. But their strength was on par. When it gained its balance, the giant lizard lowered its head to catch him with its mouth.

"Perfect."

This was what he had expected: a range to deal a deathblow to its head. His agility was doubled and he was much faster than his opponent. It was quite easy for him to dodge. He jumped high and did a front roll mid-air above the head when it failed to catch him. The movement added momentum to his attack and he nuked the monster's head with his kick.

BOOMMM….

The head hit the ground below from the impact. It was a heavy blow and his past opponents would have their head crushed if they were to receive it. The giant didn't move.

'No level up.. is it not dead?'

Slowly the Komodo moved its body and its head. It gained its consciousness.

Uuwaaarrhhh…

It screamed and went berserk. It shook its head and stood up. Its front legs rose as it straightened its body vertically. Now, it stood on its hind legs with its tail kept the balance.

[Earthquake]

The giant monster stomped its front legs on the ground from the standing position.

BOOOMMMM….

Crack…

Crack…

Crack…

The rocky ground was devastated and it was shaking violently. Even though it didn't last long, Janu lost his footing and fell on the ground. He couldn't keep his balance due to the shaking ground.

While he was still struggling, the Komodo approached him and swatted him with its front leg.

BOOMM…

The ground was shaking again and more cracks formed. Normally, anyone or anything that was pressed by that paw would be crushed. However, what happened next wasn't anticipated by the monster.

Something was pushing its leg from below and the leg was lifted for about two metres. Below it was Janu, who was standing while holding the paw with his two hands. He then threw the leg to the side and jumped. He uppercut the monster's head from below and its head was pushed upward. It staggered again.

Huff..

Huff..

Janu landed and was panting. Although he didn't take a direct hit, the impact still reduced his HP. He took a healing potion from the inventory and drank it.

'It's harder than I thought.'

Janu ran towards his opponent, which hadn't gained its balance from the impact. He jumped again to reach its head and launched a back kick.

BAANGG….

The head was pushed to the left. Janu landed and ran towards the head again. The monster didn't give up easily and moved its head to bite him. As the head was getting closer, Janu jumped again and the Komodo bit nothing, but the air. Janu spinned frontward and landed another kick from above.

BOOMMM….

The head hit the ground again and dust flew. The giant lizard staggered and couldn't lift its head. Its eyes were closed and its head swayed to the right and to the left. It was almost done. Janu approached its body from the front and readied his fist. He jumped towards the heart and punched.

BOOMMM….

The Komodo spat blood and it dropped dead.

Level up…

Level up…

Level up…

"Level 88."

"Nice. The boss gave a lot of EXP."

[Received

Komodo Skin x10

High Beast Blood x15

Beast King's Belt x1

Key to the Ninth Floor x1]

[Beast King's Belt

Type: Accessory

Rarity: Unique

Dexterity: +20%

Description: A belt made from Beast King's skin.

Bonus:

-Direct damage from opponent's attack cannot exceed 30% of maximum HP.]

"A belt? It's new. There's no belt in accessory, right? And it's unique, too. The bonus is excellent. It means that no monster can one-shot me."

'Equip Beast King's Belt.'

Janu held the key to the ninth floor and it looked just the same as the previous keys.

'Open the ninth floor.'

***

Meanwhile in Bimo's office.

"The joint training is in one week. You can't just leave!"

"But there's still no news about Parvesh. Do you know what it means? We can't just ignore that dungeon."

"I know that. The UR will send a rescue team to GM."

"But still… Why don't we just change the head instructor!? If we call for a meeting with the other guilds, I'm sure they'll understand!"

"Are you out of your mind? The fact that he's missing is kept a secret and now you want to announce that? The top five guilds are always in check with each other, and they are starting to get suspicious with the UR. The UR must stay neutral!"

"Then what must I do!? I'm the Vice Leader of Garuda Mystics."

"Then do your responsibility. Don't worry. Dirga will go. I'll ask him to choose the best line up."

"Very well."

It was a dilemma for Jacklyn and if it were possible she would choose to go back to GM and search for her Guild Leader. However, the situation wasn't in her favour. She had responsibilities and a mission in the upcoming auction. After being reassured by the UR President she was at ease, even though only a little. She left afterward.

"Dirga."

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"Stop that crap. Do me a favour, will you?"

"Anything. Just say the word."

"Parvesh is missing in Mount Brahm's dungeon. Form a rescue team and search for him. I'll contact GM and ask for a guide."

"Wonderful. I need to relieve my stress. No need for a team. I'll go by myself."

"Seriously, man. This is not a vacation. Just be ready and wait for the info. Make sure to bring only the elites."

"Yeah..yeah.."

"One more thing. Keep it a secret."

"Sure."

The call ended and Bimo leaned against his chair.

"It's been too peaceful recently. They say that it's calm before a storm. Let's hope nothing happens."

***

Janu was standing on a cliff and in front of him was the sea. The waves were violent and they hit the cliff, causing the sea water to rise until under his feet. Below him were reefs and if one was to fall he would definitely die because of the height.

[New Mission

Obtain Underwater Breathing skill]

"Where can I get it?"

Janu was brought to a new area after he used the key. He saw a small island in the distance. He assumed that the island was his destination. He thought he could summon Garuda and flew there, making things simpler. But, he got a new mission and he felt that it was definitely necessary for clearing the ninth floor. Aside from that, being able to breathe underwater was a cheat.

Realising that he couldn't move forward, he decided to explore the land. Behind him was a forest. A dense one. The forest was similar to the ones in the real world, but the size of the trees was gigantic. Janu walked carefully as he observed around. It was quite silent and only the sound of insects and some birds could be heard.

After a while, Janu stopped as he saw a humanoid boar eating a huge deer. Its body was more like that of a gorilla instead of human and it had two tusks pointing out from its lower jaw. The monster wasn't aware of him.

[Orang Babi Lv. 92

HP: 18,000

MP: 3,100

Str: 1,860

…

…

Skills:

-Boar Charge

-Strong Punch

Drops:

-Boar Tusk

-Boar Meat

-High Monster Bone

'It's level is higher than the Komodo, but the stats are lower. Guess it's an ordinary monster.'

Janu walked closer and the monster looked at him.

Grookk….

It seemed to get angry as he approached it. It was very common for animals to defend their area when something approached. It was also true when they were devouring their meals.

[Boar Charge]

The boar charged at full speed. Its tusks were ready to crush the man in its sight. When Janu was in its range, it lowered its head so it could ram him with all it got.

Swoosshhh…

The boar hit nothing but air. It looked confused and looked around to find its opponent, but Janu was nowhere.

Boomm..

Janu hit the boar from above. When the boar launched its attack with the tusks, Janu jumped high, and by using the force of gravity he smacked the boar's head, but to his surprise the boar used its left arm to block his fist.

Unwilling to give another opportunity to its opponent, it countered using its skill.

[Strong Punch]

"Whoooaaa.."

'It looks dangerous. Its strength wasn't that high, but the skill might have amplified it.'

Janu dodged the fist. His instinct told him that the fist was lethal. It was at least 300% of its strength. After successfully dodging, Janu raised his leg to kick the head.

Bang..

There was no technique in his kick. It was only a regular kick anyone could do, but it was strong due to his stats.

The boar staggered backward and was full of openings. Janu chased it and launched multiple straight punches using both hands.

Bang...

Bang...

Bang...

…

…

The monster's ribs were broken and it coughed blood. It couldn't do anything against the barrage of fists.

For the finishing blow, Janu did an uppercut with full strength and the boar collapsed backward. It died.

There was no level up but he got the drops. He continued deep into the forest. He killed monsters along the way using his sword and levelled up. Using a weapon when he was fighting monsters was more effective and it could save him from troubles. When he reached level 90 he took a rest in a cave he found.

Level: 90

Name: Janu Dewanto

Class: <locked>

SubClass: Magic Enchanter

Title: Brute Strength

Available titles:

Undead Killer

Beast King

Monster Hunter

Daredevil

HP : 8,740

MP: 1,870

Strength: 1,460 (+1,460) (+)

Vitality: 1,285 (+1,285) (+)

Intelligence: 1,360 (+1,360) (+)

Spirit: 1,120 (+1,120) (+)

Dexterity: 1,040 (+1,040) (+)

Agility: 780 (+780) (+)

Luck: 100 (+)

Available Points: 0

Active Skills

- Appraise <locked>

- Craft <locked>

- Flash <locked>

Equipped Skills

- Vertical Cleave <locked>

- Triple Hit <locked>

- Firestorm <locked>

- Ancient Gladiator (Passive) <locked>

Passive Skills

- Mpu Gandring's Legacy <locked>

- Crit. Dmg Up III <locked>

- Troll's Blood <locked>

- Dual Wield <locked>

- Summon Dinka <locked>

- Poison Resistance

Mission:

Clear the One Thousand Temples NinthFloor

Unlock another subclass

Obtain Underwater Breathing Skill

He continued and found a waterfall. A big and high one. Its height was at least 30 metres and below was a large pond with rocks in it. A big river was attached to it and went as far as his eyes could see.

"A tortoise?"

"Isn't it way too big for a tortoise?"

[Adamant Tortoise Lv.92

HP: 30,090

MP: 1,680

Strength: 2,100

Vitality: 2,460

Intelligence: 980

Spirit: 920

Dexterity: 2,420

Agility: 240

Skills:

Solidify

Gravity

Drops:

Adamantine

XL Yellow Skill Stone

L Blue Skill Stone

A massive tortoise was standing on a rock. Its head was like a falcon but without feathers. Its beak was curly and sharp. The body was protected with a shiny and pointy shell.

'It's slow but the defence is high. What could be the weaknesses?'

The tortoise didn't seem to notice his presence as he hid behind a tree above the pond. It was perfect for him to launch an ambush, knowing that the tortoise had low agility. The only thing he considered was the high defence. There were only two spots he could attack; the eyes.

'An arrow would be perfect, but I don't have any. Why didn't I make one!?'

Regret was always late. But the good thing was that he knew he had to make at least one for each type of weapon. Just in case he needed them in the future.

After he thought of a strategy, Janu jumped down from where he hid. He changed his weapon and now he was holding his Heroic spear: Dragon Tongue. It was the exact same spear that he exchanged with the auction invitation. He also wore the same accessories with the one back then. The materials he collected were only enough to make certain types of weapons, so it was only natural that he had copies.

When he got closer to his target, the tortoise tilted its head and it stared at him. Its eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. It stretched its neck so its head could reach him. It opened its beak and wanted to swallow its target.

Clap..

It bit nothing. Janu didn't anticipate that reaction, so he chose to avoid it rather than face it head on. He changed the course of his attack and arrived above its shell.

"Hupp.."

Clank..

His spear hit the shell but his hands trembled from the shock. It was as if he hit an iron wall.

'Just as I thought. It's really sturdy. I need to attack its softer parts.'

He jumped from the shell and landed on a boulder. He darted towards the leg and did triple thrusts.

Stab..

Stab..

Stab..

Even though its skin was hard and thick, the spear could penetrate it. Blood was dripping from the wound, but only a little.

'It's not deep enough. Wounds like these were only trivial compared to its size.'

The tortoise was comparable to a stadium. A minor wound was nothing for it.

'How about this then?'

He took a fang that he got from Thousand Legs. He got poison immunity thanks to the venom extract he got from monsters. He also got some monster's parts that contained potent venom.

'Poison should have a greater effect.'

He ran fast to find the wound on the tortoise leg. The fang was used as a weapon and he stabbed it to the wound.

Cress…

Cress…

The contact made a sound like a hot plate being poured with cold water.

Creaakkk…

The monster screamed in pain. The venom was working and reducing its HP slowly.

'Is it because it's too big that the poison isn't effective?'

He thought that poison would work excellently from the inside, but he was wrong. It did work, but not that effective. If he was going to depend on poison, he would need a lot of time.

'I need to deal a deathblow.'

Janu moved away from the monster and he hoped that it could notice him and attack using its beak.

"C'mon.."

Janu tried to taunt his opponent. It pecked him like a rooster pecked a grain on the ground.

'Let's see who's stronger.'

Janu was confident with all he got.

He jumped towards the incoming head and flinched a little to avoid the beak.

"Uughh.."

It was only a graze but his clothes were torn and his shoulder bled. He couldn't care about it. He saw his target in front of him. He put forward his spear to thrust the tortoise's right eye.

"Hupp.."

[Solidify]

Clank…

The spear hit the eye but it was covered with a protective layer. The monster's skill made its exposed part to harden by adding a layer.

"D*mn!"

His attack failed and he didn't know what to do.

'I'm sure its eyes are the weakest parts.'

Orraaa…..

The monster lifted its head and faced the sky while screaming. It was visible that the vibration affected the surroundings.

[Gravity]

The skill was self explanatory. It amplified the gravity. Everything inside the radius of the skill was pulled down to the ground. Janu felt the strong force and he was about to fall on his knees. He was barely able to stand there. The skill also made him feel heavier and difficult to move.

'It's so d*mn heavy. I can't attack it like this.'

'How about this..'

Janu took Vajra, one of the divine artefacts he got. He held it with both hands and got ready to unleash its power.

"EAT THIS!!"