Chapter 9

-1 Year Later-

It's been a year since her enhancement and nothing much has changed apart from her increasing the intensity of her training to five times it originally was. Another thing she found out about enhancements is that after every enhancement allows you to able to manipulate a type of energy that exists in the world. In Ruby's case she can now manipulate Qi.

According to her neighbor Kyke, who was a travelling scholar before settling down in their village, Qi was the energy that people used in the past. With it people were able to split mountains and kill even the strongest of monsters there ever lived. How to use it is still a complete mystery to Ruby because although Kyle is knowledgeable, he is not all knowing.

She will have to search for methods on manipulating Qi in mind, maybe it's on the floors above due to how Kyle had explained it. 'Power that can split mountains? It sounds like a level five hundred to me', She thought as she swung her sword to block an incoming attack of a goblin.

"Kiii!!!" The goblin screamed as it fell onto the ground dead, Ruby sighed she's thirteenth birthday is tomorrow and as per the tradition of the Crystal Tribe, she is to clear twenty floors ascending from where she started. After that she is to report back to the tribe and bring back an item from the floor to prove she had done the tradition.

It is because of this tradition that the Crystal Tribe is one of the smallest but also one of the strongest tribes on the fiftieth floor as only the strong would come back alive. eleven year old Ruby was terrified when she first found out about the tradition but now that it was time for her to go she felt calm.

No not because she is confident that she will make it out alive but because she had stopped thinking about the future and focus on the now. Right now she is about to perform the Crystal tribe's tradition, it is now that she will prove to everybody that their training was not wasted.

She picks up the goblin core from the ground and placed it inside her inventory with the others, "Status" She muttered as a blue panel appeared infront of her.

System of Dungeon No. 445's Beta Tester]

Name: Ruby Crystal (Rose)

Age: 12

Title: <Chosen One> <Pure Blood Silver Eyed Warrior> <Bullet Time> <Messenger> <Prodigy>

<Goblin Slayer> <Enhanced>

Title Effects: +75 AGI, +25 DEX, +30 STR, +35 INT, 130 END

Level 67 (Exp 6700/100000)

Passive Curse: [Limiter]

68500/68500 HP

60500/60500 MP

75900/75900 SP

STR: 173/+30 (203)

AGI: 186/+75 (261)

END: 146/+100 (276)

INT: 158/+35 (193)

DEX: 189/+25 (214)

VIT: 213

"Tch not high enough," Ruby snarled, it's too low for her to survive up in the upper floors. And now with the Limiter curse she will have to thread carefully when she goes up. Last month she went to visit the iron tribe once again to ask Annie a question.

Ruby is seen walking down the road of the Iron Tribe's town, she had come back here to ask Annie a question as maybe she could tell her what it's like in the upper floors. It's already been half a day since she began her search for the elf but hadn't seen her once..

"Where are you Annie... " Ruby was stressed, only a month away from now would be her thirteenth birthday so she has to find her before then. As she passes by a tavern she noticed a familiar long elf ears twitching, "Ah! There you are!" She made her voice loud enough for her and Annie to hear. she was overjoyed that she finally was able to find her.

Annie looks over her shoulder and saw it was Ruby, "Hey Ruby what'cha doin' ere?" She slurred, Ruby frowned She was drinking again. She didn't like it when Annie drinks it often reminds her of Qrow just without the beatings, "Didn't I tell you that drinking isn't good for you?" Ruby tried to snatch the alcohol but failed when Annie used a minor wind spell to push her back.

"Back of Rubes, it's that time of the year again and I need this to stop me from embarrassing myself" She growled as she downed the whole mug and proceeded to slam it on the table, "Gimme 'nother one," Ruby sighed, she can't stop her even when she tries so all she does is sit just opposite to her.

"Okay I won't stop you but you have to answer my question, it is important." Annie grunted, she looked like she was about to pass out at any moment but she was able to nod her head, "Tell me about the twenty floors above" The world around them froze making the other people in the tavern silent, Gone was the drunk facade that Annie put on now all that was left was a cold and stern warrior.

"You are not ready"