7 Snails Have Hard Shells

I started running, but not fast enough to lose my balance.

"More, more, just a little more!" I sprinted at the unconscious snail with my sword aimed at it and shouted, "Break!"

A crack appeared on its shell.

I pulled my sword from its shell and jumped back as I said, "Need more speed!"

I started running again, faster than last time. But not fast enough to lose my balance, I would undoubtedly die if I accidentally lost my balance.

I stabbed it at the same spot as before.

"It worked!" 

Its HP was going down slowly.

"Okay, one more time!" I dashed and stabbed it on the same spot.

"One last time!" 

After stabbing it for the last time, its HP went down to 0.

[Leveled Up]

"There are three more now!"

I glanced at them as they got up.

"It looks like they woke up due to all the noise I was causing!"

"3 of them at once will be hard..."

They started rolling around all over the arena.

There is no way I could dodge all of them at once.

I started running and kept dodging them.

This is bad.

I can barely dodge them.

The only reason I can dodge them is because of my runner skill.

They won't be stopping anytime soon.

"I have to attack them while dodging!" I tightened my grip on the sword, slashing whenever I got a chance.

I will focus on only one now and kill them all one by one.

I kept running while dodging and attacking.

I was using the same tactic and kept attacking at the same spot. After repeating the same thing a couple of times, it died.

[Leveled up]

"2 more now!" 

  I might be able to clear this, but…

"I am tired..."

I can't run anymore.

I have run as much as I would in 10 whole years.

I opened the menu to check if my stats increased or not. But instead of increasing, my agility decreased to 198.

Confused, I shouted, "Hey Pixie, why did it decrease?!"

[It will go back to normal if you rest for a while.]

So it works like that?

I would love to rest, but...

I glanced at those snails and panted as I said, "These snails won't let me rest."

I started running.

The two snails are rolling more freely and speedily to move as they want in a large area.

I decided to use the same tactic and kill them one by one. As I was about to attack one of them, the other one came rolling at me.

It was about to hit me. I jumped to dodge it, and because I was running, I jumped pretty high.

"Aw shit!"

I was about to hit the wall, so I closed my eyes and got ready for the impact. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself running on the wall...

"Impossible!"

I was sure I would get slammed, so how...this area is a circle, dammit!

But still, there is no way anyone can run on a wall for a long time. It's against the laws of physics...no, Das; this is a game. I can do what I can't in the real world. I can use physics on my way here.

"Well." I increased my speed as I said, "Time to break the laws of physics."

This is going to be fun!

I hate to admit it, but I am enjoying this game now. 

Thanks, Elena.

"I can't wait to play this game with her."

I increased my speed and launched myself on the snail.

"I think I can one-hit kill one of them at this speed."

I attacked it, and as expected, the shell broke in one hit.

[Leveled up]

Its body disappeared.

"I killed it in one hit; now there is only…" I glanced at my sword. Cracks appeared on it, and soon after shattered into pieces as I let out the word, "...one."

This can happen too?!

[This mostly happens with magic items when you use them more than their efficiency.]

Well...I guess I used it too much. It was only a standard sword, after all.

I tried to walk, but my legs gave out, and I fell down.

I quickly checked my agility; it was 31.

[Skill-Runner Deactivated]

"..."

Not only has my agility decreased, but my skill is also deactivated now.

This is the worst. First, my sword broke. Second, my skill was deactivated. Third, my agility is so low that I can't even stand up now. 

The ground shook, and I noticed the last snail coming at me, rolling. 

I immediately took out my dagger and slowly got up, "Get up, you can do this!"

I tried to walk but immediately fell down.

[Adas! Adas get up!]

I heard the pixie telling me to get up.

I want to get up, but I can't.

"This is the end..."

I hope it doesn't hurt much.

As I sighed hopelessly… 

[Skill-Runner Evolved into Skill-Sprinter]

"My skill has evolved?" But why? I just got it a few minutes ago!"

I tried to get up but I still couldn't.

"Dammit!"

Even though the skill has evolved, nothing has changed.

The snail was about 3 meters away from me.

I closed my eyes as I tried to get up for the last time, and felt so light. As if my body was moving in the air.

I opened my eyes, only to find myself running...or should I say jumping? 

My body feels so light that I can even jump as high as I want.

I increased my speed.

"More, more, more," I was jumping on walls and stalactites of the ceiling of the arena.

  I can't see anything. All I can see is the snail, and all I know is...

"Kill this snail!"

I jumped on the top of the snail and used all my strength to stab it with my dagger.

[Leveled up]

I sighed in relief.

[A New Skill Acquired]

[You Received Treasure Chest]

[All Stats Back To Normal]

[All Skill's Cooldown Are Back To Normal]

"That's too many things."

Tired, I lay down on the ground. 

I opened the menu to check my new skill,

"Harden."

I opened the description of the skill. 

It seems it will harden me and increase my defense.

"Is it the same skill those snails were using?"

[Yes, You get the skills of the monster you defeat.]

I opened my stats to take a quick look at my current stats.

[HP-93]

[ATK-128]

My attack stat increased.

[DEF-182]

My defense has also increased, and I got defensive skills too, which is good.

[AGILITY-303]

My agility also increased.

"Hmm," I opened the skill chart to see my newly evolved skill.

I read the description of the skill Sprinter. 

[It increases agility by eight times when activated]

[Cool down 3 hours] 

[Skill activation of 10 minutes]

[Adas, Adas, are you okay?]

"Yeah," the fairy pulled my hand and helped me get up.

She is so tiny, but she is strong.

[Let's open the chest.]

"Oh right," I glanced at the chest.

I walked to the chest, and a menu came in front of me.

[Do You Wish To Open This Chest?]

With options, [Open] and [Not Now]

I opened the chest.

There was a long white coat, an overcoat. But even longer than an overcoat. It has red lines and embroidery, and the sleeves are blue with light red… "It's not pink."

The bottom is black, and there is a symbol on the back.

[Equip it]

I equipped it.

[Defense Increased By 200]

"No way."

I quickly checked my stat, and my defense was 382.

"Awesome"

[Nice Adas, that was a great fight!]

"Thanks."

But I will still smack you.

"So pixie." I cracked my fingers and said, "Is there any other monster other than the boss on this floor now?"

[There is. A skeleton Knight.]

"Skeleton?"

[And pray that you won't have to fight it.]

"Why? Ah! I don't have a sword."

[No. Even with the sword and your current stats, you can't defeat it]

"We can't know unless we try," I commented.

[No, you can't!]

"Okay, okay. Don't yell."

Why is she angry?

"And what should I do about swords?"

[Maybe we will find a treasure chest if we explore the dungeon.]

"I will surely need a sword to defeat the boss."

I sighed and added, "If I don't die."

[Don't worry. I am here; I won't let you die.]

Is it just me, or is she being kind to me now?

"So, why can't I fight with the skeleton knight?"

[It can use magic. And all sword users are defenseless against magic.]

"Can I use magic too?"

[You can, but you need to reach level 15 to unlock it.]

"Can't I use 'No Restriction' to unlock it early?"

[Magic-system appears when a player reaches level 15. Even if you use 'No Restriction,' you won't be able to use it.]

"..."

[Let me give a better explanation. The level-up system and the power-up system of the game are different.]

[The level-up system includes leveling up, all your account-related stuff, and that's where your 'No Restriction' is bound.]

[While the power-up system includes everything, including your skills and stats. You can't use 'No Restriction' in that. As the developer said, this is not a cheat. Imagine, if you could use 'No Restriction' in the power-up system, you would have had unlimited skill time with no cooldown and no restriction to anything; you would become the god]

So I really can't use them to cheat, huh?

Very well then, I shall play it fair and square.

"So I just need to reach level 15 and wait for the magic system to appear."

[So pray that you won't run into the skeleton before you get strong.]

"Hah? It's not like he will come looking for me."

[That is true.]

"Let's find a sword and defeat the boss."

[Yeah.]

And so, I am looking for a treasure chest to find a sword to defeat the hybrid boss.

<39 minutes until maintenance ends>