Chapter 22 Clearing The Space (4)

Two hours later.

After thoroughly searching the abandoned building, Michael managed to kill 13 more slimes and levelled up.

Unfortunately, even with this number, the experience he gained wasn't enough to raise his level by more than one.

As his level increased, it began to match that of the slimes in the building. The extra bonus experience points he earned from defeating higher-level monsters had little impact, as the strongest slime he encountered was only level 7.

Most of the slimes Michael fought ranged from level 4 to level 5.

Still, Michael wasn't discouraged.

At least he wasn't in significant danger while levelling up. It was well known that as one's level increased, it became progressively harder to advance.

There were two main reasons for this.

One, the risk factor.

Fighting stronger monsters carried greater risks. 

Most Awakeners avoided recklessly endangering their lives and instead preferred steady, gradual growth. After all, they had time and no inherent bottlenecks. Sooner or later, their accumulated experience would lead to levelling up.

Two, scaling challenges.

As Awakeners grew stronger, so did the monsters. The advantage provided by attribute points diminished over time.

For instance, common-grade monsters could only reach a maximum of level 21 with three stars. Any monster that could reach above level 21 was a rare-grade monster species, and the difficulty only escalated as their levels increased.

While attribute points could allow Awakeners to compete with rare-grade monsters, they became insufficient against higher-grade foes.

Of course, none of this had much relevance to Michael at the moment.

He was satisfied that he had managed to reach level 5. The slimes also provided him with 4 spirit crystals and a good haul of slime cores.

But these weren't his greatest gains.

After killing the final slime, Michael finally discovered the exit to the building he was trapped in!

The exit was wide open, revealing more abandoned buildings in the distance.

Some of these structures had partially crumbled into dust, while others were overgrown with thick grass. Roots sprouted from the walls, similar to the building Michael was currently in.

It was clear these buildings had been abandoned for a long time.

Despite the temptation to leave, Michael didn't take a single step toward the exit.

No, he didn't even dare approach it.

Outside the exit was a staircase, and at the base of it stood a statue that blended seamlessly with the environment.

If not for his caution and curiosity prompting him to use {Detect} on the statue, Michael might have overlooked its peculiarity.

No—more likely, he would have died.

[Gargoyle Lv. 21]

[Rank: Rare★★★]

An old gargoyle, weakened after years of neglect.

A gargoyle. A creature once thought to exist only in fiction back in his previous world now stood just 20 metres away from him.

However, this one was wingless, but that was the least of Michael's concerns.

"I'm cooked," he thought bitterly.

His experience in the Land of Origin seemed cursed enough to rank among the top 100 most unfortunate starts for new Awakeners this year.

First, he nearly died to a slime. And now, it turned out the slimes were merely appetisers for the main course.

Trapped in what he assumed was an abandoned dormitory, Michael's options were limited.

He considered making the holes in the roof bigger and climbing his way out. With his current strength, he could likely jump high enough to reach the roof.

But this plan had its risks.

For one, the noise could attract attention. Perhaps the gargoyle outside had noticed him but refrained from attacking because he was already inside the building it guarded.

Even if he escaped unnoticed, what guarantee did he have that there weren't other monsters—possibly even stronger ones—lurking nearby?

A rank 1, level 11 monster like the gargoyle was already far beyond him. Adding more threats to the mix wasn't a gamble he wanted to take.

"I want my slimes back!"

Michael wanted to scream in frustration but held back, mindful of the gargoyle outside the building.

Though he suspected the gargoyle might not come after him—he'd been in this building for hours, occasionally making noise—it wasn't a risk worth taking.

Despite the dire situation, Michael wasn't in complete despair. At least he was still alive, and as long as that remained true, he could devise a way out.

As thoughts raced through his mind, Michael made his way back to the spot where he'd first appeared. For some reason, this location always gave him a faint sense of comfort and security.

"Time to go back home."

After several hours of running around, even though he was much stronger now, Michael was both physically and mentally drained.

He carefully scanned his surroundings, ensuring no threats lurked nearby that could ambush his defenceless body. Only then did he sit down in a corner, taking out an energy nutrient from the Supers Association store.

"Ugh. Tastes awful. But at least you won't starve buddy," he muttered, patting himself as he swallowed the bitter liquid.

"Time to go back and look for solutions to my unwanted problems." 

Once ready, Michael disconnected his consciousness from the Land of Origin.

Back in Aurora, his eyes slowly opened.

"….."

'F*ck.'

*****

Author's Note

Good day, beautiful readers—yes, I'm talking to you! Hehe. This marks the end of Volume One for Evolving My Undead Legion in a Game-Like World. Over the past twenty chapters, I've worked hard to establish a solid foundation for both worlds, the mechanics, and the main character.

Starting from Volume Two, the story picks up pace as we dive deeper into the main plotlines. Michael will gain explosive strength and finally gets to use his talent while preparing for the Awakeners Academy exams.

Thank you so much for making it this far! I hope you'll continue this journey with me—I have so much in store for all of us!

Also, please share your thoughts about Volume One—what could have been done better, what you liked or disliked, and what you're looking forward to in Volume Two.