Chapter 20 - Entering the Intermediate Floors.

[Chapter Size: 2357 Words.]

Lucius POV

Dungeon, Eleventh Floor.

...

...

[- STRENGTH BOOST SPELL!]

[- SPEED BOOST SPELL!]

I cast the body-strengthening spells and, with my sword unsheathed, attacked a group of 5 orcs. However, I quickly realized how challenging it was to face them in the next few seconds. Firstly, I wasn't at the appropriate level and stats for these floors. Nevertheless, I confronted them, seeing it as a great way to improve my skills here.

Stepping back, I skillfully avoided a club coming my way, cut the leg of the next one about to attack me, which destabilized him, and gave me a chance to create some distance. I focused on the one closest to facing alone, without his friends throwing their weapons at me in the few seconds before they caught up.

Colliding with the club, I dodged it without a direct attack, as I had less strength than my opponent. I used my agility to my advantage, changing the trajectory of the club with the angle it rebounded from the sword. I saw an opening and separated his head from his body while evading the other enraged orcs.

However, one hit me with his weapon in my arm with a horizontal swing, throwing me a few meters. Despite the pain, I quickly got up; I couldn't endure many more blows like that, but I could still move my arm for now...

One of them limped after I cut his leg, so I had 3 to face. "I need the spell that enhances my weapon's penetration; it could handle these greenish brutes much more easily by cutting through their clubs," I thought as I returned to the fight after taking a few seconds to breathe.

With 3 catching up faster, I skillfully dodged their attacks and cut the leg of another, as their vital points were out of reach. Stepping back a bit to face fewer of them while 2 now limped. While the two attacked again, I threw myself at them, realizing I could handle both. After dodging, I stabbed the sword into one's neck, feeling the impact of that "wooden mace" next to me, almost catching me. Still, I took advantage of that moment to cut the second one's neck.

Running towards the limping one closest, I dealt with him quickly, just like the last one who had been trying to catch up the entire time since I cut his leg.

"HEE," Riekling appeared behind me, collecting the stones.

"I know; it's still challenging. I hope, at least, for some improvement by the end of the day..." I lamented because fighting with 2 orcs is easy, but with larger groups, it becomes difficult and time-consuming not to use magic in the middle of the fight.

"Get a healing potion from the backpack," I told him.

"HEE!" He replied, rummaging through the backpack and finding the vial of red liquid I had left with him when I summoned him.

Handing me the vial, I drank it without hesitation, and my wounds and pain began to improve.

"I can keep going like this, but it's a bit costly... having to use a potion at the end of every fight," I said to myself and continued the path.

'The lesser healing spell could help me with that, so I'll need some time to gather another 100,000 points.' I reasoned.

*Heavy Footsteps!*

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a loud thud in the form of footsteps ahead, and a grand silhouette emerged in the mist.

*Heavy Footsteps!*

*Heavy Footsteps!*

*Heavy Footsteps!*

"Damn, that's an Infant Dragon!" I said even before that silhouette gained color at 50 meters, and I could see one of those for the first time.

It was a monster from these floors, but even so, it's hard to find. Even in my old raids, I never witnessed one.

*ROAAAAR*

As soon as it spotted me and Riekling, whom all dungeon monsters equally wanted to kill, regardless of my new support's resemblance to them, the Infant Dragon roared in anger and started running.

I quickly sheathed my weapon; I had an advantage with distance and raised my hands. With my initial shots hitting it, it seemed to get irritated and came at me with hatred. I steadied myself while entering my firebolt machine-gun mode.

The explosions continued as the wounded monster ran, and I was somewhat surprised that it didn't seem to be so affected by my magic. This made me a bit nervous, but after 30 hits, it gave in and fell dead on the ground, beginning to disintegrate. However, it stopped just 10 meters from us!

"I have to be very careful with these larger monsters; despite being slower, they are more resistant. The Infant Dragon, in particular, has natural fire resistance. Unfortunately, I don't have a charging skill like Bell's Argonaut," I muttered to myself.

'Well, I have to be careful; if larger monsters like these get close enough, things can turn ugly on my side.'

I continued the path to the twelfth floor, taking some breaks here, resting a bit, as healing potions don't fully heal you and don't cure physical fatigue.

Fighting and struggling with the same difficulty, besides orcs, I encountered a Black Wyvern on this floor and finally reached the thirteenth floor.

"We finally reached the floors where level-two adventurers do their raids! What's this?" I was ready to celebrate my new record when I noticed something with the open system.

Clicking on [Quests(!)], I saw.

[Intermediate Boss Quest: Defeat Goliath Alone on the Seventeenth Floor! | {Progress: 0/1} (0%) | {Reward: 100,000 Points.}]

With a pleasant surprise, it's the first time a quest appears that isn't about spells; probably the system is encouraging me to seek challenges and wants to reward me for it, which is great if this happens with all the bosses I can find in the dungeon.

Although, if I stop to think, the points earned aren't that great because it's not difficult to reach these numbers in a few days on easier floors. Still, it's a number that would be very welcome.

Leaving the quest aside because I'm not worried about it right now, I walked to face the monsters on this floor.

Facing Crystal Mantis, Lamia Mormos, Dungeon Worm, Lygerfang, a representation of Bell as a monster, Almiraj, I had to resort to using magic, and even then, they were quite resistant, requiring 3 to 5 firebolts to deal with them, even with SSS statistics.

In the end, I reached the stairs to the fourteenth floor, but I refused to go ahead because I saw that I was somewhat injured from my battles when trying to combine sword and magic simultaneously. My potions were starting to run out, so I decided to go back to the orcs, where I feel I can improve my physical stats better than anywhere else.

On the way back, I encountered some adventurers in a group. I couldn't help but notice their gaze at me alone here, but it didn't compare to how they looked strangely and stunned at the goblin that became my support. He was using my backpack with the crystals, accumulating more and more after each fight and obediently following me, obeying any order.

Their looks hinted at people who would nickname me something very strange, which gave me a chill because my nickname box had the icon on the side [+(!)], indicating that there were others since last week, but I didn't have the courage to open them because I know I'll want to explode someone.

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Unknown POV.

Thirteenth Floor.

"Hey?! What's this?" Said my companion's voice as we were cutting some Black Wyverns. Looking to where she was pointing, we saw an adventurer with a Pullun following him while he fought orcs with a sword.

"What's the matter? It might be difficult to get here alone when you're low level, but he doesn't seem to be a level above, and he has money, although that nice cloak is already quite worn out," I said, wondering why my companion finds it so strange for someone to come here alone to hunt.

"It's not that, look at that support!" She said frustrated, and we all looked more closely at the small pallum with the large backpack.

"That skin color, isn't it somewhat green?" Said the dwarf in our group.

That made me think of something unbelievable!

"Is that a Goblin!!?" I said surprised.

"Yes, I've never heard of a tamed goblin, but it must be from the Ganesh family!" The archer in our group said, and I agreed. Even though I never heard of a member of their family putting a goblin to work as support...

"Criminal..." Muttered my companion with the first voice.

"How is that a crime?" I asked incredulously.

"Look how cute he is! We should kill this adventurer for enslaving the little goblin!" She said angrily.

"That's a goblin, Karina... We kill them all the time..." I said still trying to understand the logic of my partner, who seemed enchanted by that backpack monster.

"Women..." Said the dwarf, and I had to agree because not only Karina, two other women in our group seemed to like that green monster.

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Lucius POV.

Some time later.

Eleventh floor.

When I felt quite satisfied with my experience today, I started to head straight back to the surface. As I continued on the path, I didn't bother to hide my goblin with its large bag of magic stones.

Although it was midnight, I don't need to be surprised by all the looks of the few adventurers who were in the hall at this time.

"Lucius?!" I heard a voice calling me as soon as I entered the place.

"Hey, Edd. How are you? Didn't see you that day after I left the dungeon," I said with a smile to an acquaintance.

"True, I even thought you might have died! But now's not the time for that. Can you tell me, why is there a monster with a spear and a backpack following you?!" He exclaimed in the last part.

"Well, I became a tamer, didn't you know?" I said, lying to a certain extent. I consider myself a tamer now, even though I summoned this goblin!

"You?" He said suspiciously, as he knows my history, and I'm sure he would call me a liar if I said I reached the thirteenth floor today.

"What can I say, after leaving my old family, my talents started to emerge!" I said, smiling.

"You left that family? When?" He said surprised.

"About 15 days ago. But anyway, can you let me go?" I asked.

"Tsk! I'll trust you, but I want a paper signed by the guild next time. If that monster attacks someone, I lose my job!" He said.

"HEEEE!" Protested Riekling beside me, speaking for the first time.

"See? This little guy disagrees with you, Edd. He knows how to behave," I said and bid farewell to the old acquaintance.

While walking through the city, many bars were still open, but I continued my way to the slums. The looks didn't stop when people recognized Riekling as a monster, but due to him behaving next to me, they assumed I was an adventurer with a taming skill.

But I didn't like the hateful looks from the women passing by me, wondering why they were looking at me like that.

"It can't be because of this ugly thing next to me, can it?" I murmured.

"HEEEEEE!"

Arriving at the church, unsurprisingly, everyone was sleeping when I entered. I asked Riekling to sleep on the couch because Hestia had dragged the poor boy to her bed after what happened today.

"I need to buy a bed; otherwise, my old age will be based on back pain medication!" I complained as I sat on my usual spot against the wall to sleep.

Riekling and I slept peacefully.

When I woke up in the morning, I opened my eyes because Hestia was shouting at me.

"LUCIUS-KUN!!!!!" She woke me up with her scandalous scream, which made me close my ears instantly.

"Hm? What's up?" I said drowsily.

"What's up? We have a monster sleeping on the couch!!" She argued, pointing to the goblin who was now sitting, looking at me submissively, making a little "heeee" sound.

"What did Hestia do to him while I was sleeping?" I wondered.

On the other side of the room, there were Bell and Lili looking at the situation, having arrived at the church in the morning. Lili would probably officially join the Hestia family today, but still not with the falna... She had fearful looks towards me... I don't blame her, but did her gaze become cute for the goblin? "What the hell!?"

"He's not a monster! He's my new partner, right, Riekling?" I exclaimed and asked for confirmation from my goblin.

"HEEEEEE!" My partner responded, transitioning from his submissive state to a more cheerful one. Next to the couch on the floor was a backpack with magic stones.

"See? The women seem to love him." I asked with a smile.

She looked strange at this, but I just laughed.

But I sighed as I had to explain how Riekling became my companion through a summoning spell.

"A summoning spell?!" She shouted when she heard that.

"How incredible, Mr. Lucius!"

"..."

"How!? Magic shouldn't be so easily acquired, and you already had Bell's magic!" Hestia shouted.

"EHHHHHHH? Mr. Lucius has the same magic as me?!" Bell shouted upon discovering this.

"..."

"Hestia can explain that to you, and by the way, I now have 5 spells. I'm not limited to the 3 magic slots like most adventurers," I said without revealing that I can buy spells.

Hestia fainted after hearing this, Bell froze, knowing how difficult it is to get magic, but I have 5 now. Lili was lost knowing that I openly talked about big secrets, but I didn't care; she was now quite trustworthy. Riekling stayed quiet, not understanding much of what was happening.

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