11-14
[ARC 1] CHAPTER 6: FINALLY AT THE BEGINNING
Fi-fi-f-f-f-finally, *wheeze* outta, *wheeze* that, *wheeze* freaking sauna hellhole!
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
New Location of Interest found: [The Water-Knot of Glavras], Floor 1
Oh, I've been waiting for this message to pop up. Especially lately, when I had to travel through Floor 2.
Seriously, what was up with that place!? Who would crank up the temperature of their bathwater to such extremes!?
For those who want an explanation, the Dungeon's second floor was a geyser area! Tons upon tons of hot water sources! The temperature was enough for me to almost pick up [Fire Resistance]! But I showed perseverance and stopped myself. Heretic attribute skills and Evil Eye skills are more important than some random Resistance Skills.
Ugh, my HP's still a little down.
Hmm? There's something wrong with my status? Nu-uh! That's right folks! Garami has earned her first skill at Lv.20! It also shows the target's Karma Value now. And just look at this beautiful sight of a skill list!
Things are going smoothly here. I had a serious [Identification]-party to force its level to the point where I can see my skills.
A pretty sweet line-up, right? Huh? Hey, wait a sec! When did an immunity need a level!? Now that I think about it, I saw the level when I selected my skills. I-I kinda forgot about it all. I mean, "Immunity" is such a strong-sounding word...
Fine, fine. Shame on me. But it can't be that bad? What does the book have to say about this...
Wow. That's wicked. Not as much as if it was, like, limitless, but this works as well.
From the looks of things, having [Heretic Resistance] must be the key for this thing to truly live up to its name. Let's find the page about Immunity-skills... here!
Ehem. "An Immunity-type Resistance Skill is unlocked when an individual reaches a level of 30 or higher, depending on their comparability with that attribute. One may obtain an Immunity Skill in other ways, as an initial skill, or through a blessing from the gods.
"In the worst case, one cannot obtain an Immunity Skill. On the other hand, even if they do unlock the skill, it will cost no less than 10 Skill..." 10 Skill Points!?
Good thing I got it for free... Guess I should pick up [Heretic Resistance] once I've got the point... and the mean of leveling them both up. They should work in the same way...
Huh? "Skills are easy to get levels on, so there's no need to worry"? As if! You won't believe how long it has taken me to reach this level. I didn't know, nor believe it, either.
It wasn't before [Auto-Mapping] reached Lv.5 in the middle of Floor 2 that I knew how messed up my sense of time had become from living my life inside the Dungeon all my life.
At Lv.5, [Auto-Mapping] gains the feature called "Discovery Date". It's not that fancy, just that it shows when you have discovered certain areas on your mental maps. And there was a 5-month difference from the cave I was born in, to the entrance of Floor 2. At least I know my birthday, but still...
Floor 2 wasn't all that bad. Except Floors 8 and 6, it must be the place with the fewest monster in the Dungeon. I'm not counting the lake due to not knowing what's lurking down there. Thanks to that, and the new [MP Auto-Recovery] skill, I could farm some proficiency with [Aura of Darkness]. I essentially had it "Always on Display". *Snicker*
Bad puns aside, I got the Element skill to a decent level thanks to that, but the Aura itself is still refusing to take the last step. I did learn more points about the skill. First, it can't protect me against heat or scalding water. Tsk.
The second point is that the skill does not affect me that much. This is evident as my stats never went down, nor did I gain any status ailments. However, [Debuff Reinforcement] seems to gain proficiency even when I use the Aura on myself or inorganic objects. But not as much as using it on real creatures.
The third point is that [Darkness Resistance] goes up a little, even when the Aura's not supposed to affect me. I think this must be a common point for attribute skills. [Poison Fang] increased my [Poison Resistance], but I thought that was because of some of the venom spilling from the fangs. This means I should expect all attribute skills to have some sort of "backfire" towards the user. But I also think that skills such as [Night Vision], [Stealth], and reinforcement skills are safe to not include in this theory.
And my final point here is about the Aura itself. I think its nature must be similar to erosion, as it could weaken even the stone walls of the Dungeons. It was also more effective when applied to the wounds I made with [Poison Fang] instead of simply covering the target with it.
It's good to know more about my abilities, as the tutorial is now done. I opened up the Quest Menu, a special function of the World System that everyone had access to, and retrieved the "Tracking Devices", which appeared out of thin air inside a carton box. Surreal.
The devices looked like oversized light bulbs with the bottom looking like it could be stabbed into the ground with no problems. These won't break after I leave them?
I'll believe that these have some godly qualities in them. Now, onward to the first Power Spot!
---
*Thunk*
And there went the third device. I'm on a roll here!
Despite Floor 1 being a three-dimensional labyrinth of bridges, tunnels, open areas, stalagmites, stalactites, and much more, the floor's not that big as first expected. Around half of Floor 7, which is the third-biggest floor after Floor 3, then 9.
As for the inhabitants: they're dwindling. No, seriously. There was like, a ton of the usual Greycave Rats and Pond Frogs, but they have almost disappeared since I appeared here. And no, I've not killed them all. They suddenly disappeared.
What gives? Are they that afraid of me? Well, I do look like a ball-shaped, water strider bug with a face that can send even the spirit of Halloween home with its tails between its legs.
Oh well. I've stocked up [Spatial Storage] to the brim with leaves from the third floor. I could survive a famine with ease. Besides, I need to look for the next spot.
The Power Spots that I need to place the devices in emits a pulse of aether, which is shown in a network-like pattern in the Dungeon. This is the Dungeon's blood veins. It can't fake these signals. So I take advantage of them to find spots that are is needed for the Quest.
Oh? A new spot's close by. Good for me-!? [Danger sense]? But where's it coming from? I looked around, but the place where the skill told me the potential enemy where was blocked by a massive black wall. Wait a sec... when did the Dungeon walls go from grey-blue to black?
There's a snake in the grass here. [Identification]!
OOIIII!! The wall's a monster!? From the name of it, it looks like an evolution of the cobras. Maybe the middle tier between the cobras and the king cobra?
Well, time to run-like-crazy! HEEEEELP!!
---
Alright, this should be far enough away from that slippery monstrosity. Time to calm down, and try to figure out this all.
First, it wasn't visible with [Magic Sight]. This could be that it had too little mana compared to its huge body. If not, then it probably used some concealment-type skill. I should have used [Discern] on the skills. Not that it was worth risking my life over it.
The second problem was that thing besides its name. "Floor Boss" is easy to understand, but when did those start to appear? The king cobra must be the boss of Floor 9, but Floor 8 was deserted. On the other hand, Floor 7 had several... that's it!
The three Glavras boss monsters were on different floors! The Sahuagins and those... rebel dinos? The Sahuagin faction must have sneaked past the boos on the sixth floor, then entered a war with the boss of the seventh floor. The bosses of the eight- and sixth floors then came to support the seventh-floor boss, leaving their floors empty.
The first four floors must have a middle-stage Glavras monster. That happens in games, where a former boss monster gets degraded to a normal mob as you proceed in the game. Either that, or it was that those guys at the war floor are simply the elites of the Dungeon. Not so sure about Floor 5, and I'm not sure I wanna know.
I've been lucky until now, as I've yet to face a Floor Boss. Still, this ain't a game. If you need to challenge the Big Bad, you can just destroy the last door instead of finding that magical key that's needed for it. Also, the Big Bad wouldn't wait for the hero to grow up to the point of being a threat to him either. Just release some of the Four Heavenly Kings right outside the starter town. That takes care of things.
My point is, there's no need to challenge guys like the Floor Boss if your only goal is to proceed to the next floor. That's what I've been doing, only in reverse.
I don't think the Floor Boss will notice me placing the devices, as long as I'm careful. Still, that was a close call back then. I better take this with more caution than before.
---
Spot nr. 7, are you there?
Two days after the snake incident, and I've yet to encounter it again. On the other hand, I've found three more Power Spots to place the markers on. I gave up on the spot close by the snake.
Another thing that's changed is that the monsters have popped up again. It must have been that they were keeping a distance from the snake before.
That allowed me to hunt a little, just to stay in shape. Due to that, my level rose to Lv.9, leaving me just one level short of evolving! I'm getting excited here. I also reached Lv.10 with [Strength Increase (Small)] and [Camouflage], so that's more Skill Points to me!
I had enough to check, and yes, I could get [Heretic Resistance] for a single point! I'll wait with getting it when I know what skill I want to use for grinding the resistance and the immunity skills.
But before all that, I need to finish placing these devices. While I won't get the Rogue class just yet, having more Skill Points before evolving won't hurt.
Just as I was thinking that I rounded the corner to find the Power Spot... with a device already stabbed into it.
What's this supposed to be? Have I been here before? The maps say that this place is new... and after taking a better look at the device, isn't it a little different from the ones I have? Like, they were made by different manufacturers.
Ugh, don't tell me my joke from before came true? Thinking about it, by the current flow of events, there would have been human adventurers in this world. Ugh... this is bad. My Skill Points may be stolen from me! I've worked hard to unlock this Quest, so you no-names have no right to just barge in like that!
Crap, crap, crap! What shall I do?! What happens in a situation like this? The Quest Menu, Quest Menu... 7/10 devices placed? I've only placed six. Ah, it went up to 8/10. Is it the intruders?
Then, does it not need to be me who has to place the devices? What about the rewards? Or, I've placed 60% of these, so I have the highest right to the price.
If that's the case... why not let the other guys do all the hard work, then I get the points without working anymore?
Ha-ha! Bad luck, suckers! You work, you lose! Mwa-hahaha!
Still, I better find these guys and make sure they place the last two devices. Are there any footprints or something... there is! They went that way... and from the size and shape of the footprints, we're talking about humans here, or something similar. They're holding themselves to the bottom floors, so I'll climb up and follow them from the bridges and "rooftops" of the tunnels and boulders.
---
I've should consider getting the Detective class here. 'Cause there they are.
A group of six humans. Or, humanoids? One of them looks like they're a goblin thief... or a hobgoblin thief? He doesn't lose in height to the human swordsman wearing a cowboy hat and leather armor. There's also a warthog in armor, an elf with large spectacles plus a huge backpack, a human girl in priest clothes of a practical fashion, and someone clad in white robes while hiding their face.
She kinda looks like a desert bandit. Despite her hiding her face, she can't hide that nice bod of hers! Damn... if I had to be reincarnated as a woman, then I would want such a body type. Then I could have some enjoyment on my own if I never could find a partner... I'll just move on...
Tsk. I can't reach them with [Identification] from here. I wanted to see if I could learn something from their skills. I missed that opportunity with the snake, so I wanted to see if I could make up for that mistake here.
The... adventurers? They were messing around with the Power Spot. The elf guy with the backpack kept on instructing the rest of them, while the cowboy hat guy... loudly complained about him being ordered while being the boss? Guess [Language Adaption] has picked up a new lingo for me.
They kept the area lightened up with some magical light ball thingies. Looks useful. Except that they're leading an army of cobras towards themselves!
Look around, you nincompoops! Argh, they can't see the cobras due to the strong light from the light balls. Haven't they ever been inside a Dungeon before?
Ugh. If I wanna have them do my dirty work, I need to make them notice the incoming cobra army.
Nevertheless, jumping down from up here ain't any clever, so, time to get that "Aura by thread" idea of mine working. Even if my throwing arm isn't the best in the world... and it's quite the distance to the closest cobra and me...
Alright. I know when I'm beaten.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Acquired a skill from the Skill Shop.
Acquired skill: [Throwing Lv.1]
It's a good thing I had obtained an extra Skill Point. Now, time for some army disruption! And getting that point back so I can use it on [Heretic Resistance] later.
I added a right-sized rock to the end of my thread, creating a simple sling. I swung the rock above my head and aimed at a cobra. This is quite difficult. Good thing I've practiced when making webs on only two legs. Swinging a sling on three is easy when compared to that... so I keep telling myself.
*Smack!*
Strike! But no time to celebrate. I quickly used [Aura of Darkness] on the thread-sling, and the Aura crept down the thread, and right onto the cobra!
"SHHAAAA?!" - Cobra
That got the adventurers' attention. The guy in the cowboy hat shouted some orders and went to the frontline with the armored orc and the robed woman. The priestess and elf made the rearguard, while the hobgoblin hurried up with planting the device.
The first to make a move was the priestess. Some kinda white magic circle appeared below the adventurers on the front line. Probably some kinda buff spell, as the adventurers flashed for a small moment.
Seeing this, the cobras started to attack. But the first three guys were swept away by the orc's halberd. Wait, three cobras in one strike!? That orc's not gonna turn into pork chops by the first.
The cowboy hat leader didn't slack him either. He drew the sword on his hip, he started to slash at the cobras... even when they were too far away to be... hit!? What was that? Some kinda force came from the sword slash and hit the cobras! Magic? Better said, sword magic!? Too cool!
The robed girl used a sword too, but she was of the more standard type. But man, she's good at it. Did she just stab two cobras at the same time? And how's she moving so fast? Oh, a flying slash!
If I had to compare them, I would say that the cowboy hat is more reliant on his skill and that "sword magic" of his, while the robed girl is more talented with the sword alone. I think that the cowboy hat is only relying on his skills. His movements look... stiff, in some ways.
Robe girl's got more fluid movements. It's like she's dancing instead of butchering big-ass cobras. Kinda feel like I'm watching two characters, one high-powered one but steered by an amateur, and a weaker character played by an expert. You know, the guys that can clear the game only at level one? Not to that extent, but it's a good analogy. I think I'm turning into a fan of the robed girl.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Level has increased. Reached Lv.10
The maximum level is reached. Evolution is now possible.
You have earned 1.0 Skill Points
Due to "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 1.0 Skill Points were earned.
Did you just see what I just saw? Lv.10!? And I've done nothing except for that sling attack just now! Well, there is a good 20 cobra corpses down there now, so maybe there was enough? The few cobras I saw before were barely Lv.10, but they are still stronger than me. Maybe they're rank E?
But anyway, YAHOOOO!! Thank you, robe girl! Oh, and the rest.
*KA-BOOOOOMMM!!*
What the what!? Who did that!? The hobgoblin thief? It looks like he was done with the device, so he joined the fight with a stupid-loud bomb? Is he an idiot!?
"Are you a complete idiot!?" - Cowboy hat & Robe girl
That works too. But I've got no more time for this! I looked over the Floor from what I could see up here, and... there's something big moving in the distance.
The snake's coming!!
Where's the exit!? Wait, calm down! That snake's too fast for me to run away from, and there must be quite the distance from the exit, seeing as these guys are on their third device now. And if that snake eats the adventurers, it may hear from the cobras that something nasty with spider threads is out after the cobras.
Isn't there any way to stop that snake? Those adventures look strong, but not enough to take care of the snake on their own. If I could... huh?
That's... that's it! I just need to time this right. Time for some climbing.
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Monsters/Beast: Greycave Rat
Description:
The Greycave Rat is a monster that is a mutation of normal rats in mountains and caves. They are a staple monster, often found anywhere in the world. Be careful if you eat their meat, as Greycave Rats may house parasites in their bodies.
Appearance:
A Greycave Rat has dull, grey fur, a naked tail, and feet, and looks exactly like a normal rat. Except for the size. An adult Greycave Rat's as big as a house cat.
Abilities:
The Greycave Rat is one of the weakest monsters there is. It's as if its new size had nothing to say. Due to that, they are treated as the bottom-feeders of the bottom-feeders.
Greycave Rats can digest stones and rocks, so some may be tamed to help with mining works.
If a Greycave Rat gets tempted by cheese, they may show incredible powers, equal to a rank F monster. But that only happens once every blue moon.
Alvatria's comment: The funniest thing is, these cat-sized rats can lose to little kittens.
[ARC 1] EXTRA CHAPTER 1: EXPLORATION INTO THE UNKNOWN
"Alright, let's hunt down some scorpions!" - Brak
So said Brak Tejat, the leader of the adventurer party, the "Cheerful Hunters". His four members, plus me, responded in each in our ways.
By the way, scorpions refer to a type of monster that quickly immigrated to the region after the disastrous drought, and they are our current hunting targets. Their shells make for a damn well armor when processed.
Brak had obtained permission to travel out here to "investigate the cause of the drought". Everyone knew that it was just an excuse, but the Adventurers' Union had a good opinion about these guys, so they must have looked through their fingers so that this F-rank party was allowed to hunt the Danger Rank E and above scorpions.
The party's more impressive than one would expect. It consists of, Brak himself, a talented Sword Magus that specializes in Wind magic. He's also the sole E-rank adventurer on their team.
Then there's Grubble Alshat, a hobgoblin, who is a specialized Looter.
After that, we have Lester Belel, a Scholar elf with a great reputation.
Not to forget the Forest Orc, Terd Gakyrid, who is a master with the halberd and the team's living fortress as a Sentinel.
Finally, there is Siris Larawag, a human Priest... or priestess, as the females are called. She's the one with the lowest class level in the group, as Terd, the wall of the team, seldom takes damage due to his high defensive abilities.
Then, there's little old me...
"Mira! Get the big one!" - Brak
That's me. Mira Aureola.
I jumped on the carriage-sized scorpion's back before it could react, then I stabbed it in the brains with my sword. The scorpion, a Giant Sandwalker, tried to throw me off, but too late. After a few seconds of the wild ride, the scorp fell dead on the ground.
Meanwhile, Brak had taken care of the dog-sized Sandwalkers with his Aerial Blade spells. Terd's halberd had smashed several... of them...
"Hey! What are you doing!? We can't sell these broken shells to the Union, or any other places!" - Mira
"... sorry." - Terd
You better be! Because one-fifth of the profits are supposed to be mine!
"Now I get why you hired Mira." - Siris
"What? You thought I asked her just 'cause she's a beauty?" - Brak
"Yup." - Grubble
"It would not be the first time." - Lester
"...Mhm." - Terd
"Aw, come on!! You see how perfect she's at hunting down those scorpions." - Brak
"Yeah, but leader's leader after all." - Lester
"What he said. But when did 'light-blue-haired, golden-eyed Light Sprite' become leader's fetish?" - Siris
"It never did!!" - Brak
Yeah, yeah, but my eyes are light-blue... and these guys have gone into their little world after that. Not that Brak's wrong about me being better in hunting down scorpions.
The strategies in fighting scorpions are to either crush the monster, destroy the scorpion with magic from afar, or strike the gaps in the exoskeleton. No need to say that the last choice is the best one when the goal is to obtain the exoskeleton of the scorpions.
"Now that you mention it, I've never seen anyone use the sword so skillfully. It shows that leader's skills are just something he bought with Skill Points." - Grubble
"Alright, Grubble, you wanna have a free vacation that much, then get blown away already!" - Brak
"GYAAAAAHH!!" - Grubble
... eh? Wait, why suddenly the wind spell!? Did the excessive teasing go to his head?
"No worries. This is their usual routine." - Lector
"No, no, no. Nobody blows people away with wind spells as a comedy gag!" - Mira
"Grubble has [Wind Resistance], so those two are making it a routine to train those skills." - Siris
No, I don't think [Wind Resistance] will help you from crashing down in the ground after getting blown into the sky!
*DUNK!*
Better go and help him...
"Where did he land?" - Mira
"Ehm... that's... where?" - Siris
"Oof... Siris. Some healing over here?" - Grubble
That's his voice, but it came from... nowhere? We walked towards where Grubble's voice came from, for then passing through some kind of thin film. After going through the film, we had entered a dark blue cave... with Grubble holding his head in agony.
"Just your luck Grubble." - Lester
"Don't be sarcastic..." - Grubble
"No, I'm serious. I think we just found a clue to the drought." - Lester
---
After healing Grubble, we looked into the place that we had discovered. One thing was that the place was concealed with a barrier that made it close to impossible for us to find the entrance again.
Lester, the smart one, theorized that the reason could be because the Dungeon is so closely located to the Genesis Peak, a "mountain" that is a part of the Genesis God from times of old... according to the legends.
"Wait, you mean this Dungeon, the Water-Knot of... Glavras? You mean it's the cause of the drought in this region?" - Brak
"I cannot say for sure, but a Dungeon in the middle of a dried-up, dead land, filled to the brim with water? And that Quest we obtained from entering the place?" - Lester
"Point taken." - Brak
Yeah, what else could it be? Even so, some parts look fishy to me about this Quest.
Connection with the Water-Knot of Glavras and the World System is now fulfilled!
From the newfound information gathered from the connection, it is believed that the Dungeon creates a special barrier field by utilizing the vestiges of the Genesis God. This barrier will prevent any higher forces from noticing the existence of the Dungeon unless it is someone stronger than the Genesis God itself.
Plant tracking devices across the Dungeon to bypass the disruption barrier, and put a stop to the devilish Dungeon.
"Are Chain Quests supposed to be partly completed?" - Mira
The contents of the Quest is to place some devices provided by the Quest giver, but five out of ten are already placed?
"I think this must be a free-participation Quest. You enter the Quest, do something about the content, and your whole team gets rewards!" - Brak
Oh, those. I participated in something like that, but I think "carnival games" is a better way to call those instead of "Quests".
"Then, the question is what to do next? Are we going to explore this place, or are we heading home?" - Lester
"An unknown territory like this is too risky, Skill Points, or not. I say no," said Brak, voting for going home.
"Unknown means that nobody else has touched the place, so there's gotta be treasures hidden here and there!" said Grubble, voting for exploration.
"We have no experience with caves..." said Terd, breaking his character of the silent type to vote against exploring the place.
"If we let this chance slip, we may never end this wretched drought!" was Siris's meaning. Ever the patriot.
Lester, the guy who opened this debate, is staying impartial, so I guess it's up to me. I hate it when stuff gets thrown at me like that. It feels like being back in Solomar...
"... We should keep ongoing. I don't expect that we can clear this Dungeon on our own, but we should gather more information about the place before leaving. Looking at the Quest, it seems that someone else is also trying to do something about it, but we have no guarantee that they are still alive right now. Even so, planting those 'devices' may be a step in dispelling the barrier around this place." - Mira
"That's true... So, are we for going in then?" - Brak
"YEAH!" - Siris & Grubble
"I see no merit in not going in." - Lester
"... Fine." - Terd
---
And with that, we entered the Dungeon. Tons of tunnels and wall-like boulders made up the floor, and the lighting was horrible, forcing me and Siris to make lights.
"A little more to the left... wait, that's too much. More to the right..." - Lester
Following Lester's instructions, the guys were setting up one of the tracking devices we had received, while Siris and I held the lights going.
"The boys are always taking so long time. How about some small talk? Like, why the bandit-disguise?" - Siris
"I used it outside to prevent getting my skin burned, but in here, it's to prevent drips from above." - Mira
"Is that such a big-IIIK!!" - Siris
Told you. Just be happy that it was only a water drop, and not something worse. Something like that happened to a friend of mine. The smell lasted for weeks.
"All finished here... hey! This thing's telling me that seven of these things are up and running!" - Brak
Everyone looked at their Quest Menu and saw that he was right. Someone, or something, must have placed another device somewhere else.
"You think there's someone else from Velantas here?" - Grubble
"If they are, then they're the type that doesn't tell the authorities that they travel out here, so... probably bandits or monsters." - Brak
That's not good. We still decided to keep on placing the devices, so we quickly went to the next Power Spot, led by Lester's [Mana Reader] skill.
"You think we should shut off the lights?" - Grubble
"None of us except for you have [Night Vision], so that's no good." - Brak
... I'm actually with Grubble on this one. The unidentified helper (?) notwithstanding, monsters in dark areas like these should have natural ways of seeing in the dark. Man-made lights could attract such creatures... but till now, we've seen nothing. As if the Dungeon's deserted.
"This way... here it is. Grubble, get me another tracking device over there if you do not mind. Leader, you help him. Miss Mira and Siris, give us some lights. Terd, watch out for any potential monster attacks." - Lester
"You got it, real-leader." - Grubble
"I'M THE LEADER HERE! I make the shots! Grubble, you go and place the gizmo over where Lester's pointing to. I'll help you. Ladies, get those lights over here. Terd, stand guard." - Brak
Yeah, this party's sure got a solid hierarchy.
I helped to light the place where the Power Spot should be, while Grubble looked for a good place to plant the tracking device. Now, what should I take for those Skill Points?
"SHHAAAA?!" - Snake
What the-!? I turned around and fired one of the light balls towards the sound... snakes!? Tons of them! I increased the power of the remaining light balls and saw that there were snakes all around us.
They tricked us! The reason why we never encountered any monsters was that these guys scared them off!
"Terd, Mira, to the front! Siris, get ready to use those support spells at a moment's notice. Lester, you're on watchman duty. Notify us if something gets too close for comfort. And Grubble, get that thing planted already!" - Brak
Aye, aye, sir. I joined up with Terd at the frontline while receiving a support spell from Siris. I don't have time to check what its effects are, because the snakes are already attacking with magic! I jumped out of the spells' lines of fire, but Terd simply tanked the blows. Then he returned the favor with his halberd, smashing the three closest snakes to mush. Wow.
Brak then followed up with the Aerial Slash spell, unique for Sword Magus. I'm not losing here either, as I ran around cutting the necks of any snake within range. I used the Sword Art Chain Cutter, which increases in strength each time it's used in a row, creating an ever-growing rush of slash attacks.
I took note of the guys' and snakes' attacks in order not to get hit by either. Other adventurers on my rank couldn't probably do this, but after all that hell-training I had to do to earn my sword skills, this is nothing. This is easier than stealing candy from a baby.
*KA-BOOOOOMMM!!*
Wh-what the heck was that!? Grubble!? Did he just throw one of the loudest explosives in existence? In this echo-creating cave!?
"Are you a complete idiot!?" - Mira & Brak
"But... it was on sale." - Grubble
Good that "leader" thinks the same as me. But who cares if something's on sale? If it's useless, don't buy it in the first place! Trust me, I'm speaking from experience.
"Brak! We need to start thinking about a tactical retreat!" - Lester
"No time for that! Just get ready to run with our tails between our legs!" - Brak
"Both of them work, but which way should we run to?" - Siris
"That way!" - Brak & Lester
So they say... while pointing in the opposite direction. Guys...
"This way." - Terd
Oh! The real hero knows the way!
"It's this way!" - Grubble & Siris
And the orc was just guessing wildly. I'm taking the path with the most votes, meaning the last one. Hasta la vista, scale-breath! Haha... ha?
"SHAAAA!" - Gigantic snake
Okay, I did not see that boss snake coming.
---
*CRASH!*
That was close! After introducing itself, or something remotely related to that, the snake lunged itself towards Siris and Grubble. The two managed to escape thanks to Siris blinding the snake with the light balls and Grubble throwing a tear gas bomb on its face.
"Change of plans: Take that big guy down!" - Brak
"Oh, we're in some dire need for a giant that wants some new leather boots after this." - Grubble.
While making jokes, Grubble threw his explosives towards the snake's head. It looked like the tear gas did quite the number on the big guy, as it was incapable of escaping the explosions.
Brak followed up with several long-range wind spells, aiming towards the open mouth of the snake. The snake's long tongue was mauled by the slash-like winds, taking away yet another of its five senses.
"Tail strike, coming up!" - Lester
Just as Lester had predicted, the big snake's tail came towards us, showing no concern for the Dungeon structures, nor the smaller snakes, as it tried to crush us while still blinded.
We need to take cover... what's that stupid orc doing!? He's not planning on taking that blow head-on, right?
"Protection!"- Siris
A white membrane-coated Terd along with Siris' shout. A defensive buff? That's not gonna be-
"HNNGH!" - Terd
It was enough!? I think I'm starting to get why these guys are considered better in a fight than their rank tells.
"The snake's trying something!" - Lester
A strengthening skill? Not on my watch!
As Terd kept the snake's tail in check for the moment, I ran back to him, my sword readied above my head and struck down on the snake's tail with the Sword Art: Grand Fall.
The heavy blow, which allowed me to divide a boulder in half once when I was younger, parted the snake with one-fourth of its tail. And don't try to tell me that wasn't impressive. This thing's tail is bigger than I'm tall!
The snake writhed in pain over losing part of its tail. Still, I can't see us defeating this thing. And now that we've irritated it so much, I don't think we can expect it would not follow us if we started to flee now. Time to up my ga-
*DUNK!*
My... game? A huge stalactite fell from above, piercing the snake's body. Is that... black smoke on top of it?
The big snake is just as surprised as us and in way more agony. Even so, it's still alive and kicking... as much as a snake can kick. And I mean it. It's trashing around with the parts of its body that are not cut-off or pinned down.
Guess it's time for some drastic measures.
"Terd. Could you throw me at that guy's head as hard as you can?" - Mira
"... Gladly." - Terd
I jumped on Terd's massive, throwing-ready hand, and in the next second, I was sent flying towards the big snake's head.
Before it noticed me, I used the Sword Art, Dragon Fang! A rush-type Sword Art, in addition to the force generated from being thrown by an orc that could stop even a gigantic snake's tail swipe, and then we add a [Mana Burst (Light)] as a special service, you big, overgrown leather wallet!
My sword penetrated the scales underneath the snake's jaw, and the force of the triple-boosted attack struck the snake's head like a flying slash. I could feel my blow penetrating throughout the snake's skull, piercing its brain on the way.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Your level has increased. Reached Lv.15
You have earned 0.9 Skill Points
Acquired title: [Giant Killer]
Acquired skill: [Strength Increase (Small) Lv.1]
Acquired skill: [Vitality Increase (Small) Lv.1]
Bonus EXP acquired.
You have earned 0.4 Skill Points
I got it! I got it!! Kids, don't try this at home-whoa, whoa, whoaaaaa!!
*CRASH!*
Ouch... not to self... never stay underneath a giant snake's jaw when it's collapsing... my ribs...
---
"Good thing you have such a splendid 'chest armor', or else you would have been unhealable from that last blow." - Siris
Save your jokes for comedy night... ouch. It hurts when I try to make a witty comment. Siris wasn't saving anything with her healing, even using several potions to assist her healing spells. But I still feel like I was overrun by a herd of Bloodrush Bulls... urgh.
"Are you finished with the first aid so we can get outta here before the snakes find their courage to avenge their boss, and the desire to become the next boss?" - Grubble
"Shove a sock in that piehole, anyone. Healing takes time-" - Siris
"No, I'm fine... ouch. Fine enough, anyway. We've wasted enough time." - Mira
"... Terd. You take care of her. The rest of us will take care of any intruders." - Brak
Thanks. The orc-taxi beats walking any day.
Connection with the Water-Knot of Glavras and the World System is now fulfilled!
From the newfound information gathered from the connection, it is believed that the Dungeon creates a special barrier field by utilizing the vestiges of the Genesis God. This barrier will prevent any higher forces from noticing the existence of the Dungeon unless it is someone stronger than the Genesis God itself.
Plant tracking devices across the Dungeon to bypass the disruption barrier, and put a stop to the devilish Dungeon.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
You have earned 3.0 Skill Points
Quest Clearance EXP acquired.
Chain Quest unlocked: [Bug the Knot (II)]
"... Did anyone do something?" - Lester
"It must be the guy that fixed up all the other devices. Not that we're in any shape to join the guy. Let's go home." - Brak
... Wonder who, or what, that completed the Quest. Maybe it was the same person, or creature, that dropped the stalactite?
Naw. There's no way something like that could happen. This event's going into the books as a "mystery", I guess. Wonder if I'll ever get to know...
---
"Lord Black Baron. We have managed to locate the Dungeon owned by Glavras."
"Perfect! I'm not gonna let some slippery snake-in-the-grass get me to work for free without tasting the consequences. To the Dungeon!"
"Right away, sir. Also, I think he has never been in any grass-"
"Just set course for the snake hole already."
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Humanoids/Sprites: Light Sprites
Description:
The Light Sprites are humanoid creatures that are extremely close relatives of some spirits. In this case, light spirits.
They can also be called spirit people. Light Sprites are one of the less radical of the Sprites, as they do not go all their way to live in certain conditions or areas, often being found in cities that see daylight.
Appearance:
A Light Sprite is no different from regular humanoids and can have practically any hair- and eye color.
They have a special symbol in their eyes, like with any other Sprite race. In the case of the Light Sprites, the symbol is fashioned after the sun, and it glows in golden colors when the Light Sprite gets excited or uses large amounts of mana.
They all have alabaster skin, and they all have an unnatural sort of beauty, not losing to the elven races. Also, sometimes the Light Sprite turns half-transparent, showing their origin as spirits.
Abilities:
Light Sprites have amazing speed, even better than that of a Wind Sprite. However, their attacks do not pack a big punch, so the use of weapons is necessary.
Like other Sprite races, Light Sprites can manipulate their element to a certain degree, without the need for using magic.
As a subspecies of spirits, Light Sprites can convert their mana into life-force and stamina at will. They also have a high rate of mana recovery.
Mira's comment: See. It's the symbol that's golden, not my eyes!
[ARC 1] CHAPTER 7: CLEARING THE QUEST, THEN EVOLVING!?
And, arrived!
This must be the worst climbing experience in my life! Straight up the air towards a stalactite? Am I perhaps a masochist?
Anyway, time to start eroding. The big snake's on the move, and from the design of the labyrinth floor, it will appear in front of the adventurers right below me.
I've gotta time this just right. [Aura of Darkness] is the only plausible ability I have with this body, especially when my hands are busy keeping myself steady with this thread.
I kept one of my arms on the stalactite, both for keeping myself balanced and to inject the Aura into the rock. Steady, steady... keep on eroding this thing from the inside...
"SHAAAA!" - Boss Snake
And it came! Come on, you stubborn rock, fall already!
*CRASH!*
The snake's started to mess with the adventurers! Good thing this guy doesn't look like a magician-type like its smaller siblings. I mean, I would use magic rather than to lunged myself against some intruders, but that may just be me.
The two adventurers closest to the snake, with that, I mean the priestess and the hobgoblin, are putting up a good fight by blinding the big beast with light balls and smoke bombs.
The leader in the cowboy hat gave new orders to beat the big snake first. The hobgoblin threw more bombs at the snake while cowboy hat threw some wind spells into the snake's... into the snake's mouth!? Have some mercy! I've got to remember that one.
Crap, I lost focus. Aura, Aura... a little more... the rock's starting to shake...
*Crack*
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Acquired title: [Darkness Technique User]
Acquired skill: [Lesser Darkness Element Lv.1]
Acquired skill: [Darkness Magic Lv.1]
Skill: [Lesser Darkness Element Lv.1] has been integrated into skill: [Darkness Element Lv.12]
Bonus EXP acquired.
A new title? For using the Aura, probably. And I think it's time to move!
I tossed another thread away from the rock and managed to get away right before it fell right on the snake.
*DUNK!*
The stalactite, with remains of the Aura still lingering on the broken part, had successfully pierced the snake... but not on its head as I had hoped it would.
Nothing more that I can do here. Time for a quick retreat... wow!
The bandit girl was thrown towards the snake by the orc, and she struck the snake from underneath its jaw! Some light-kinda thing was wrapped around her sword, and it penetrated the snake's skull upon the strike! The only thing that prevented the bandit girl from getting a top score, is that the snake collapsed with her underneath it. Ouch.
Kinda wish I didn't reach the maximum level already, 'cause that thing was probably filled to the brim with EXP. Well now, there's nothing else for me to do here, so let's skedaddle.
Wait, what's that?
---
Found you, Power Spot number 10! Take this!
Connection with the Water-Knot of Glavras and the World System is now fulfilled!
From the newfound information gathered from the connection, it is believed that the Dungeon creates a special barrier field by utilizing the vestiges of the Genesis God. This barrier will prevent any higher forces from noticing the existence of the Dungeon unless it is someone stronger than the Genesis God itself.
Plant tracking devices across the Dungeon to bypass the disruption barrier, and put a stop to the devilish Dungeon.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
You have earned 3.0 Skill Points
Due to "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 3.0 Skill Points were earned.
Quest Clearance EXP acquired.
Chain Quest unlocked: [Bug the Knot (II)]
Mwa-hahaha! I did it! Of course, I had some help, but I'm getting the rewards, so I'm the winner! What luck it was that I could see the last point when I was dangling from the roof when the adventurers finished off that stupid snake!
Speaking of which, what happened with those guys after that anyway? Eh, not my problem.
Anyway, now I can get that [Heretic Resistance] skill. Then I need to figure out how to get Rogue after that. 100 DEX is gonna be difficult to obtain...
Anyway! I'll take what I can for now!
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Acquired a skill from the Skill Shop.
Acquired skill: [Heretic Resistance Lv.1]
Good! Now I just need to boost this and Immunity with some initial skills that can be used on myself as well.
And now, the moment of truth.
Still missing 64 more points on the DEX stat... and my Karma Value fell? I mean, it increased? Whatever...
I guess I need to see if there's some DEX-specialist amongst these evolutions. [Discern]... doesn't work here. Or, how would other creatures evolve if they needed [Identification] and [Discern]? Then it should be something like the Skill Shop... "Evolution Options"?
And there it appeared. Kinda anti-climatic.
Still, as expected of the Grey Demon. There are six options to choose from. And what's this "Ex Race" attached to half of them?
Extra Races (or Ex Races) are an evolution option that either refers to a very special evolution or a mutation of an already existing race.
No matter which type, the resulting creature can be considered a Unique Monster.
To obtain an Ex Race evolution, one needs to fulfill specific requirements, such as having the required stat values, owning specific skills and/or classes at certain levels, or being in the ownership of one or more specific titles.
In some cases, one needs to have special traits for this kind of evolution. Said traits can only be obtained from Key Items that only appear once in a specific time period, leading to the selected evolution to stay true to the name of "Unique Monster".
P.S. Some of these evolutions may be the result of the Ultimate Gods when they got carried away, so there are no guarantees that the selected race will be bearable to live as.
This... is better than I could have imagined. And it's three of them... probably not something too crazy. They're all rank F on the evolution tree after all.
Even so, I should look at them all, just to be safe. Starting from the top, it's the Imp.
Weak! Imps are weak!! And what's up with this lackluster information? There's nothing about, I don't know, evolution requirements, attributes of the creature, or skills this thing has? Give me a break!
Urgh... I didn't expect that the information obtained from [Discern] would be so limited due to the low level. In that case, it may be possible not to take a sneak peek at a target's skills... I gotta level it up big time!
As for the Imp, let's see if there's something in the book... there was, but still: IMPS ARE WEAK!! Bet that the reason why I got this one is that all rank G demons can evolve into this anyway.
Over to the next one.
...not sure if I wanna look up in the book for this one... *Turning pages*
Yup! I didn't wanna look it up, and I was right! Too weak! Weaker than an Imp! But from its description, it looks more like it's counting on its skills instead of status values to survive. Why is this one available for me anyway? Maybe...
Ooh. I didn't know that the skill list showed the updates like this. Nifty. And yeah. Five different Perception Skills would unlock something like a Lesser Gazer for a rank G trash like me.
And this third one's... probably because of my Monster Skills. Wait, maybe that's something with high DEX?
The Kigal-Note tells me that they have a higher DEX than the first two, but a weakness to flames? With the next floor being half flame? Out!!
Damn. The first three options turned out to be trash, but what about the Ex Races?
Alright, and the Kigal-Note says... not bad. It has better DEX and RES stats than the original Imp. Maybe those two stats are typical for the Darkness attribute?
I bet I unlocked this variant due to that new title of mine. Darkness Technique User is awarded to people that use Darkness attribute skills for a certain amount of time and length of use. The quality of the skill also counts, so the reason I got this title must be from using [Aura of Darkness] as my main weapon.
Then there's the fact that all my other Darkness skills also improved thanks to using the Aura. While I'm not sure if Resistance Skills counts for the acquisition of this title, the title gave me a Lesser Element skill of the attribute, so having the real Element Skill must also have played a role.
Guess I can't expect to get Shadow Technique User or Poison Technique User from using [Stealth] and [Poison Fang].
Let's see the remaining two evolution options.
This guy has the highest DEX of them all, but a ghost... Nu-uh. That's impossible for me. I'm barely able to withstand my current body!
Did I get this one from the Darkness Technique User? No, in this case, I think it's because I have used [Aura of Darkness] so many times. The description further increases my belief in this theory...
Even so, I can't use this thing! If this next one with the strange name isn't any good, I have to settle with Dusk Imp...
And the note says... equal DEX stats as the Geist? I'll take it! Besides, I'm going wild with the spider-style lately, so why stop now? Getting more skills related to threads won't hurt... even when I won't be able to use them on Floor 2. Damn...
Alright, I've decided...
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Extra Race - Reha Zera has been selected.
During evolution, you will not be able to move.
Do you wish to start the evolution into Extra Race - Reha Zera?
Y/N
I can't move? Glad it told me that beforehand, but I've already set up my shop!
After placing the final device for the Chain Quest, I worked with making a nest for myself in the opening in the wall close to it. The entrance is covered with threads of the same color as the wall, and the inside has several layers of spider webs that will capture anything that succeeds in seeing through the fake wall.
Now then, there's no time like the moment, so here we go!
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Commencing evolution to Extra Race - Reha Zera
Alright. Kinda scared, but the results... are... gonna... be... awe...
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Demons: Reha Zera
Description:
A spider-like demon that lives in the jungles and caves. They hunt down their targets while hiding in shadows, or use the power of darkness to weaken the enemy before finishing it off. However, the Reha Zera is also a benevolent monster and will refrain from attacking prey that is weaker than themselves.
Appearance:
The Reha Zera takes the appearance of a black spider with a small abdomen. It has a neck like an ant, but its head is still that of a spider. It has just one set of eyes, sharp fangs, and a long tongue.
Abilities:
A Reha Zera is a master with laying traps with its silk threads. It captures creatures with its webs for then finishing it off at close range. Their threads are weak to fire though.
As a backup plan, the Reha Zera will use several different Darkness attribute skills to weaken the prey. The types of skills differ between the individual Reha Zeras.
Alvatria's comment: On the other hand, they are horrible in a fair fight, so most of them get skills like [Escape].
[ARC 1] CHAPTER 8: GROWTH THROUGH TRIALS
Greydra
After some requests, I've decided to open a Discord for this novel. Please visit if you want to make suggestions or simply discuss the novel.
Code: https://discord.gg/TN6VfzQ
Zzz... ZZZ... zzz... huh? I'm awake! *Yawn* Is breakfast ready? Wait just a sec... I don't even have a kitchen! Or someone that makes my food! Aww, now I went and made myself depressed...
"Ribbit!" - Frog
And what's Froggy Mc Idiot doing here!? No... all the webs are filled with small fries!
Good thing I installed those webs, or I've would have been small-fry-food. Note to self, get a better base when evolving next time,
*Grrrrr...*
Oops, Was that my stomach? So embarrassing... oh wait.
"! RIBBIT-RIBI-RIBI-RIBBIT!!" - Frogs
"SQUEAAAAK!!" - Rats
Oh, shut it! Chomping time!
---
*Burp* 'Scuse me. But man, I was hungry. Three rats and two frogs had trapped themselves, but now they're only bones.
While eating, I had a look at my current body.
A jet-black spider. That's the best way to describe me. Still, my back's smaller than what you could expect from a spider, and I have a neck for some reason, and only two, ruby-colored eyes. Am I a spider, or an ant?
No matter which one it is, it's not an explanation for my black hole appetite. Evolution's supposed to only take half of your max stamina and mana reserves at most.
Something's off here... the System Message should tell me something. The icon in the left corner of my sight's been blinking all the time I've been eating. A living HUD1Heads-Up Display.... handy.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Evolution completed.
Due to having reached racial rank F+, the amount of Skill Point value has increased to 0.2 Points.
Due to evolution to an Extra Race: additional bonus to stat values acquired.
Through evolution, acquired trait: Arachnid
Through evolution, acquired skills: [Thread Control Lv.1] and [Cutting Thread Lv.1]
Through evolution to an Extra Race, acquired skill: [Silence Lv.1]
Huh? Most of the stuff here's what the Kigal-Note told me when I looked up evolution. An increase of Skill Points you get from level-ups, gaining skills of the new race... but all this "Extra Race-bonuses" stuff is unexpected...
Damn [Discern]. It let some of the most crucial information slip! Not that it was too bad, but I need to secure large amounts of food if I wanna Extra evolve again. Having to become a food fighter for some extra skills and stats... wait. My stats increased? More than expected, I mean.
They seriously increased more than I expected!!
Extra evolutions rocks! I gotta keep on earning those.
DEX and SPD went up by 40-or-so points, while RES and MP got around 30. MAG, HP, and SP all upped their scores by 20, and the rest, meaning STR and VIT, got around 10 points.
Maybe not that much for something called an "Extra Race" evolution, but hey, it was from a G-rank to an F-rank. I can't expect that much improvement.
Rogue's "100 DEX requirement" is still not achieved yet. I guess I should focus on getting used to this new body first. Luckily, I'm on the weakest floor of the Dungeon. I can farm weaklings easily! Both for EXP, personal experience, and to get those ten stealth-kills for the Rogue class!
Kukuku. I'm itching for action.
---
Yeah... the itch isn't getting scratched so much.
Don't take me wrong here. I've taken out rats and frogs here and there... but my level hasn't increased even after all these. Also, the monsters make such loud noises, that I can't expect that they count for Rogue's stealth-kills either.
My M.O. is to make webs in tunnels and tight spaces, then wait for some prey to get trapped. Kinda standard, but it works. If those pests weren't so noisy, then I wouldn't need to remove the web each time in case a cobra came by!
Ah, and my skills are like this now.
The only things I get to train are my string theories. And even they aren't going up even after all this time! Do I need to use it on stronger guys to get more EXP? Maybe being of a higher rank means you have to do more to gain levels? Yeah, that must be it. Tsk.
Maybe it's time to graduate to cobras..., that's a bad idea. The cobras are magic users, meaning they could probably tear through my webs with their spells. Even if [Spider Thread] has become my highest leveled skill.
*Tug* *Tug*
That's the alert thread. I've made several small threads connected to the different webs that lead to my base. This one is...
I forgot to tell you about this, but I've made a base on top of one of the walls of the Dungeon. It's better to call it a small hill though. There's a small cave located there, which I've made into my bedroom. Due to that, I invested in the [Climbing] skill. Should have gotten that one earlier...
As the only creatures that can reach this height on this floor are me and some bouncy frogs, I've placed sticky threads all over the floor of the hill to catch any frogs and their big feet. There may be some cobras that can climb up like that first snake I encountered, but they're gonna have a harder time than the frogs with the sticky threads.
My bedroom's also covered with a cover and several webs, so there are no worries even if there's something that can slip through the threads. Not that I think there's something like that on this floor. Oh, and I'm still making threads outta my hands and mouth. It's not limited to making it out of my butt as with normal spiders. Is it cause I was a Grey Demon before, or is it a trait of this race?
Oh, right. The trap. A rat is struggling in the web I made there. Seriously, don't make so much noise! I need to rethink my fighting style a little...
The rat's useless for me, since it's probably got parasites again, so I used it as a practice target for [Cutting Thread]. With it, my treads can cut through stuff as if they were blades! Or, maybe it's more true to say they all became piano wires?
No matter, the rat got cut up in the end. Since the skill is so low-leveled, I needed to cut the rat's throats to finish them off. Thanks to [Thread Manipulation], I could move the thread as if I was using some psychic powers on it, allowing me to direct it flawlessly towards the points where I wanted to cut. It also works wonders when making webs.
The skill's compatibility with [Cutting Threads] is awesome even without the example I just gave. While [Thread Control] uses MP as fuel, [Cutting Thread] needs SP, meaning I won't go low by using both at once.
I left the rat to bleed out, not caring about its filthy corpse. I've got two whole frog corpses in my [Spatial Storage], plus tons of weeds. Not that they are any good, but they taste better than the rats. And yes, I can taste stuff again! Or, it's the first time in my (second) life that I can taste stuff? You get the idea.
Even if they're easy kills with this strategy, I've yet to gain a new level. I need to find a better way to hunt these monsters without alarming the rest of the Dungeon. That, and even the stupid rats and frogs are starting to learn that this area haunted by death screams is bad news. I need to set up shop somewhere else or start to actively hunt down monsters. As in not using webs. Or, what about...
---
I was lying in wait on a ledge over a small path. There should be one coming soon... there!
A cobra. If I take care of this guy, then...
The cobra slithered closer and closer, with no care in the world. From the looks of its face, I think it's in such a good mood that it would whistle if snakes could do that. That didn't last for long.
Right when the cobra was just below me, it stopped dead in its tracks. The cobra was confused, but before it could do anything, I had thrown my readied web over it. The web covered in a black aura landed on top of the cobra and sliced it to pieces.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
[Aura of Darkness] skill level has reached Lv.10.
[Paralyze Ailment] has been added to [Aura of Darkness Lv.10]
You have earned 0.2 Skill Points
Due to "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 0.2 Skill Points were earned.
Success! A brilliant success! And the Aura finally reached Lv.10! What a bonus!
Using a small amount of MP to use [Thread Control], along with some help from [Throwing], then using the rest of the MP to use [Aura of Darkness] and some SP to grant cutting attribute to the threads with [Cutting Thread], and you got a shredder that weakens and cuts the unfortunate monster trapped in it.
With this, anything that isn't too big or too durable, like those turtles, is mincemeat in front of me! Am I right? Ri-... right... no one to answer...
... I'm not lonely. Not lonely. If I wanted to, I could have ditched this place at any time. I found the exit to this place, but then I would probably miss out on the Chain Quest. I'm choosing to be a loner on my own. It's not that I was ostracized into becoming a loner! It's that freaking goddesses' fault that I'm stuck in this nightmarish Dungeon!
Argh, why did she have to reincarnate me into this hellhole!? It may be good with the thought of not getting slain by human adventurers, hunters, mercenaries, knights, or whatever, but even so! There are limits to isolation, I tell ya!
I need some more monsters to slay! Gotta shave off some of this aggression!
I got the cobra after leveling up when testing my new "Shredder"-strategy on a bunch of rats before. I'll reach lucky number Lv.3, then I'll go to the next floor. I mean, there's no way I wanna miss this Quest out:
Keep up the good work! Plant tracking devices on the second floor of the Dungeon. This time, try to plant them on the floor's important locations. It is suspected that the second floor has certain facilities that are crucial for the Dungeon.
A Skill has been added to the rewards! Not sure if it's any good, but hey, take what you can.
Now, where are those cobras?
---
Still have not found any cobras. When you don't wanna see them, a big-ass snake pops up, but when you're looking for them, then no~. They are too important to be some no-name demon's EXP~.
I'm farming frogs instead. The rats are having the luckiest break of their life now. As for the froggies, not so much.
The rumors were true. Frogs do taste like chicken. But in my case, it's cold, soggy grill chicken. Still better than those nasty, bitter weeds. And they're cut in perfect eatable shapes thanks to the shredder! It's a little messy in retrieving the meat though. And all the blood's ruining the taste.
*Crunch* *Splash* *Crack* *Kreaaak* *Splosh*
... Some seriously disturbing noises came from that natural alleyway over there. Either there's a man-eating tiger with really bad table manners... or something that will reduce my SAN points if I take a look.
Well, disturbing some... thing, when they're eating is just bad manners on my part. Let's run!
*Throw* *Splat*
Something came flying out of the alley. It's... the dedicated head of a cobra? Wait, what!? And what happened to this guy!? It looks like the meat was forcefully wrenched out, making it look like something from a splatter movie combined with a horror one! And, ugh, is that his brains? They're coming outta his mouth! As if it was trying to force itself outside from the cobra's skull.
!? What's that!?
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
[Danger Sense] skill level has reached Lv.20.
You have earned 0.2 Skill Points
Due to "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 0.2 Skill Points were earned.
Yeah, I agree. Something way too crazy just showed up. It looks like a tar-black something that's a cross between a skeleton and a zombie. Not to mention it's floating while covered in a grey haze.
Iiik!! It's looking over here! What's up with those abyss-like black eyes!?
I-I'm not tasty! D-d-don't float closer... help me!!
I ran away the moment that... thing, came too close. No way I'm gonna end up like that cobra! I'm not gonna be tortured to death like that! And why's this thing just ignoring [Stealth]!?
I ran into tunnels, quickly climbed up the walls, dashed through open roads, but I never shook that thing off my trail! Seriously, work for me here, [Stealth]! Even doing a Tarzan-swing with my threads didn't work! What's with this thing! Scary, scary, scary, scary...
Ack! Rats! You guys can't see this thing behind me!? Wait, this is a chance!
I ran towards the rats with the ghost behind me. The rats didn't see me 'cause of my stealth-skills (work on the guy behind me, not only the trash!), but they could see the ghost. They stiffened up a sec out of fright, but they tried to escape right after that. Something I didn't allow, as I spat globs of sticky thread on them.
I passed the rats, and just as I hoped, the ghost stopped to kill the rats first. Now I've got the time to-
*Pop*
-to... to... escape? Wait, not even a sec!? The ghost simply stabbed the rat with its long, pointy skeleton hands, and the rat burst like a water balloon! The other five rats that saw this turned hysteric, but the ghost simply went to pop the next guy, er, rat.
*Pop*
These rats can't even be used as a good distraction! Even if I ran away now, I won't get the lead I need to flee this fiend. Ah, that was kinda good.
*Pop*
NO TIME FOR JOKES! But only running around won't help me! This thing's 1.1 times faster than me, and it doesn't look like this guy knows the meaning of the word tired.
*Pop*
Then what? I'm unsure if [Aura of Darkness] would work on that thing, and that's the most fantasy-ish move I've got now! Wait, that's it!
*Pop*
No time to waste!! "Initial Skills"! Something to beat this guy!
Initial Skills selection:
Numbers of initial Skill slots remaining: 2
Search for Skills:[Something to beat this guy!]
Available Skills:
Alright, the best-sounding one's always the one on the bottom, so-!
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Acquired skill: [Heresy Modification Lv.1]
Got it!
*Pop*
Wawawawa! It comes! Skill, work! Work, work, work, work! AAAAAHH!!
I didn't even have the time to close my eyes as the finger of the ghost came closer to me.
And then, right before it touched me, a strange barrier appeared with me as its center. The ghost disappeared in a puff of grey smoke the moment the barrier touched it.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Karma Value has decreased.
Acquired title: [Dread Spirit Slayer]
Bonus EXP acquired.
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
Your level has increased. Reached Lv.3
You have earned 0.2 Skill Points
Due to "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 0.2 Skill Points were earned.
I-I-I-I-I'm saved! Hahahaha...
I couldn't do anything except for collapsing on the spot, listlessly laughing and crying, as if my soul had completely broken. That was, that was too scary!
---
Alright. I'm back to normal. Even so, I needed two days to recover from the shock. But don't judge me. I was just a few millimeters from dying in the worst way possible. Speaking of which, I need to give the rats a prayer. Thank you, meat shields.
Now then, the question is, what the heck was that!? I got some title called... "Dread Spirit Slayer"? Then the "ghost" must have been something like a "Dread Spirit". However, when I looked in the Kigal-Note, I only got this piece of information:
This information is classified as something that is too known to be added to the Kigal-Note. If there is some idiot that doesn't get it, they need to learn about it the hard way~♡.
What the heck's that supposed to mean!?
This gotta be that freaking goddess again! Don't mess with me! She's gotta be hiding something here!
Phew. I needed that. After crying myself to a mess of tears and snot, including a light mental breakdown from the fear, I mean.
Now then, onward to my next course of action. I'm not staying on this floor, as there could be more "Dread Spirits" lurking here. Then, I've got two options here. Go to the next floor, or escape the Dungeon right now.
I'm not too keen on advancing through the Dungeon after witnessing that thing, especially when thinking about the fact that the ghost has the same [Magic Sight] reading as for those things in the lake cave and on the sixth floor...
On the other hand, there are four floors between this floor, Floor 1, and Floor 6. Meaning, the chance of this "spirit" having wandered down here from Floor 6 is pretty low. It may have come from the outside... which kills my mood to go outside.
Let's try to change my gears. I used up one of my last two initial skill slots on something that insta-killed the "spirit" in one blow. What was it... it's too tedious to try to remember when I'm still this mentally exhausted. [Identification].
? EEEEHH!? My stats! They're like, 10 points too high! Only the Strength Stats, but even so!
Could this be that title's fault? I'll look it up later. But for now:
That's the one. [Heresy Modification]. The Kigal-Note tells about this one at least. It's a skill that allows you to change the status of a Heretic attribute-induced status ailment, either to remove it, strengthen it, or change it to a different status ailment that the Heretic attribute can inflict.
Also, any type of energy that includes the Heretic attribute can be manipulated to a certain extent. That's the skill's main feature. The ailment-thing is just a secondary way of usage.
I tried to use the skill again, and a barrier appeared with me as the center. I looked at my stats, but neither my MP, my SP, even not my HP went down. So I can use this thing indefinitely without any costs? Sweet!
To be honest, when against the Heretic attribute, this thing's more impressive than [Heretic Immunity]. Against anything else, this skill's useless though. Or, maybe not? My [Heretic Resistance] went up a level, even when I only used it for a little moment against the "spirit". Then, can't I use it all the time to farm levels with both itself, Resistance, and Immunity? Let's do that!
Ah, but the barrier's shining. Monsters will notice me if I use it all the time on this dark floor. But on Floor 2 and 3...
N-no matter. What else do I need to reflect on?
... The panic attack I had from before. I had barely any time to think about my options before, so skills that improve my mental abilities?
Yeah, I should go for stuff like that. My only potential card against the "spirit" was [Aura of Darkness], but what about situations later in the future? When my skill list is filled even more? I need to become better with "thinking on my feet". It won't be always that I only need to place a trap. I need to be prepared in case I fall into one myself.
... And [Fear Resistance]. A skill like that could be useful.
... Fine. Fine, I say! I'll clear at least the floors before the sixth one! They're too delish to say no to. Are you happy now? Even if you aren't I'm still gonna do this! But no more ghost spirits, please?
Greydra
Kigal-Note/Monsters/Reptiles: Glavras Ophiagya
Description:
A snake monster that originates from the Dungeon: "The Water-Knot of Glavras". This monster works as both a guardian for the Dungeon's entrance and the royal guard that defends the area right before the Dungeon's final floor.
Due to the lack of information about "The Water-Knot of Glavras", more detailed information about the Glavras Ophiagya is limited.
Appearance:
The Glavras Ophiagya is a cobra snake with a length of approximately 11 meters. Their scales have a beautiful pattern in marine colors.
Abilities:
The strength of the Glavras Ophiagya lies in their prowess in using magic.
Due to the lack of information about the snake monster, there is no more detailed information about it, however, one is to believe that this creature specializes in Water attribute magics.
As shown with its Venomous Reptile trait, it is believed that the Glavras Ophiagya has some sort of venom or a relationship with Poison attribute skills. There is no proof yet.
Order's comment: The first article about that Dungeon's inhabitants! Get this out to the world, now!!