Chapter 7: Dungeon Raid(2)

[ Status ]

[ Name: Aengus Degaro(Ethan Smith) ]

[ Occupation: Hunter ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Level: 3 ]

[ Class: None ]

[ Age: 18 ]

[ Strength: 15 ]

[ Agility: 12 ]

[ Defense: 15 ]

[ Mana: 100 ]

[ Attribute points: 0 ]

[ Skills:

[ Active: Swift Sword Strike -2(F), Fire Toad's Leap -2(F)]

[ Passive: Fire Toad's Resilience (F) ]

Unique Skills:

- Basic: Appraisal

- Mythic: Skill Absorption

- Ultimate: Universal Synthesis

---

After allocating his attribute points, Ethan felt a surge of power coursing through him. All his base stats had increased significantly, and he now possessed another passive skill. However, he still hadn't found any Mana orbs, which was a little disappointing.

His Mana was the real deal. With 100 points of Mana, he could run for 4-5 floors only. So if he wanted to clear this dungeon, he would need more Mana or have to consider joining a party.

But joining a party would mean risking his secret. Truly a dilemma.

The sixth floor of the dungeon was even more challenging. The heat was oppressive, and the monsters were stronger and more aggressive. Fire Toads were now accompanied by Flame Serpents, which slithered through the molten cracks in the ground, their scales shimmering with intense heat.

Ethan navigated through the narrow corridors, keeping his senses sharp and his sword at the ready. The sentient silver sword seemed to hum with anticipation, as if it could sense the danger around them. The red moss on the walls pulsed with a rhythmic glow, casting eerie shadows that danced with every flicker of light.

As he ventured further, he encountered a group of Flame Serpents. Their fiery eyes glared at him as they hissed and coiled, ready to strike. He knew he had to be quick and precise. Using Fire Toad's Leap, he vaulted over the serpents, landing behind them. In one swift motion, he unleashed a series of powerful strikes with his sword, each blow finding its mark. The serpents writhed and hissed before falling lifeless to the ground.

"Skill Absorption!"

"Skill Absorption!"

"Skill Absorption!"

[ Ding! Congratulations! You gained a new skill Flame Serpent's Breath (F) ]

[ Congratulations! You have gained a new skill, Flame Serpent's Digestion (passive) ]

[ Congratulations! You have gained a new skill Flame Serpent's Resistance (passive) ]

"Ooh, damn good!" As soon as he received the notifications, Ethan smiled.

His [Skill Absorption] ability was really getting more useful the further he went deeper. In previous floors, Skill Absorption had been unsuccessful many times.

Now, this brought him some relief. With so many skills, he could face more monsters now.

He had a little more than 30 Mana left, so he could go on a little more.

Moving forward, he encountered another group of Fire Toads and Flame Serpents. This time, they were in a group of ten.

They lunged at him while spitting fire from their mouths. Their velocity was so instant that he had no choice but to face their attack head-on. Their fire breaths enveloped him completely, casting an eerie atmosphere.

However, even after getting hit by their combined fire breath attack, Ethan was completely fine. His two passive fire resistance skills, [Fire Toad's Resilience] and [Flame Serpent's Resistance], were doing their job. Instead of pain, he only felt as if he was in some kind of hot spring.

Fire Serpent's resistance covered his body with a protective layer that protected his clothes with efficiency. Now he don't have to be naked to continue.

On the other hand, Witnessing their attack fail, they lunged to bite him with their sharp claws and fangs.

In counter, he used [Flame Serpent's Breath] to deflect them. Although it wouldn't do much damage, it would keep them busy for a while. Meanwhile, he readied himself to unleash his sword skill [Swift Sword Strike] upon them. It was the best option he had.

As they got separated because of his breath attack, he quickly lunged his sword skill on them.

"Swift Sword Strike."

"Swift Sword Strike."

"Flame Serpent's Breath!"

"Swift Sword Strike."

He unleashed a combination of powerful strikes with his sword and breath skill, each blow finding its mark.

"Croak, Croak!

Hiss, Hiss!"

The serpents and toads writhed and hissed before falling lifeless to the ground.

[ Ding! Congratulations! You have leveled up ]

[ You have received 5 attribute points to distribute freely ]

Ethan moved forward to use Skill Absorption on them quickly. However, to his surprise, their bodies were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were a few glowing skill books on the ground.

- Fire Toad's Leap (F) 2x

- Fire Toad's Resilience (F) 3x

- Flame Serpent's Breath (F) 2x

- Fire Toad's Breath (F) 1x

Fire Toad's Breath was similar to Flame Serpent's Breath, but with slight differences. In Fire Toad's Breath, they spat fireballs instead of breathing fire. Honestly, he thought it should be called [Fire Toad's Spittle] or something like that.

Still, he equipped [Fire Toad's Breath] and kept the rest in his cloth bag to sell them later.

Moving forward, Ethan stumbled upon a hidden chamber. The air inside was cooler, and the walls were lined with ancient, glowing runes. At the center of the room, a pedestal held a gleaming orb. His heart raced with excitement.

[ Appraisal ]

[ Mana Orb 1x ]

[ Quality: F ]

[ Mana Capacity Increase: 20 ]

Finally! He found a Mana Orb. He couldn't believe that he found it so quickly.

As he approached the pedestal, a shimmering barrier appeared, blocking his path. It was a protective ward, and he knew he had to disable it to claim the orb. He examined the runes closely and realized they formed a complex puzzle. His knowledge from Appraisal came in handy as he deciphered the symbols and figured out the sequence needed to deactivate the barrier.

With a final touch, the barrier dissipated, and he carefully picked up the Mana Orb. It pulsed with a soft blue light, and he could feel its energy radiating through him. Without hesitation, he absorbed the orb, feeling a surge of power as his Mana increased.

[ Ding! Your Mana capacity has increased by 20 points. Current Mana capacity: 120 ]

"Good!" Ethan now had 120 Mana points in total, a significant boost that would aid him greatly in his journey. He felt more prepared than ever to face the challenges ahead as it refilled his Mana to the brim.

Leaving the hidden chamber, he continued his descent into the dungeon. The seventh floor greeted him with a fiery inferno. Lava flowed through the cracks in the ground, and the air was thick with smoke. The heat was intense, but thanks to [Fire Toad's Resilience] and [Flame Serpent's Resistance], he was able to withstand it.

As he navigated the treacherous terrain, he encountered more powerful creatures. More Fire Serpents and Toads, towering and imposing, blocked his path. They were nearly double in size compared to the previous ones, and their fiery eyes glowed with malevolence. Ethan knew these foes would be a true test of his skills.