Gnoblar's Dungeon
Yellowish tints filled the sight of Arthur. Golden rays peeked through the clouds, lunging at the light yellow leaves of the trees.
Silence flooded the area with rustling leaves occasionally pervading the serenity. The smell of honey wafted through the air.
Arthur gazed at the stretch of yellow forest. From a distance, he could already see an open space where crude wooden tents dwelled.
From these tents, gnoblars poured out, alarmed by the appearance of a human.
Their lengthy pointy ears were sensitive to sounds, steel pots rested atop their heads, with sheets covering their bodies and crude kitchen knives in their hands.
They were the less intelligent form of goblins — the Gnoblars.
[Main Quest: Destroy at least 3 Gnoblar's tents
Restriction: Level 5 and below
Rewards:
- 10 gold coins
- 10% exp
- F-grade mana stone]
Arthur grinned as the gnoblars gathered in front of the tents. Collectively, 10 tents were concealed behind the pack of gnoblars.
'This is better.', Arthur pondered, pulling out threads coiled in a wooden shaft.
Arthur gazed at the item's details.
[Gigantic Spider Threads (D)
Category: Weapon
Description: An item dropped from the gigantic spider species. Contains Gigantic spider webs that can cut steel.
Remaining threads: 100%]
It was a cheaper version of Arthur's previous item, the SS-grade "Blood Burst".
The item didn't contain a skill and had relatively thicker and darker threads which were not effective for stealthy attacks. The threads were few and least lethal.
'Still, it's better than nothing.'
Arthur didn't have a talent for swordsmanship or other weaponries aside from thread manipulation. Pre-regression, he ventured into dungeons using a multitude of items however, his hunting efficiency dropped in comparison to using threads.
With that, he focused on pioneering his thread manipulation skills, evolving his prowess to never seen before.
No one could see through his nimble fingers, cutting through enemies, depriving them of their lives before they could even react.
Arthur in his pre-regression times had achieved the pinnacle of thread manipulation.
For this reason, even the D-grade threads would be destructive in his nimble fingers.
At last, Arthur held the tip of the threads, throwing it upwards. With a flick, the thread glided forward, plunging towards the gnoblars' tents as Arthur ran forward.
Once uncoiled, the threads could never be curled back into the wooden shaft. Arthur had to preserve the threads as much as possible.
With a meter thread extended forward, Arthur ran through the gnoblars' tents, engaging in a head-on battle with the gnoblars.
Inefficient for stealthy attacks, Arthur could only utilize the threads for head-on assaults.
His feet dashed forward and the moment a gnoblar approached him, the thread would harden and extend, slicing through the throat of the monster.
In a snap, a gnoblar was beheaded.
Arthur maintained the momentum as he swept through the area, reaping the foolish onset of monsters.
Surrounded by five monsters, Arthur plucked another meter of threads, staying still as two threads danced in the air.
Arthur appeared as a conductor, he orchestrated threads knitting symphonies with blood streams and whistles of air as threads cut through it.
In less than three minutes, Arthur stood on the ravaged tents. Pools of green blood drenched his feet as monster corpses littered the area.
Consequently, the quest notification resounded.
[You have successfully cleared the quest!]
[You have received 10 gold coins!]
[Exp has increased by 10%!]
[Exp acquisition failed due to unawakened state]
[You have received an F-grade mana stone!]
[You will be transported out of the portal]
Arthur didn't complete the hidden quest this time. Without tricks up his sleeves, he doubted that he could even clear it.
'Unless I have the Blood Burst item.'
Before his body fully disintegrated into lights, Arthur plundered skills from two gnoblar corpses.
[You have stolen the fate of Docile Gnoblars (F)]
[You have chosen the Lower Increased Hearing (F) skill]
[A new skill has been registered]
[You have stolen the fate of Docile Gnoblars (F)]
[You have chosen the Crude Tent Creation (F) skill]
[A new skill has been registered]
----
Outside the dungeon, Echo sat as he listened to the old man's anecdote. Having been assigned to night shifts, the old man narrated his personal life.
A minute later, his stories turned into complaints as to how he lost his job due to dimensional storms and now had to suffer from unconventional night shifts.
He used to be a regular businessman but monsters ravaged his business, leaving him bankrupt and with enormous debts.
He couldn't do business nowadays, inadept to innovation brought by changing times. He was just too old.
Thus, he was left to collect payments from this F-grade dungeon, providing him with a minimum wage.
It was a saving grace that the Lathala guild considered this F-grade dungeon as trivial, otherwise, an unawakened would be assigned instead.
His tears shed as he reminisced about his fulfilled life.
Listening to him, Echo was silent.
The old man was the few cases of tragic changes to normal life inflicted by monsters.
Three minutes later, the portal fluctuated as Arthur emerged from it.
Wiping the tears off his face, the old man was in awe at Arthur.
"We'll get going now, Mr. Echo.", Arthur uttered to Echo.
Echo just bowed his head and then shifted his gaze to the old man. With a soft smile, he captured the payment methods indicating the bank account of the old man.
The personnel found it confusing as Echo had already made his payment.
Minutes later after their departure, the old man received a text message.
< Your account ### was credited with Php 1,000,000 ($17988.36) on 01 February 2033 >
The old man wept.
---
"What are you grinning about, Mr. Echo?"
Looking at Echo who was releasing a soft smile, Arthur queried.
Echo just coughed for a moment before he deviated from the topic, taking out a phone from his pocket and then handing it over to Arthur.
"Mr. Michael has called earlier, young master."
Missed calls from Michael were in his call history.
Michael was quick to answer the phone as soon as Arthur called.
"Ah, Arthur! Where have you been, our group chat is in upheaval right now."
"About what?"
"You! They are talking about you! You run ayaw earlier, remember? Though that is a good choice. And about your invitation to Olivia, they are making mockeries about it.", Michael chased his breath. His ragged breathing transmitted through the line.
Unconcerned about it, Arthur responded.
"Don't mind them. So why did you call, really?", Arthur knew that Michael wouldn't call him for such a reason.
'There must be something about it.'
And as he thought, Michael, on another line stumbled for words to explain.
"Ahm, about your guild... Do you really plan on creating one?", Michael had a low voice.
"Yes, I have to."
"Then, do you have anyone you would like to be in your guild? Like s---someone you've been friends with for years now, you know, someone you can trust haha", Michael stuttered
"Aside from you and Olivia, I have some people in mind"
"WHAT?! M--ME? Really?"
"Yes, why, you don't want to?"
"No, no -- I mean I want to. *cough"
Michael couldn't contain his excitement on the other line. He had called to ask Arthur to enter his guild. Upon awakening A-grade support skill of insignificant use, his father had discarded all his plans for him.
Pre-regression, Arthur recalled that establishing a guild out of curiosity. With trivial scouting prowess, only Echo, Dusk, and Michael were members of his guild.
Having exchanged discussion for some more, Arthur ended the call.
"I won't be attending school for some days. I have some matters to attend to."
Arthur could feel that meeting with other returnees was just around the corner. He had to get stronger as quickly as he could.
Having settled his business in Academia, he aimed to focus on plundering skills of F or E-grade monsters.
And as he thought, a week later, right after exiting an E-grade portal, Echo darted his way. A wide smile plastered on his face.
"Young master, about Ms. Alicia that you asked me to search for. I have received an intel about her coordinates."
Alicia, the SSS-grade support, was now located.