29: Entering his First Ever Dungeon!

Val returned to the sight of the dungeon entrance.

There was a hollow indentation at the altar's center, tailor-made to accommodate a palm. This was the final piece of the puzzle - the trigger that will boot up the teleporter.

Val placed his palm on the indentation.

Vroom!

In response, the teleporter hummed to life.

The very next moment, he was enveloped in a strange energy.

His senses were overwhelmed - a wave of disorientation swept over him as his mind spun wildly.

His stomach churned with a nauseating sensation as if he was being flung through a vortex of space and time. Although he was a person lacking the ability to feel pain, he could still experience nausea.

After all, Nausea was a sensation or feeling of discomfort in the stomach and the sensation of an urge to vomit.

This meant that it was not directly related to the ability to feel pain but rather involved the interaction of various physiological and psychological factors.

After a moment, the notification of the devil system rang in his mind

[Ding! You have entered a level 1 Dungeon!]

Just then, the sensations overwhelming him subsided.

With his vision finally restored, Val found himself at the heart of an expansive forest.

What he saw was a sight that would have rendered anyone speechless—a breathtaking display of nature's splendor.

Towering trees, proud and majestic, reached towards the heavens, their canopies melding seamlessly with the horizon. The verdant sea of foliage stretched endlessly.

Val took a breath and his lungs were filled with the crisp, pure air that carried the earthy scent of moss and wet bark.

Although the serenity of this place was unmatched, he didn't lower his vigilance.

'What a beautiful place. Unfortunately, it's a dungeon. And dungeons are full of danger. I can't let my guard down.' he thought as he cautiously scanned his surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze, looking for any sign of danger.

[Ding!]

Abruptly, a notification sounded in Val's mind.

[Dungeon Theme Identified - 'Ravenspine Annihilation'. Objectives: Eliminate 25 Ravenspine and their Chieftain. Destroy the dungeon core!]

A wave of surprise coursed through Val, making his eyebrows shoot up in astonishment.

Discerning the task required to conquer a dungeon was usually a complicated ordeal, an enigmatic puzzle to be solved amidst perilous confrontations. However, his trusty system had made it as simple as an evening stroll.

His lips curled into a satisfied smile.

'This unforeseen advantage had significantly reduced the difficulty of the dungeon.'

Crunch!

Dry leaves were stepped on. Consequently, a sound was produced.

It came from behind him.

Immediately, he turned towards the source of the noise. 

His eyebrow raised as he see a muscular monstrosity that was standing on its feet like humans, but there was nothing humane about it.

It was three meters tall and draped in vibrant, emerald scales. It held a club in its left hand and a mace in its right hand.

'Seems like it's a melee combatant.' Val thought after analyzing his adversaries. 'Good for me. I will take it out before it can get close to me.'

Ruhakk!

The Ravenspine let out a mighty roar before it charged towards him.

Blood Manipulation!

With a mere thought, Val invoked his unique bloodline power. He raised his hand, and a surge of blood erupted from his palms, spiraling and shaping into a swirling orb of deepest crimson.

It took the form of an orb, looking like a sinister projectile that was ready to be launched.

The creation of such a powerful weapon wasn't taxing, barely depleting his blood bar. 

"Die!" Val shouted, causing the Ravonsoine to flinch, as Val swung his arm in a swift, decisive arc.

Instantaneously, the [Blood Orb] burst forward.

Whoosh!

It whizzed through the air and charged towards the Ravenspine at a velocity that left it no room to evade.

Squelch!

In the blink of an eye, the blood bullet connected with the Ravenspine, and a sickening, visceral squelch filled the air. The bullet, carrying untamed force, drilled a ghastly hole into the center of the creature's scale-less head, which was the only weak point in its scale covered body. The wound was horrifically deep and wide. Blood gushed from the puncture in a violent torrent as the dungeon monster reeled backwards, finally collapsing with a dull thud

A notification chimed in Val's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You've defeated a level 1.6 dungeon monster. You earn +3.2 EXP.]

He silently acknowledged the message.

The ranking of dungeon monsters was simple. It was divided into ten distinctive levels, from levels 1 to 10.

Each level was further subdivided into decimal points - 1, 1.1, 1.2, and so on.

Level 1 to 1.9 were equivalent to level 1 to level 10 beasts.

In a level 1 dungeon, the weakest monster would be a level 1.1 monster, while the strongest would be a level 1.9 monster.

Val remained in his position. As the smell of blood spread, he knew more dungeon monsters would be attracted to this place.

As expected, after a few moments, he came across even more Ravenspines.

Their grotesque, beastly faces were twisted with fury as they had seen how Val had killed their brethren.

As they looked at Val, anger could be seen simmering in their monstrous eyes. If looks could kill, Val would have been shredded into pieces like cheese right there and then!

Gugakkk!

A deep, resonant roar burst forth from their throats, ripping through the tranquil atmosphere. It was a savage chorus that reverberated through the air and rattled in Val's ears.

"Fuck, these bitches are too loud," he cursed.