Trouble

Aren and others started moving towards the Grotto of Demon Ants dungeon location that was fourteen kilometers away from their location.

Once Aren recovered his Armalist Force, he also used <Gear Enchantment> on his second chakram.

After the process was finished, He took out the transformed chakram from his body and named it [Novas].

[ Novas ]-Soul Bound.

-Type: Articule Gear-Chakram.

-Rank: Low-grade Platinum-tier.

-Requirement: Armalist Drive+.

-Perk: +11 STR, +10 AGI, Increase Flame-element skill's damage by 600.

-Damage: Physical [3340-3780] Flame [600].

-Trait: By infusing spirit energy into the chakram, It will be covered in hot flames to deal additional flame damage.

-Durability: [1000/1000].

-Note: Upgradable.

...

After an hour of moving constantly, they encountered two Flametail Lions.

Aren looked at them and told others, "Leave them to me. I want to check how good these chakrams are."

[ Flametail Lion ]

-Rank: Uncommon-1

-Health: [2900/2900]

-Defense: Physical [200], Soul [200]

-Attack: Physical [1400], Flame [600].

-Skill: <Tail Blast>.

This was the first uncommon beast they encountered.

Before the Lions could come there, Aren jumped on his sword and flew towards them while controlling his chakram [ Oberon ] that shot towards the first Flametail Lion.

*shreeeeeeee...*

*Roarr...*

The Lion saw that it wouldn't be able to dodge the chakram and used its powerful paws to hit it.

But chakram's changed its path slightly as it dodged the paw narrowly before slashing at the Flametail Lion's belly and...cut it into two.

[-3990]

[ Flametail Lion killed, 600 exp gained.]

[ Your path leveled up to 3. ]

[ You gained 1 talent point. ]

Aren saw a high damage number floating and was surprised, 'Could it be...the chakram's damage increased since it was spinning, which increased its penetrative power? Hmmm, that must be the case.'

Afterward, Aren released <Wind Slash(5)> from the chakram towards the second Lion and was surprised to see low damage. But he didn't pause and released another <Wind Slash(5)> to finish it off.

[ -1608]

[ -1621 ]

[ Flametail Lion killed, 600 exp gained.]

But its damage was still greater than when he released the skill from his sword. That should be because the chakram's perk effect applied, which increased the skill's penetrative aspect by 20%.

Aren understood that <Wind Slash> was a wind energy-based attack and that the chakram's damage doesn't get added to it. Since it consumed spirit energy, the trick to increase skill's damage must be in spirit energy.

'I guess the people with affinity may have an advantage in such things and should have greater damage on such skills. On the other hand, My path is reliant on gears. Hmmm...at least, that seems to be the case for now.'

Afterward, Aren looked at his path status and saw that only one grey bubble was blinking and consumed his talent point on that.

[ Armalist Drive+1 ]: Increase your Armalist Force by 50, Soul stat by 5, and increase gear slot by 1, A skill unlocked <Gear Upgrade>.

<-Aren->

[ Path- Emporio Armalist ]

-Level: 3 [ 500/2000 Exp ]

-Armalist Force: [ 250/250 ]

-Talent points: 0

-Skills: <Hyper Charge>, <Gear Enchantment>, <Gear Upgrade>.

-Articule Gears: [ Ikaros ], [Oberon], [Novas].---Slots: 4 ( 1 left ).

-Innate Gears: [ Astral-X Eyes ].

< Talents >

--> Armalist Drive+1: (core of the path, merged with the soul.)

Aren felt a headache for five seconds as the information about the skill entered inside his brain.

But after that, he felt more energized, and his spirit lifted as well, which was due to an increase of 5 points in soul stat.

He then looked at the new skill.

<Gear Upgrade>

-Cost: Depends on the gear.

-Effect: Upgrade the overall performance of the gear permanently.

-Requirement: Only upgradable gears can be upgraded, and there are some other restrictions as well.

After looking at the skill, Aren used the skill on [Oberon] by following the steps according to the skill's information he got.

He put his hand on the chakram and focused, but he failed before he could initiate the process.

[Unable to upgrade due to insufficient Armalist Force.]

'Hmmm...since the cost depends on gears. Let's try to upgrade Ikaros.'

Aren then used the skill on Ikaros as he put his hand on the sword and focused.

This time, the process was started as he saw five points connected to each other in a zig-zag manner. It was like a constellation of stars in the sky.

He then infused his Armalist Force from the first point and slowly started filling up the constellation pattern. Soon, he spent a total of 230 Armalist forces as all five points and the line connected to it began to glow, and the process of gear upgrade finished.

[ Ikaros ]-Soul Bound

-Type: Articule Gear, Heavy Broad Sword.

-Rank: Medium-grade Gold-tier.

-Requirement: Armalist Drive+1

-Perk: Strength +3, Agility +3.

-Damage: [1950-2150]

-Durability: [500/500]

-Note: Not upgradable anymore unless $#@%.

After the upgrade process, Aren saw a new thing, "perk," added along with the weapon's rank, requirement, damage, and durability increasing considerably.

It seems that he can't upgrade it anymore unless...Well, he can't read the words after that, 'Anyway, I'll find out when the time comes. No point in wasting time thinking about it when there are more important things to do.'

...

After Aren was done with his work, the group continued moving towards the Grotto of Demon Ants dungeon's location.

After twenty minutes, they were finally near the location but unexpectedly and coincidently met a group of humans.

The thing was, this group of eight people, that consisted of two families, were from the earth.

Two boys around Aren's age, two girls around Quinn's age, Two middle-aged men and two middle-aged women.

...Are they are on a picnic?

Both groups was stunned seeing each other for a moment before a middle-aged man with black hair on their group laughed and said, "Since you here, then you must be here for the dungeon, right? well, let's do it together."

Aren saw a map in a young man with black hair's hand and concluded that they came here from another town.

After all, On the map, there was another town some ten kilometers away from this place.

"Alright. I guess this is also your first time in the dungeon, right? If so, then it's better to be safe than sorry by working together," Aren said with a faint smile.

'Anyway, fellow humans can't hurt each other, and everyone is in the same boat about facing despair after three years. Even though there is a loophole in which we can hurt each other, but there's no merit in that since we are supposed to work together in the end.' Thought the young man with black hair, Yashil in the other group.

After both groups agreed to move together, They started moving towards the Grotto of Demon Ants location that was just one kilometer away.

While walking, the group got to know each other, and it seemed that four people in their group had reached level ten.

But as they neared the dungeon and finally arrived at the cave's entrance, they saw another group of humans that consisted of three people.

The three people turned back and looked at the two groups before they frowned.

One of them shouted as he waved his hand towards them, "We are here for some business. If you bunch of otherworlders don't want to die, then fuck off."

Hearing that, Yashil's sister frowned and said, "Why are you so foul-mounted? In the first place, we outnumber you greatly, so if you don't want to get hurt, then you should leave."

Yashil frowned while his father glared at his daughter for speaking like that.

'Dumb girl, if they are being arrogant, then it means that they have the strength to back it up,' Aren looked at the girl with a speechless expression, "cough...don't be rude, sister. Those people are much stronger than us even if we outnumber them."

Yashil's group looked at Aren who nodded seriously before he turned to the dangerous man and spoke, "we will leave right away, enjoy your stay here."

After saying that, Yashil's and Aren's group turned around to leave.

"Stop!" The man who had flaming red hair looked at Aren's and Yashil's group as a mischievous smile formed on his face, "you think you can leave if you want to leave? Hehe."

The man with red hair looked at Aren and said, "It seems that you two are different companies and not together, hehehe. Alright, I've decided. You will stay here and watch as I slaughter the other group in front of you. If you moved even a bit, then I will kill you as well."

"Aren...," Luna clenched her fist while Lorain and others looked at Aren.

"Hey, Reto. Why the need to kill the large group? Can't we use them as well?" the woman in the trio group whispered to the flaming red hair man.

"That's too many people," Reto narrowed his eyes, "we don't need that many people. I have prepared enough such that we could clear this alone with a 70% chance but getting those five is for insurance. To submit them to us thoroughly, I have to display my ruthless side and also give them a chance to survive."

"Can we survive traps?" the other man in the trio asked.

"We can survive with moderate to serious injuries and I have bought enough cleansing and healing potions of high grade. I have invested much of my wealth for this but those five adding will save resources. Getting more people will be bad because they might get the accidently blessings and use them to attack us and waste it, which will mark the failure of this hidden dungeon."

"RUN!" Yashil shouted as he decided to run away.

"No, don't!" Aren spoke as he was startled because he knew that they wouldn't be able to escape.

Aren turned to Reto, who grinned widely as a burst of blue flame shot from his leg and he shot forward in the sky at fast speed and appeared in front of the running Yashil's group.

"Y-you. Don't come here, or you will really get hurt."

On the other hand, Aren spiritually contacted Luna and others even though they were together and told them not to move and just stand obediently.

He was also helpless in this situation because...the people in front of them were too powerful.

With his eyes, he could see their stats.

[ ??? ]

-Lifestage: Supreme-2

-???

-Health: [19,000/19,000]

-???

-???

-Strength: 390

-Constitution: 380

-Agility: 310

-Soul: 150

-???

-???

-???

....

Aren knew that...they wouldn't be able to escape even if they tried to run. These were not beasts but humans who possed tons of skills and supernatural powers.

'What should I do?' Aren thought as he fell into a deep dilemma. One wrong move, and...things could take a turn for the worse.

Aren's mother, Quinn, and others were also unstable, but Aren kept reminding them to stay their ground and don't move because those three people are way way way more powerful than them.

'Should I save them by using my red dragon's scale?...No! I can't waste it when It's not our life that's in danger. T-this...,' Aren took a deep breath and felt very conflicted inside as he looked at the red-haired man approaching the other group.

The red-haired man pointed his hand towards the girl who spoke as his hand got covered in blue flame, "I've decided once again. I will let four of you live, so decide who will die and who will live, hahaha."

The other people with him were another middle-aged man with brown hair and a woman with long emerald hair.

"Reto, we are going inside first. You also come inside fast after finishing your stupid game."

"Alright." Reto said as he looked at Yashil's group, "time to die."

After saying that, Reto turned to Aren and spoke with narrowed eyes, "don't try to run because you still have a chance to live if you obediently follow us."

The other middle-aged man couldn't hold his anger anymore as he pointed his finger at Reto and said, "You're the one who will die! Air cannon, double boost!"

A gust of wind blew around him as a rapid spinning wind ball started forming in front of his finger's tip.

"Hahaha, An optimal path, heh? Well, but you are too weak, " Reto sneered as he thumped his chest, " Come on! hit me with that; I'll just stand here."

"H-how does he know that dad's path is optimum?" The young boy with brown hair spoke.

Reto heard that clearly and grinned, "Because most of the basic-elemental based paths like that wind are Optimum paths. Hehe, say, which type of wind is that? give me some details, and I'll not kill you and recruit you instead."

"Die!"

The middle-aged man released the cannon, but Reto really didn't move, let it hit it.

The wind cannon hit Reto, but that didn't even make his armor scratch. After the wind blast, several wind blades conjured from the remnant and attacked Reto again, but that still didn't scratch him.

"This wind...From its aura and black hue, it's Dobos wind, right? Hahaha. Too bad you are still at just the start of your path. Anyway, since you didn't listen to me then...you can die."