The Abandoned Fortress

The Next Day.

I stepped into the E-rank dungeon, the "Shadow Chaser's Cave." The recommended level for this dungeon is 22. It's a bit high, but it's just the right difficulty for me.

"Alright, let's start with some hide-and-seek."

The main feature of this dungeon is the numerous hidden monsters scattered throughout the maze. If I just want to clear the dungeon, I could ignore them, but if I find and defeat all of them before defeating the boss, I can inherit the skill "Detection" from the Shadow Crest.

The Shadow Crest is a valuable crest that allows you to use skills associated with jobs like thief, assassin, and ninja. It is a treasure trove of support skills useful in various situations, such as stealth and weak point detection.

"I'd like to collect all of them eventually, but let's start with one at a time."

As I proceeded cautiously, I focused all my senses on my surroundings. Relying on slight noises and faint presences, I found and defeated hidden monsters one after another. After that, I cleared the boss fight without difficulty and successfully inherited the "Detection" skill.

"Inheritance complete." "Skill [Detection] acquired."

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[Detection] Lv.1

Shadow SkillBy consuming MP, you can sense living beings and objects around you.

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By the way, my level increased by two during this run, from 19 to 21. I distributed the four acquired status points to strength and speed (one each) and endurance (two).

The Day After.

This time, I headed to the E-rank dungeon, the "Abandoned Fortress." The recommended level for this dungeon is 25. Actually, there is no inheritance shrine in this dungeon, so I cannot acquire any skills.

So why did I come to clear it? It is because of the item dropped by the boss.

Without any peculiar gimmicks, I headed straight to the deepest part and challenged the boss. Inside was a large swordsman clad entirely in armor, exuding a heavy presence.

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[Decayed Guardian Last Guard]

Recommended level for defeat: 25Dungeon Boss: [Abandoned Fortress]When the fortress was attacked by enemy forces, this general continued to fight even when he was the last one standing. Specializes in defensive combat.

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As mentioned, this boss is incredibly tough. Additionally, it possesses the "Parry" skill, making it difficult to land ordinary attacks.

But—

"That doesn't matter to me—Slash!"

"Wha—?!"

I swung my short sword continuously, raining down slashes. Parry can only deflect one attack at a time. Overwhelm it physically.

"—!"

The Last Guard, engulfed in the rain of slashes, became immobile. Seizing the opportunity, I closed in and unleashed a barrage of strikes. And then,

"This is the end!"

"Graaaaahhhh!"

With a powerful slash, I shattered the sturdy armor and cleaved the Last Guard's torso. I successfully defeated it.

"Experience gained. Level up by 3." "6 status points gained."

The system sound rang out. That alone was gratifying, but the main focus was something else.

"Now, I wonder if it dropped…"

As the Last Guard dissipated into steam, only a magic stone and a single sword remained.

"Yes! It dropped on the first try!"

I made a fist pump and picked up the sword.

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[Relic Sword of the Guardian]

The sword wielded by the Decayed Guardian Last GuardRecommended level for equipment: 25Attack Power +20When Parry is activated, slash damage is calculated with an additional 15% power.

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As described, the [Relic Sword of the Guardian] has an attack power increase of +20 and enhances slash power by 15% when parrying.

"This is extremely useful in the early stages."

Parry is not infallible. The higher the enemy's power compared to yours, the harder it is to succeed. If the difference is too great, it will fail automatically regardless of skill. This sword compensates for that weakness, making it an invaluable weapon for me.

"I was prepared to go through this 2-3 times, but getting it on the first try was lucky."

This will make me even stronger. Gripping the [Relic Sword of the Guardian] tightly, I nodded with satisfaction.

"My skills and weapons are coming together smoothly. If I keep growing at this pace, the day I become the strongest might not be far off!"

Feeling upbeat, I spoke with determination.

But little did I know at this time.

This is the world of "Crest Online," but not everything is the same. A thousand years have passed since we played the game, and it has transformed further into reality. I had yet to understand the true implications of this.

The next day.

I would be forced to make a certain decision.

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Zelos Sylphid

Gender: MaleAge: 15Crest: [Crest of Null]

Level: 24 HP: 240/240 MP: 45/120 Strength: 40 Endurance: 32 Speed: 40 Intelligence: 24 Luck: 24 Status Points: 6

Skills: [Parry] Lv.1, [Slash] Lv.1, [Magic Arrow] Lv.1, [Detection] Lv.1

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