[14th Everdusk, 2103] — Verdant Hollow Dungeon, CGA Branch
Just as I was about to step through the second-stage portal, a notification window popped up in front of me, halting my steps.
"Huh? What now?" I muttered as glowing text began to form, line by line.
{You have eliminated all the monsters in the first stage of the dungeon, fulfilling its requirement.}
"That was the point, wasn't it?" I said, eyebrows furrowed. I remembered the instructor's briefing—clearing the first stage was standard procedure.
Then, another line appeared.
{You have completed a hidden task:
Eliminate all the extra monsters lurking within the stage. (1/1)}
"Wait... so there were hidden mobs?" I blinked, taken aback. "And I just... killed them by accident?" I scratched my head. "Huh. Maybe I'll get something good for it."
The next notification made me freeze.
{As per the hidden task is completed, the final boss mutation chance is increased from:
2% --> 30%.}
"Whoa, whoa, hold up!" I exclaimed. "You're telling me I increased the chance of that thing mutating?! Like bosses aren't bad enough already!"
I groaned, already imagining the bloodbath.
But then I paused.
"...Unless," I murmured, eyes narrowing. "For a normal person, this is dangerous. But for me... isn't this a perfect opportunity?"
My mind began racing. If I could defeat a mutated boss, the rewards would skyrocket—and maybe I could finally get stronger at a pace that matched my goals.
"Hey, system. Is there any way to increase the mutation chance even more?" I asked eagerly.
{System can't answer this, please find on your own.}
"Tch. Of course." I crossed my arms.
'Lucas would probably get the mutant version handed to him on a silver platter—with his dumb luck and random-ass plot armour. He'd probably even awaken some secret trump card he didn't know he had to kill it too. Seriously, why does fate spoon-feed those guys while the rest of us have to crawl through the dirt just to survive?'
"Whatever," I muttered. "I'll find my own way. I always do."
The screen faded away, and with a deep breath, I stepped into the portal.
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The world shifted. When my vision cleared, I found myself in another forest biome. This one looked similar to the previous stage—except this time, I could clearly see the ground. No tall grass hiding it.
"Hmm... maybe this area gets more monster traffic?" I speculated. "If I remember right, the second stage has Forest Wolves, Venomfang Snakes, and the Alpha Wolf as the mini-boss."
I was about to prepare when a thought hit me.
"Wait a sec—why haven't any of my skills levelled up yet?"
I opened my status screen.
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Classskills:
{Undead Summon (Lv. 1), Bone Fang Strike (Lv. 1), Shadow Bolt (Lv. 1)}
{Arcane Bolt (Lv. 1), Mana Shield (Lv. 1)}
{Weapon Proficiency (Passive) (Lv.1), Power Slash (Lv. 1), Quick Swap (Lv. 1)
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"What gives?" I muttered. "I'm sure by now, some of these should've leveled... unless the class rank affects skill growth?"
I dug into my memories. Lower-ranked classes had skill cap limits—F rank couldn't go beyond level 10, E rank capped at 20, and it went up from there until SS and SSS ranks, which had absurd caps like 85 or even 100. Higher ranks had smoother growth paths.
"Which means... I need full proficiency before a skill level up," I guessed. "Let's check how close I am."
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Not bad. Bone Fang and Shadow Bolt were nearly ready. I opened up Weapon Proficiency to check more details.
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Weapon Proficiency (Passive) (Lv. 1)
Type: Passive
Cooldown: N/A
Mana Cost: N/A
Proficiency: 36%
Description:
A passive skill that increases the user's effectiveness with all weapons, providing enhanced accuracy, damage, and speed based on the weapon type currently equipped.
Effect:
Accuracy Boost: Increases hit chance by 5% with all weapon types.
Damage Boost: Increases weapon damage by 10%.
Attack Speed Boost: Increases attack speed by 5%.
Weapon Proficiency:
One-Handed sword: F (73%)
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"Huh, even my sword mastery is close to ranking up. Just a little more…"
I sheathed my thoughts and moved into the trees. It wasn't long before a familiar sound reached my ears—growls. A pack of wolves crept through the underbrush, eyes glowing with aggression.
"Heh. Guess I won't need to go looking for them."
Drawing my blade, I rushed forward.
A skeleton rose from the ground, and I ordered it to charge. The wolves didn't hesitate—they lunged, tearing the summoned undead apart in seconds.
"Tch. Not even two minutes. But still, it shows they needed some effort. Their power must be scaled toward mine… That's useful to know."
As the bones clattered to the ground, I stepped forward.
The wolves growled, baring their fangs. I took a stance.
One pounced—I slashed it mid-air. Another bit my arm before I blocked it with my gauntlet. It latched on, claws raking against me. I grabbed it and hurled it into another, sending both tumbling.
"Enough of this," I growled, swinging again. One wolf went down hard.
Another circled me—slashed. Blood sprayed. The others backed off, eyes wary.
"What's wrong?" I taunted. "Thought you were hunters? Come at me!"
They did. Simultaneously.
I cut down one and threw out a dark spell at the next.
The bolt blasted into the wolf's chest, sending it yelping backwards as blood splattered onto the forest floor.
The others paused, shaken. One howled, and the rest backed away into the woods.
I didn't chase. No point wasting stamina.
I checked my status again. My health had taken a hit—cuts across my arm, scratches on my leg. And my mana was dangerously low.
"Damn. I was hoping to make it through this stage without losing HP. There goes that imaginary achievement..." I sighed like a gamer who missed a no-damage run.
Then—
{You've killed 2~Lv.6 Forest Wolves, you've gained 60 EXP.} [70/250 EXP]
[You've gained 10 Evo-enchant Points. Total: 42.]
"Okay, that's better." I smiled. "But what can I do with these points, anyway...?"
My eyes wandered—and landed on something.
Something that definitely needed an urgent upgrade.
—To be continued—