Leo knew he had to move fast.
Amanda was already at level 50. That meant he was still thirty levels too low to party with her.
He hadn't forgotten what Boris said the night before. "The gap's too wide. Partying only works within a ten-level range," he'd explained while stirring something steaming in a chipped mug. "Otherwise, it's just boosting. And that's not the same thing."
Leo didn't want to be carried. He wanted to stand beside her.
That night, after he'd shared his secrets with the guild, they all stayed and talked until the fireplace had gone cold. He remembered the moment Amanda leaned closer and said, "Once you close the gap, we'll go together."
That was all he needed.
After going back to their inn, Ai hovered beside Leo, her tone all business. "Are you ready?"
Leo stared at the system screen floating before them. "Yeah," he said. "Let's do this."
Ai tapped the button.
[System Notification] Spent 50 VIP coins to enter the Exp dungeon.
The world pulled itself apart.
Colors stretched, twisted, and folded in on themselves like fabric caught in a storm. Leo felt his body narrow, compressed by invisible force, and then release.
His feet landed on solid ground.
The air was cold and damp. They were inside a massive cavern, the kind that swallowed light and sound. Faint bioluminescent moss glowed on the walls, casting green shadows that pulsed like breathing. From high above, stalactites dangled, and somewhere far off, water dripped.
Leo glanced around.
Cave floor. Uneven, cracked. Patches of glowing blue moss blinked dimly beneath his boots.
The expanse before them stretched wide, open and empty, like a battlefield waiting to be claimed.
Then came the interface.
[System Notification] Select Monster Type
Leo tapped on "Slime." Another window appeared.
Exp Dungeon - Aggressive Mode
100 monsters will be spawned.
Max: 1,000 monsters.
Time Limit: 5 minutes
He tapped Start.
A timer popped up.
[System Notification] Starting in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1…
The moment it hit zero, slimes exploded into existence—round, wobbling, and oddly hostile. A hundred of them surrounded him like bubbling blobs of malice.
Leo didn't wait.
He drew his wooden sword, the grip already familiar in his hand. The first swing connected. A satisfying thunk followed as the blade sank into the gelatinous body.
+EXP
+EXP
+EXP
He pivoted. Slashed again. Three went down in one move.
Another swing.
Then something popped up.
[System Notification] Achievement unlocked: Monster Cleaver I
[System Notification] Swordskill unlocked: Whirlwind Strike
Leo blinked, half-paused mid-strike. A slime slammed into his side, soft, harmless. He ignored it and tapped the new icon flashing at the top corner.
Monster Cleaver I
Unlocked by defeating 20 or more monsters in one strike.
He backed up and checked the skill panel. Sure enough, there it was.
Whirlwind Strike (New)
A rapid spinning attack that creates a vortex of blades around the user.
Radius: 5 meters.
Leo smirked.
Ai, who had been watching silently, nodded once. Then, without a word, she vanished in a blink, reappearing at the far edge of the cave with the cats.
"Clear the floor," she called, voice echoing faintly.
Slimes clustered again.
Leo braced himself.
"Whirlwind Strike!"
He spun. His blade carved a circle around him, and then the air screamed.
The skill burst out like a cyclone. Blades, dozens of them, spun from his sword, each one trailing silver arcs. Slimes were shredded in an instant, torn apart mid-jump. The sound was wet and ugly, like watermelons dropped from a roof.
The cavern echoed with the chaos.
Slime fragments splattered across the stone. Goo steamed where it hit glowing moss. Leo coughed once, yeah, it stank.
Still, he grinned.
Spammable, he realized.
No long cooldown. He could keep using it.
The second wave spawned. Slimes swarmed again.
"Whirlwind Strike!" he shouted.
Another vortex. More destruction. Some slimes popped out of range, and Leo didn't chase them. He ran just far enough to drag them in.
Lure tactics. Group the mobs. Wipe them together. Efficient.
The ground vibrated slightly beneath him. Nothing dangerous, just a reminder that the dungeon was alive. Timed.
Ai's voice chimed in from the back. "You've got three minutes left for this wave. Don't slack off."
He nodded once, eyes still locked on the map. The strategy became muscle memory.
Slash. Lure. Group. Spin.
Again.
By the sixth wave, his footwork had changed—smoother, sharper. Every strike was calculated. The slimes moved faster now, but not fast enough.
Seventh wave. Another full clear.
He was breathing harder, but only just. Sweat beaded at the edge of his brow.
By the eighth wave.
Group all of them first.
He let them chase him. Dozens bounced and squelched behind him, slapping stone and hissing in frustration. Once they were all clustered around him—
"Whirlwind Strike!"
This time, the air exploded. The radius was just wide enough to catch the full mob.
Slimes disintegrated.
Another popup.
[System Notification] Achievement Unlocked: Monster Cleaver II
[System Notification] Swordskill Unlocked: Meteor Slash
Leo's hand froze mid-movement. His heart pounded.
"...Meteor Slash?"
He tapped the icon.
Meteor Slash
A high-impact sword attack that summons a single descending strike of overwhelming force.
Best used on grouped or armored enemies.
His mouth curled into a slow grin.
"Now that's a power move."
Ai, arms crossed at the edge of the cavern, tilted her head.
As the system reset for the ninth wave, Leo twirled his sword once and planted his feet.
He wasn't just leveling up.
He was preparing.
And every monster that fell brought him closer to Amanda, to the party, to the real fights ahead.