Breaking through the current Lv.1 stage is Bell's goal at this point.Achieving this requires time and accumulation—not just of experience and technique, but also the growth of various ability values.
Bell isn't worried about his attributes growing too slowly. Even before receiving the blessing, his physical abilities were already improving rapidly. His strength and agility, in particular, were increasing at an exceptional pace. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to reach the city of Orario in less than a month.
Now, with the blessing accelerating his progress, Bell believes he'll soon break through the shackles of this threshold. However, during this process, he doesn't want to draw attention—doing so could bring him unnecessary trouble.
But Bell isn't overthinking it. Right now, he's hardly a target worth noticing. The only thing he needs to be careful about is not being seen using his four-dimensional space, or rumors could spread quickly through Orario, making him a mark for certain individuals.
Hiding is important, but acting suspiciously is worse.
The key is to be cautious, not sneaky.
Bell's life experience tells him that if someone sees him skulking around, even well-meaning people will start watching him.
So instead, Bell simply walks through the dungeon with his hood up.
Listening carefully to his surroundings, he notices faint footsteps echoing nearby. He quickens his pace, moving deeper into the first floor, and the sounds around him grow clearer.
When he reaches a spot far from the entrance, Bell suddenly stops. The distinct sound of footsteps around him fades, but other noises still fill his ears. His hand, hidden beneath his coat, tightens around the short knife he brought from home.
The sound grows closer—then, as it appears behind him, Bell spins without hesitation. Squinting, he spots a small green goblin in his peripheral vision.
The goblin thrusts its dagger at him, but Bell sidesteps effortlessly. In the same motion, his own blade slashes across the goblin's throat as they pass each other.
"Shhk!"
A spray of blood erupts from the goblin's neck. It seems that, for goblins, the lethality of an ordinary human is just as deadly as their own.
The fatally wounded goblin quickly dissolves into black ash, gradually sinking into the dungeon walls.
"I see.
Monsters in the dungeon die after taking fatal damage.
Upon death, they turn to black ash and are reabsorbed by the dungeon, where they'll be reborn as the next monster.
This endless cycle must be one of the dungeon's unique traits."
Then, Bell notices a dagger and a small purple magic stone lying on the ground—apparently dropped by the goblin. The magic stone makes sense, but why did the dagger remain?
Weapons wielded by monsters are created alongside them and are considered part of their being. Unless forcibly dropped, they should also turn to ash when the monster is defeated.
"Looks like my luck is pretty good."
Bell deliberately steps over the fallen items, stashing them into his four-dimensional space the moment his coat conceals the motion.
He then retrieves the goblin dagger and tests it against his own. A notch forms on his original blade, but the goblin's dagger remains unscathed.
"As expected, the difference in equipment is stark. Even a first-floor goblin's dagger is this sharp—but do they really drop weapons so easily?"
A flicker of doubt crosses Bell's mind, but it quickly fades. Whether drops are common or not, it means he can retire his old knives. As for how often goblins drop daggers, he'll just have to test it by killing more.
Right now, though, Bell needs a moment to steady himself.
The thrill of his first kill temporarily overrides his fear of the unknown. Bell isn't the type to confront terror head-on—horror movies on TV used to unsettle him. What he needs is time to adapt, but time is a luxury he doesn't have.
The sound of footsteps grows louder again—deliberately controlled, not too noisy, likely another small goblin.
Bell focuses on steadying his breathing, letting his body adjust to this state as quickly as possible.
The hand gripping the goblin dagger no longer trembles with excitement.
His breaths are no longer ragged but settle into an efficient rhythm.
"In the wild, stamina is the first priority."
The same applies in dungeons—managing stamina and energy is crucial.
If you can't gauge your limits, you'll easily be overwhelmed by monsters.
Soon, four—no, five—goblins lurk in the nearby darkness, hidden in corners nearly invisible to human eyes. Fortunately, Bell is accustomed to the dark; his vision pierces the shadows, allowing him to clearly see the goblins' forms.
Dark green skin, slender bodies, pointed ears, and grotesquely twisted expressions. Each holds a slightly curved dagger in a reverse grip, the blade's edge glinting with a cold, deadly light.
"Four... no, five."
Bell's mind is eerily calm. Though it's his first time facing monsters, his body is already adapting to battle. He doesn't understand why, but his instincts and reflexes are syncing rapidly.
His focus sharpens further. The five goblins are spread out—one-on-one is manageable, but surrounded, he'll need to account for more variables.
"I'll have to use the four-dimensional space. Incorporating its stored items into combat will give me an edge."
"I'm deep on the first floor, far from the entrance. No rookie would come this far. That means no one will notice what I do here."
Bell has made up his mind. Beyond honing his skills, this is also a test—a trial for combat applications of the four-dimensional space.
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