With the gryphon felled, I could ponder my stats. I made a tuneless sound as I read through them.
“That fight with the Nameless Knight got me the Nameless Swordsman title, but this time I didn’t get anything special,” I said. “Guess it’s fine. The gryphon wasn’t too hard to beat.”
Every little bit of experience counted, so I’d take that as its own reward.
I cut the magic stone from the gryphon’s body and deposited the carcass into Item Box. I wasn’t about to leave behind a level 25,000 monster. Based on its wind abilities, I assumed it would make good raw materials for wind-related equipment. Easy money, simple as that.
As for how I would sell it…
Selling an unknown monster wasn’t as easy as spreading magic stones around to different shops so nobody noticed I had a weirdly high amount. As far as the public knew, this monster didn’t even exist.
“Geez, this is bound to invite a lot of unwanted questions…”
A perfect opportunity to dump some responsibilities onto my new guild’s plate!
“I’m not a full member, but I bet I could get someone to sell it for me. Ugh, but they might have questions of their own…better let it hibernate in Item Box for a while.”
The gryphon carcass filled such a huge chunk of Item Box that I decided to spend 3,000 SP to boost Item Box from LV 6 to LV 8. Perfect.
Cleanup done, I waited until the dungeon’s magic carried me to the Return Zone.
“What time is it now—oh.” My watch revealed that I was inside the dungeon for less than an hour. I had the stamina for several more runs. “Well, fine. Time for round two. Dungeon Teleportation!”
My trademark skill delivered me to the boss room in no time. Naturally, the boss that spawned was a salamander. If I wanted an easy win, I could pull a repeat performance and steal its fire cloak with Greed, but that would hamstring my MP.
“Battle Barrier!”
I let the invisible barrier envelop my body and broke through the salamander’s fire without a scratch. The skill was seriously handy, letting me come up with ad hoc battle strategies like this.
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!” the system informed me. This was my second dungeon takedown, meaning the extra boss didn’t spawn.
“I’m gonna do the next one even faster!” I declared to no one in particular.
I looped the dungeon again at the same blistering pace.
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
My final dive count for the day at Suzuka? Nine runs through its depths.
✦ ✦ ✦
As soon as I arrived home, I set about doling out the SP I’d accumulated.
“I’ve got 10,210 SP right now. I needed 10,000 to bring Battle Barrier to LV 2, didn’t I? Think I’ll go with that.”
Battle Barrier had proved itself a versatile and powerful skill. If I buffed it for future battles, it ought to pay off in spades.
Take my battle with Yanagi: His skills were overpowered for his level, but his Attack stat was within the normal range. If his average strength could break through the barrier after a few firm hits, Battle Barrier wouldn’t help me against high-level monsters. I had that on my mind as I opened my stats display to level up Battle Barrier, but something else caught my eye first.
Dungeon Teleportation LV 21 → LV 22 (SP needed: 10,000)
Battle Barrier LV 1 → LV 2 (SP needed: 10,000)
“Hold up. Boosting Dungeon Teleportation costs the same amount as last time?”
LV 21 cost 10,000 SP, hadn’t it? I thought for sure the next level up would cost at least 15,000 or 20,000 SP. Huh…unexpected.
“I’ll be grinding Suzuka for a while longer, so I might as well pick Dungeon Teleportation. Nice as it’d be to upgrade Battle Barrier, this is too tempting.”
This could lead to another dramatic evolution! Hopeful, I invested the SP.
“Dungeon Teleportation has increased to LV 22.”
“Teleportation distance has changed.”
“Maximum 400 meters à Maximum 600 meters.”
“Jeez…frickin’ waste of SP.” Talk about a real letdown.
What good did an extra two hundred meters do me? I’d gotten used to my skill growth falling short of my expectations, so I wasn’t that bummed about it…but it wasn’t what I expected all the same. Just in case, I checked how much SP it would take to reach LV 23. Another 10,000 points.
“Does that mean the skill’s done transforming? Should I prioritize Battle Barrier in the meantime?”
I didn’t have the answer, so I would decide somewhere down the line. With my head full of questions, I ate the dinner Hana made for us and went to bed.
✦ ✦ ✦
I spent the next day grinding Suzuka. Needless to say, I used Dungeon Teleportation to get inside.
Every time I said, “Dungeon Teleportation,” a floating sensation washed over my body. By now, it was as familiar as walking to me. Teleport, float, descend, land. I repeated those four steps down to the lowest level where the boss room awaited.
“Haaa!” I shouted, brandishing Greed against the salamander. I activated Battle Barrier. One-hit KOs weren’t possible even at this stage, but multiple attacks at the speed of sound helped me win unscathed.
The system rang out.
“You have defeated the dungeon boss.”
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
I was sick of hearing that. Couldn’t a guy get some new background music, like a jaunty tune in a video game? I resignedly stuffed the salamander’s body—and the Mana Amplification Stone I received as the takedown reward—into Item Box.
“Smooth sailing so far,” I said.
The return spell activated and returned me to the surface, where I challenged Suzuka anew. Lather, rinse, repeat. Over and over.
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
“Dungeon Takedown Reward: Level increased by 50!”
“Dungeon Takedown Reward…”
No extra bosses spawned, yesterday’s gryphon or otherwise, so I beat the dungeon over thirty times without breaking a sweat.
✦ ✦ ✦
I used my SP spoils to boost Battle Barrier to LV 2 that night and put it to the test the next day. I took a hit from the salamander’s fire on purpose. Compared to when the skill was at LV 1, its defensive capacity was nearly doubled. Great, then it was worth the SP investment—which was more than I could say for Dungeon Teleportation.
“This skill’s gonna be so useful against strong enemies as it levels up. Glad to have it,” I said with relish. Maybe Dungeon Teleportation would hear me and step up its game.
I looped the dungeon yet again, and in no time, the system rang out.
“You have reached this dungeon’s maximum number of allotted victories.”
“Bonus Reward: Level increased by 120!”
“You will no longer receive rewards for defeating this dungeon.”
I’d ground my way through fifty runs before I received the notification.
“Cool. Take that, Suzuka!”
Riding high on adrenaline, I opened my stats display to review the growth recorded there.
Amane Rin
Level: 17,455 SP: 6,910
Titles: Dungeon Traveler (10/10), Nameless Swordsman, Endbringer (ERROR), Wiser Wise Man
HP: 136,450/136,450 MP: 21,920/38,100
Attack: 32,570 Defense: 27,420 Speed: 34,140
Intelligence: 27,080 Resistance: 27,210 Luck: 26,130
Skills: Dungeon Teleportation LV 22, Enhanced Strength LV MAX, Herculean Strength LV MAX, Superhuman Strength LV MAX, High-speed Movement LV MAX, Gale Wind LV MAX, Revitalize LV 1, Purification Magic LV 1, Mana Boost LV MAX, Mana Recovery LV 2, Enemy Detection LV 4, Evasion LV 4, Status Condition Resistance LV 4, Appraisal, Item Box LV 8, Conceal LV 1, Battle Barrier LV 2, Plunderer LV 1