《Moving into an SSS Ranked Dungeon?!》 Chapter 1: Down The Rabbit Hole ...Where am I? I eliminated my target, then I left the house and.. I fell. Why on earth was there a fucking hole in front of the back door? It wasn''t even there when I scouted the place. I felt myself falling, and all I saw was black. Falling for an eternity. My eyes were heavy, and I could hardly lift them. I see someone, a hazy image standing above me. A girl? Where''s my glasses? ..real...sorry!..mistake... "Wha..?" I sat up, getting myself into a seated position on the dirt. There''s my glasses. Black, rectangular and slightly bent. I picked them up and put it back on my face, as my eyesight began to clear. Before me, was a little girl. 7 years old, at the most. She had long, flowing hair that went up to her midsection, it was pure white, aside from them taking on a greenish blue colour at the ends. Her eyes were bright yellow, looking upon me with worry and relief. If she were a threat, I highly doubt she''d be looking at me like that. No need to panic, for now. She was dressed in a expensive looking robe, pure white and glowing slightly with an ethereal light. I could hear her clearly now, like as if I was submerged with water and just put my head up. "-again, I apologize so much for all the trouble I caused you! Is there anything I can do to help you with?" She said, looking at me, unaware I was only half listening to her. What the hell is she talking about? Was she responsible for the hole? "Where am I? Who are you?Whyam I here?" I pressed, all traces of sluggishness gone. Hitman need to be alert immediately when they wake up, after all. "OH! I''m so sorry! This is the world of Durandal, this is different from the world you were in previously. Earth, I believe? As for why you''re here.." She looked sheepish, rubbing the back of her head as she laughed nervously. What the hell is this? Am I in a role playing convention? I looked around me, and it was nothing but grasslands. Noone here besides us. "I''m new to this whole God thing, so when I was messing around, I might''ve ripped a hole into your dimension and you fell in before I could fix it. Teehee!" She got up, as I remained still, wondering if I''m hallucinating. I''m trying to connect how messing around leads to ripping holes into dimensions. Or the fact that I believed her. The little girl''s body language indicated no sign of lying, whatsoever. "I''m Quetzalcoatl! I''m the God of this dimension, and responsible for making sure the world remains balanced and to supervise Durandal. Just like how Elder God Forbuncle, is in charge of your Earth, i''m in charge of Durandal!" She muttered something, but all I could hear was something about how Forbuncle was going to scold her for this. "Wait." Huh? This is a little bit too much for me to handle. "..so God''s real, and there''s more than one, and that the one in my..dimension.. is named Forbuncle? PFFFFFTT!" I burst into laughter. If this was true, that''d be hilarious. What type of name is Forbuncle? Ha! That''s fuckin'' stupid! Sounds like the name of some old Scottish lady''s cat! She looked at me in amusement. "You''re taking this fairly well, considering the circumstances." I was shocked. But I think it''s just that I''m so flabbergasted that it''ll take a couple of hours to sink in I''m in a new world. A different place from Earth, huh? I looked around, and noticed my self in a valley of grass, as I had my back to a stone wall. Behind the so called God, there was a giant forest, only half a kilometre away. This wasn''t anywhere near New York, or the States, for that matter. If this was a new world, then that means I wouldn''t have to deal with stupid dad anymore. No more assassinations, no more training with that old bastard Romanoff. This was a fresh start, in a way. Just me and my gun- Wait, WHERE are my guns? I patted my pockets, only to sign in relief, that yes, I still have my glock from the last mission I did. There''s a couple extra rounds in my left pocket, just in case. I deflated. How the hell am I gonna get my collection back on Earth? My weapons collection! Gone forever! She continued on, despite my internal rambings. ¡°It would make a real commotion if I were to rip time and space again to take you back into your world, and Forbuncle might report it to the All Father cuz he''s such a stick up the ass. I was lucky he didn''t notice it this time. Which would mean me getting demoted and/or punished severely for creating more work for the All Father. ¡± Not really understanding any of that, I nodded. ¡°Right. Then what do I do?¡± "This whole thing was my fault, I''ll admit that. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have interfered. I''ll give you anything you want, that''s within reason. So no immortality, unlimited power or anything of that sort." I pondered over her offer. What could I get that would help me here? A world where God shows herself so easily, I need more information about this place. "What''s this world like, if you don''t mind me asking? Does magic exist?" She crossed her arms, thinking of what to say. "Well, unlike Earth, we''re not very advanced here. We only have swords, bows and stuff like that around here. However, we have magic. I''m pretty sure you guys don''t have that in Forbuncle''s dimension." "What about where we are right now, and if there are any places I should know? Do humans exist in here?" I questioned.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She shrugged, saying, "You''re in the continent Tarvell, right now. This is the continent of humans, and there''s 12 of them. 3 of which are ruled by Elder Dragons, so don''t go there. There''s a kingdom nearby, going north from here and about half a day by walking." So magic exists. I know damn well I wasn''t going to turn into a wizard anytime soon, so if I wanted to avoid getting burnt into a crisp by a fucking dragon or a mage, I''ll need something to defend myself with. I made my choice. ¡°Can I get my old equipment from back home?¡± She looked befuddled. Unsure of what I requested. ¡°Unlike the All-Father, I''m not omniscient. You''ll need to either specify, or I can extract the knowledge form your head.¡± I wasn''t sure how to describe a hitman''s equipment to a little girl, regardless of the fact that they were actually a god. "Read my mind, or however you do it, then." She nodded. I closed my eyes, unsure of what to expect, and all I could feel was her fingers resting softly on my forehead. I tried to bring up images of my equipment. Like my M4A1, Colt, tactical commando knife and combat armor with holsters to my mind. Maybe I should get a bag too, so I can get the more extensive equipment I have. "Alright, I can recreate those. Anything else you need to add?" "Is there a way you can make it so it I don''t have to reload it?" She held out her palm and she closed her eyes in concentration. I heard a loud pop, like the sound effects for popping a bubble in cartoons, and voila! The classic Colt M-1911A1 in the palm of her hands. "I can make it so the gun doesn''t use any real bullets, but instead converts your mana into bullets. Other than that, it''s almost exactly the same." She nodded in satisfaction, observing the gun for any inconsistencies. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s good thinking. After all, this world does not have the technology to mass produce bullets for weapons like these." "How am I going to use my guns when I don''t have any magic?" I know I didn''t have any secret abilities, and neither mom or dad had any special powers they could''ve passed on to me. "Mana is the concentrated power of the mind. The smarter you are, the more you have. Every being has it. Not to worry, the cost of bullets will be negligible." She placed both her hands in the air, as the ethereal glow around her grew brighter for a couple seconds, until I had to close my eyes. Multiple pops, and something heavy landing on the ground could be heard. I opened my eyes, clearing out the spots dancing in my vision. In front of me was a black rifle, a commando knife, and my one piece leather combat armor, almost identical to the ones I had back on Earth. Every piece was pure black, suitable for assassins like me. However, one had a intricate carving that dimly glowed a blue light. The one being on the rifle''s handle. She traced her finger along the grip of the Colt in her hand, as her finger left a bright blue trail. Creating letters that I could not understand or comprehend. What''s she doing? Sensing my confusion, she talked as she worked. ¡°These are runes, Andrew. It makes it easier for me to make my mana and shape it to do what I wish. This is to make the empty rounds take your mana and covert it into bullets.¡± How did she know my name? Once it was done, the blue runes stopped glowing as brightly, leaving dark, distinct blue letters across the handle. Seemingly satisfied with a job well done, she handed it over to me. The Colt was beautiful. A shiny black coated the gun, giving it a premium look. The handle was covered in black leather, with blue magical runes marking it. ¡°There. Your request has been granted.¡± Quetzalcoatl looked ready to depart, standing as she stretched her arms out. "I really do need to keep track of the world and submit the report to the All Father soon." ¡°What is the difference between this world and mine? Also, can you point me to the nearest building so I can start building a base?¡± ¡°Well, the building is right behind you.¡± She pointed behind me. I completely forgot that there was a stone wall that I rested myself on. The building spanned a great distance, probably 3 or 4 kilometres in width and about 20 feet tall. The walls looked aged, covered in moss. She continued on as I looked at the giant stone building. ¡° The nearest civilization is half a day away, and but you can make yourself a temporary base here. This, is a dungeon. One of dozens in Tarvell. You can make a home near the entrance, and the worst you¡¯ll have to deal with are goblins and slimes, maybe skeletons if you venture too deep. I wish you luck. Please refrain from dying, as I will be unable to revive you. I give you my blessing, to increase your chances of survival. The system in Durandal should take hold of you soon. Toodles!¡± She vanished, with no special effects or flashy teleportation. Blink, she¡¯s gone. I shrugged. I grabbed the combat armor and wore it over my jacket. I slung the rifle over my shoulder, and both my handguns in the holsters. I stuck the knife between my shoe and feet, and ran off, trying to find the entrance. I''ll set up camp here, and then maybe I''ll think of going to the kingdom once I get my bearings together. I found the entrance to the dungeon, only a couple hundred metres in the form of a large empty tunnel as I pondered over what she said. What''s the Durandal system? Why would it take hold of me? What am I gonna do? The inside of the dungeon was dark, and rather empty. It smelled of stale air. The hallway led deeper into the dungeon, as I reached what was seemingly a large, empty room. There were three identical pathways that led to who knows where. This seems like a good place to set up camp, at least temporarily. PING
You have received: Quetzalcoatl''s Colt, Quetzalcoatl''s Greater Blessing (15% boost to all stats, ability to allocate stat points freely) You have entered the [Stone Cell]!
"Huh?" Before I could comprehend what just popped up in front of me, a voice erupted from the pathway down the middle. "HELP!" Huh. There were people here?
"I truly hope he does survive. All but one dungeon in Tarvell is truly dangerous, after all. The dungeon I sent him to.. What was it again?" She mused, wondering which dungeon had she sent him to. She was currently flying, doing a quick check up on Durandal to see if all is well. Currently appraising the land of the demons, Amdahl. Seeing nothing of note, she moved on to the next continent. "OH, right! It''s the Stone Cell! The one..with the....eldritch monsters.....the most infamous dungeon in the world....." The goddess'' face slowly contorted into an expression of horror, as it sank in as to where she pointed him towards. She rocketed towards the opposite direction, back to where she left the unaware hitman and hoping she got there in time. She cursed herself for being so airheaded regarding things like this.
The hallway seemed to have stretched on for a couple dozen metres as I ran through the hallway, my newly-named Quetzalcoatl''s Colt in my hand. The voice sounded vaguely feminine. I hope she''s hot. Maybe she''ll be so grateful for my rescue that maybe i''ll even get some..action.. Imagine, a girl ready to die at the hands of a goblin, then a hot 20 year old man taking the monsters out and nursing them back to health. Sounds like the beggining of a perfect love story. Maybe after 20 years of being alive, I could lose my virginity. In this stale, grimy dungeon. Awesome. Enough dawdling. The next room is right there. There was a dim light as I rapidly approached. Bodies littered the room, blood and gore and missing limbs strewn about. Gruesome enough to make me grimace. The one who called for help was backed up to the wall on the left, blood staining their face. A young one, easily in her mid teens and covered in blood splattered armor. Brown eyes, and very long eyelashes. Red hair that went down to their shoulders and a slightly damaged sword held in one hand, trembling violently. I could see grim resignation on her face. Then there was thething. A vaguely humanoid shape, fleshy tentacles that wriythed and pulsed. Mouths spread throughout it''s body, stuck in a permanent scream. It''s skin was a sickly grey, and really wrinkly; like a ballsack. It turned to look at me. It didn''t seem very pleased.
Level 826 Eldritch Abomination, Nyarlothep
Oh. Shit. Chapter 2: Second Puberty and Acts of Heroism I was far too cocky. I should¡¯ve never gone in here. I should¡¯ve listened to Father. Clause wouldn¡¯t be dead if we never came here. Garett would¡¯ve never gotten eaten if we never came here. Now, they are nothing more than limbs and body parts strewn throughout this chambre, painted with their blood. I¡¯m such a fool. Why did I think I could take the Stone Cell? Just because I won some measly spar against the captain of the royal guard as a teen? Just because I was lauded as the most talented swordsman to come from the Fullbright line? What a joke. Nothing could''ve prepared me for this. I shouted, a desperate plea for help, clinging to a vain hope that someone, anyone, might be able to save me.
Level 826 Eldritch Abomination, Nyarlothep
But nobody came. It walked slowly towards me, the mass of flesh where it''s neck should''ve been was twitching minutely. Mouths adorned it''s face, all set in a permanent scream. That¡¯s when I realized, that this place is where I will breathe my last. The lauded prodigy, Alexander Fullbright, will meet his early end in the Stone Cell. My breathing slowed, my red hair dripped with blood. The blood of my comrades. The blood of my friends. Clause. Garett. They died for nothing. All because of me. ... No. I will not die here. My destiny does not end as soon as it has begun. I will live for the sake of my friend''s sacrifice. I raise my sword, trembling. I will escape this wretched place, or die trying. The twisted creature, who was slowly approaching me stopped. It turned its ¡®head¡¯ to the left, staring at the entrance into the room, despite having no eyes whatsoever. I hesitated to follow it¡¯s gaze, but I relented and stared. I kept my sword pointed at the abomination, in case this was a trick. But I doubt a mindless monster could resort to trickery, anyway. A man. Perhaps in his 20s. Tall, but lean. Tousled black hair and a chiseled face. Brown eyes laced with shock. Dressed in peculiar clothing, a black jacket and black pants. In his right hand, he held an interesting contraption. A metal object, shaped like an L with an opening at its end and what looks like a trigger on the common crossbow held by his thumb. Another black object was on his back, slung over his shoulder.
Level 31 Human, Andrew Lee
I despaired. He was less than half my level. He will die a needless death! I must distract the monster to- The monster lunged.
I¡¯m starting to dislike Quetzalcoatl. Whatever that is, it isn¡¯t a slime or a goblin! Judging by how the level is fucking 800, and the bodies littering the goddamn floor, it¡¯s really fucking dangerous! Shit! My experience as a hitman came through, calming my nerves as I took aim. With my brand new Colt, I swung my 3 quick shots straight to where the heart and it''s general chest area, so that if this monster did have any vital organs, it was gonna get pierced. left it screeching. One bullet went through one of the numerous mouths littering it''s body.
You have pierced the enemy in a vital area! 35,217 damage dealt! -1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy. 3,968 damage dealt! -1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy. 14,596 damage dealt! -1 MP!
I side stepped the creature, missing me by a foot as it collided with the stone. It fucking cracked solid stone. What the hell? That thing hits me my organs and my ribcage are goners. It looks injured though, my bullets did something. Good. I sprinted, not taking my eye off it as I got out 4 more bullets. I would like to know how much mana I have left to try and ration my bullets, but I don''t know how to measure how much I have left. ¡°SCREEEEEEE!¡± The mouths wailed in agony. I didn¡¯t stop to listen as I sped around the room, shooting it frantically. Every single bullet hit, and my training allowed me to aim accurately at a mouth all around it''s body at every opportunity. Every bullet that hit a mouth seemed to do a greater amount of damage than normal.
You have pierced the enemy in a vital area. 36,522 damage dealt!-1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy. 3,686 damage dealt!-1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy. 6,213 damage dealt!-1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy. 1,511 damage dealt!-1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy. 1,899 damage dealt!-1 MP!
It looked really injured. I could hear pained wheezes coming from the terrifying monster as it tumbled towards me. I''d feel sorry, if only I didn''t know it would rip my head into tiny pieces and the fact it looked like something out of a horror movie.
You have pierced the enemy in a vital area. 29,865 damage dealt!-1 MP!
You have pierced the enemy in a lethal area. 64,652 damage dealt!-1 MP!
It was letting out gurgling noises, before collapsing in a pool of its own blood. The tentacle flesh stopped twitching as it shriveled up and died. Oh, I nearly pissed my pants fighting that thing. Being a hitman let''s you deal with people easier, it prepares you for bloodshed and violence. It however, does not prepare you for whatever the hell these things are! Horrible. Utterly mad, this dungeon. The pretty red haired gal was staring at me in slack-jawed awe. She may look like a teen, but I¡¯d be lying if she wasn¡¯t pretty. Is there age of consent laws around here? I¡¯d hate to be labelled as a pedophile if she were to...repay me in gratitude, if ya know what I mean! I''m not a pedophile, I swear. I shot the corpse again, just to make sure. I didn¡¯t want to turn around only to find ready to eat my face off.
You have pierced the enemy in a vulnerable area. 48,956 damage dealt-1 MP!
Eldritch Abomination, Nyarlothep slain! 783,146 EXP gained! Congrats! You have levelled up! Due to defeating a being over 100 levels above you, you have earned title [Underdog] Congrats! You have levelled up! Congrats! You have levelled up! Congrats! You have levelled up! Congrats! You have levelled up!
Aha! Never let your guard down, unless you know they¡¯re 100% dead! That¡¯s a code hitmen live by! I turned to her, and she sat there, gobsmacked by the turn of events. Now I can make sure it''s dead by cutting off the head, or what ever that thing is.
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Wow, that monster gave a shit ton of EXP. This life or death battle got turned into a game? On one hand, having a system where you kill to get stronger is quite barbaric. However, my job back on Earth was literally killing people in anyway possible. So, my opinion is neutral.
Congrats! You have levelled up!
¡°Y...y-you..beat it?¡± She let out a meek little voice.
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
¡°Yep, believe it or not. Here, I¡¯ll pick you up. We can talk later.¡± Oof. She¡¯s heavy. The armor looked fairly light, but still, iron is a very heavy material. Nothing I can¡¯t handle though.
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
I carried her bridal style, placing my gun in my pocket. I jogged, making sure not to hurt her as I went back to my claimed camp, leaving the bodies of her dead friends there. I¡¯ll take care of it if I have to. I splashed through the puddles of blood and made sure not to step on any severed limbs. She grabbed me a little bit tighter when I kicked away a piece of a missing hand.
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Congrats! You have levelled up!
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Jesus Christ. These popups are giving me a headache. Fuck off! ¡­ The notifications ceased. Thank goodness. I looked back. I heard nothing coming from back there. I strained my ears, just to make sure. I hope corpses didn''t attract any unsightly monsters like that. Maybe I should seal off the entrance? Not sure what a couple wooden planks would do, in the first place. I''ll deal with it if a problem arises. Or if the smell spread. I placed her beside the wall, farther from the three pathways. My clothes stank of blood, from when I was carrying the girl and from stepping in puddles of the substance during the fight. I took them off, showcasing my lean and muscular body. Physical training for hitmen like me was fairly strenuous, and hard work combined with a good diet resulted in an athlete''s body; a great combination of speed and power. Eye candy for the lady, too. This was part of the reason as to why I was so willing to work hard. Not only was my pyhsical capabilities going to increase, I got abs as a bonus that I could show off on the occasion I went to the beach. Was I tooting my own horn? Yeah. Do I deserve to? Heck yeah. I snuck a peak to see if she was looking, and lo and behold, her face tinged with a blush as she was looking any direction but mine as she was taking her armor off. She removed her breastplate, and dissapointingly, no boobs. Well, she seems very yound. Perhaps 15? ¡°Like what you see, princess?¡±
Congrats! Due to your charisma and impressive physique, you have altered[Alexander Fullbright]¡¯s sexual orientation! +2 to Charisma.
The girl was a lesbian? Damn. That¡¯s hot. I knew that those flirting lessons from Agent Romanoff would come in handy eventually! I didn¡¯t know I could turn someone straight! Then, she uttered three words that would break me. ¡°..I¡¯m a guy.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± oh. Oh. ... OH.
Unbeknownst to Andrew, he has changed Alexander¡¯s fate forever. The budding genius wouldn''t have died. Fate had a plan for him. Without the interference of Andrew, Alexander would¡¯ve survived the encounter with the abomination, although losing sight in his left eye in his escape from the dungeon. Humbled by the tragedy in the Stone Cell, he would return to the Kingdom of Fullbright a changed man. He quickly realized that he should rely on himself more than anyone else, and to improve upon his considerable skills, taking advice from his father and the captain of the royal guard, growing as a swordsman while learning how to enjoy life to its fullest. Gone was the cocky prodigy, replaced by a focused, hard working, genius trained in the ways of the sword. Despite the fact that as a prince, he had access to the greatest healers in the nation that could''ve , he firmly declined any offers for his damaged eye. A way of atoning for the death of his childhood friends, Clause and Garett, two brothers that died in their foolish attempt at conquering the Stone Cell dungeon. He was crucial in numerous future events, such as when the Demon King''s army invaded Tarvell, or when one of the Elder dragons, Dharma, attempted to wreak havoc in Tarvell only to be stopped by Alexander leading a group of the best fighters from the continent, earning them the title of the 12 Saviors, a formidable group that boasted the greatest group of warriors, healers and mages in the history of Durandal. They separated after numerous years of adventures, but always regarded each other as family. Alexander, along with the rest of the 12 Saviors before they disbanded, would go on to conquer the Stone Cell. The dungeon pushed them all past their limits, but after its completion, granted the 12 Saviors unimaginable power that placed them above even the finest and most legendary heroes before them. As he aged, Alexander would¡¯ve declined the right to the throne, passing it on to his brother, Hadrian. His brother, eternally grateful, named him the leader of the Royal Guard, training the soldiers to succeed in even the most dire of circumstances, with the most of them being considered A rank and above. He would pass on his fighting style; The Tempest Style, to 4 disciples to ensure the art would not die with him. Alexander was known as an incorrigible womanizer, and a forever bachelor. He was one of the most handsome men in the continent, only surpassed by the elves in terms of beauty. They called him the Fluttering Blade, as graceful and beautiful as a rose, but capable of cutting swathes of enemy hordes with ease. Not the manliest, but his lean, muscular build prevented others from seeing him as anything but a man. He would die peacefully at the age of 89, mourned by an entire nation. But the strings of fate have been twisted, with the anomaly that was Andrew Lee.
Now I see it. Without the armor, I could see that he had an Adam¡¯s apple. His face was a little too chiseled to be feminine. While thin by male standards, his forearms and biceps were slightly larger than that of a woman¡¯s. The lack of anything poking from his shirt, and the smallest signs of a bulge in his groin area, all pointed to the fact that she was actually a he. The exhaustion seemed to have caught up to him, Alexander, I believe. He lay asleep, curled up near the corner of the room farthest from the pathways. I was currently in my boxers, as my clothes were all bloody and gross. There''s no water to wash it with, so I left it beside the plates of armor Alexander had until I could figure a way to wash it. I began to think about things as I sat on the opposite wall as he slept,thinking about things such as how I might¡¯ve just made an underage boy go gay for me, or the fact that guns worked really, really well against these strong monsters. More about the former, actually.
Congrats! You are now level 236! You have 2050 stat points to allocate.
Or how my life turned into a fucking game.
Allocate stats now? Y/N
Sure. Whatever. A screen popped up. Is this really happening?
Level 236 Human, Andrew Lee Title: Hitman (5% increase to DEX, More damage dealt in sneak attacks), Underdog (5% increase to all stats when facing enemies 25 levels above you) HP: 4500/4500 MP: 220/220 (4.5 MP regen/min) STATS STR-47 DEX-77 CON-45 INT-45 WIS-22 CHA-68 Available stat points: 2050 STATUS EFFECTS Quetzalcoatl''s Greater Blessing- 15% increase to all stats, ability to allocate stat points freely (Permanent)
From playing Fallout when I was younger, I can assume that each stat represents something that directly connects to how well I do in a fight. STR should be strength, DEX is most likely dexterity, CON.. is...control? I''ll find out later. INT is intelligence, WIS is wisom, and CHA is charisma. Damn. My wisdom is super fucking low. Does that mean I''m not wise? Rude. So if I put like 80 points into that, does it make me 4x wiser? Or just significantly smarter, but notnecessarily turning me into a sage of unparalled wisdom? What about intelligence? Only one way to find out.
Are you sure you want to invest 80 stat points to WIS and 60 stat points to INT? Y/N
I said yes in my head, and I felt a pulse throughout my body. Like a really loud heartbeat. The pulse bagn from the pit of my stomach and spread all the way to the tips of my fingers. A rush, like as if someone shot 2 syringes of caffeine and adrenaline into my system. My mind felt clearer. My brain worked faster. I could feel it working much faster than what I used to be capable of. Even with this sharp improvement in my cognitive functions, it felt natural. I''m even using big words more often! Holy shit! Evaluating my status screen, I figured what CON would be. Seeing how everything correlated to an aspect of my self, and there''s one thing I''m seemingly missing among the six stats; endurance and stamina. That would mean CON would stand for constitution, which was essentially a synoym for endurance. Also, the if the CON stat were to go up by a multiple of 100, it would fit because I had 4400 HP. Damn. I did get smarter. Let''s see.. It seems that per every stat of WIS, I get a +10 to my MP, and per every stat of INT, I receive a .1 to my MP Regen/min. Quick maths.
You have 1910 stat points to allocate.
I''ll invest the rest equally into the 4 other stats. If improving my WIS and INT by 60 and 80 had that large of a change, I''d hestitate to add another 100. It might turn me into a psychopath by overloading my brain, or something. All the other stats shouldn''t have much of an impact on my mental faculties. Hopefully.
Are you sure you want to invest 400 stat points to STR, 400 stat points to DEX, 400 stat points to CON and 400 stat points to CHA? Y/N
I pressed yes. Power overwhelmed me. Numerous things happened to my body. My eyesight became sharper, the world feeling less overwhelming. My lean and already impressive muscles grew slightly in size, looking more like corded pythons; impossibly strong yet fast as lightning. I could feel an endless amount of energy within me, as if I could run a marathon without breaking a sweat. I felt more confidence, my movements felt more graceful, and my voice impossibly smooth. "What the fuck?" I said aloud. I just hit a second puberty! It''s like that time when Squidward got his face smashed in so many times he turned into a hunk! Although I didn''t grow taller, but that''s alright. 6 feet is a respectable height for anybody. It seemed as if all my flaws, and even my strengths were improved upon! I felt healthier, stronger, faster,better.I was still myself, but it''s like as if I was unleashed, I reached the peak of the human body. Alexander woke from his slumber, and his eyes landed on me.
Level 236 Human, Andrew Lee Title: Hitman (5% increase to DEX, More damage dealt in sneak attacks), Underdog (5% increase to all stats when facing enemies 25 levels above you) HP: 44500/44500 MP: 1020/1020 (10.5 MP regen/min) STATS STR-447 DEX-477 CON-445 INT-105 WIS-102 CHA-468 STATUS EFFECTS Quetzalcoatl''s Greater Blessing- 15% increase to all stats, ability to allocate stat points (Permanent)
I wasn''t completely sure if he was gawking at my stats, or at my newly improved body. "Y-y..you have the Goddess'' blessing?!" Alexander exclaimed, looking at me in awe. I''m not sure if I should call that airhead a Goddess, but I wasn''t too keen on getting smited due to blasphemy. ''It''ll be slimes and goblins, she said. There won''t be any level 800 fucking monsters ready to eat you, she said.'' Well, she never said the last part, but still. "Uh, ye-" A great wind came from outside, and I could see a streak of white and bright colours rush past my sight. "I''M SO SORRY!" Speak of the devil. There was Quetzalcoatl, bowing in front of me as she apologized incoherently to me. She looked frazzled, and quite panicked. "I completely forgot that the Stone Cell was in this general area, I should''ve never sent you here! Please accept my apology!" The red haired teen behind her was so utterly shocked. His eyes were wide, unbelieving. I''d be like that too if I saw my version of God zooming in and apologizing profusely to someone. Hehe, my world''s God is called Forbuncle... HAHAHAHAAAA! I''m never gonna get over that. "Almighty Goddess, is that you?!" Quetzalcoatl froze, and turned to look at Alexander. I took a look too, to see how his stats were like.
Level 77 Human, Alexander Fullbright Title: Genius of the Sword (150% increase to learning speed regarding sword techniques), Fullbright Prodigy (5% increase to all stats, 2x learning speed towards all subjects) HP: 7500/7500 MP: 550/550 ( 8.8 MP regen/min) STATS STR- 95 DEX- 92 CON- 75 INT- 88 WIS- 55 CHA- 53 STATUS EFFECTS N/A
He outclassed me in almost every category prior to my ''second puberty''. It made me begin to wonder; why did I manage to beat that Eldritch Abomination when this guy, who almost doubled me in every stat other than DEX and CHA along with being a sword prodigy was pissing his pants against that thing? My mind went to overdrive, and it dawned on me. I removed the gun from my pocket. The gun that was created by a Goddess, then enchanted with magical runes to make it so it never runs out of bullets. The icon of humanity''s modern day weaponry, enchanted by a divine being. This wasn''t any regular gun, was it?
Quetzalcoatl''s Colt - Legendary SS Ranked Weapon (Holy) Deals piercing damage. Varies on the importance of body part being shot. 1 MP/round Enchantment(s): Divine Rune: Unlimited bullets, unbreakable. Description: A firearm originating from Earth, crafted and enchanted by the Goddess, Quetzalcoatl. Enchanted to conver concentrated mana into ammo, and bullets that go at speeds up to 2,500 feet per second, this weapon allows you to rain death upon foes endlessly. NOTE: Weapon damage does not scale with power of wielder. (Exceptions are titles that give bonuses using certain weapons or against certain monsters.)
I grabbed the M4A1 beside me, and I looked at it too.
Quetzalcoatl''s Rifle - Legendary SS Ranked Weapon (Holy) Deals piercing damage varies on the importance of body part being shot. 1 MP/round Enchantment(s): Divine Rune: Unlimited bullets, unbreakable. Description: A firearm originating from Earth, crafted and enchanted by the Goddess, Quetzalcoatl. Enchanted to conver concentrated mana into ammo, and bullets that go at speeds up to 2,500 feet per second, this weapon allows you to rain death upon foes endlessly. NOTE: Weapon damage does not scale with power of wielder. (Exceptions are titles that give bonuses using certain weapons or against certain monsters.)
Ah. That must''ve been why I could beat that monster. Even without using the rifle, I took it down without a hit. With 1 round equalling 1 MP, I could get off over half a thousand bullets before I ran out! This thing seems ridiculously fucking strong! Holy shit! I''m not complaining. This thing saved my damn life, after all. I guess Quetzalcoatl isn''t too bad, after all. Although, it''s still her fault that I faced an end-game boss straight out the bat... While I was distracted, it seems that the Goddess was conversing with the red haired teen. The teen was in awe, and Quetzalcoatl held herself in a dignified manner, almost like a noble. Graceful, and a far cry from the airheaded toddler that was apologizing in front of me not even a minute ago. She was saying something to Alexander as I tuned in. "-our destiny is meant for greater things," She said smoothly. "Your hardships in the Stone Cell are not in vain, and neither are the sacrifices of your dear friends. Now, please leave me and Andrew here, young child. Make your way back to the kingdom and live up to your fate." Alexander Fullbright nodded quickly, getting up to collect his items. I watched him, as I stood up. He wore his armour, and grabbed his parcel as he turned to look at me. His cheeks were tinged red, looked away and hurried off out of the dungeon. The Goddess looked at him until he left, and then she turned to me. "Ha..... I messed up again, didn''t I?" She rubbed her forehead, exasperated. "Well, atleast I''m alive. Although I would''ve appreciated a warning if the dungeon consisted of... Whatever those were." "Seems like you''ve got yourself a huge boost." The divine being appraised me, seeing my stats. "It''s a great relief to see you all well. I truly do apologize for my blunder. I flew all the way from the other side of the world in haste to try and warn you of the dangers within." I couldn''t really feel any anger towards her. I didn''t really get hurt. I appreciate that she even attempted to warn me, and it''s not like she could''ve come here any soone- Something clicked. "Hey, couldn''t have you teleported here? Just like how you did before you left?" I asked, somewhat ticked off. Her mouth became the shape of an ''O'', and she pounded her fist on her palm, as if figuring it out just now. SNAP Now i''m really pissed off. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU COULD"VE WARNED ME BUT YOU FUCKING FORGOT TO TELEPORT?!" Gone was the dignified, regal aura the Goddess gave off, replaced by a profusely apologizing little girl prostrating herself before me. Chapter 3: A Reluctant Truce Brings New Friends Ctulhu was content with his job. Happy, even. He got to destroy invading humans, and read books in his spare time. Books that he looted from the bodies of dead adventurers. They were quite interesting, really. Interesting titles, such as "Surviving In a Dungeon 101", or "History of the Stone Cell: The Most Dangerous Dungeon in Tarvell" were prevalent among the dead adventurer''s loot and led to him having over a dozen copies of the two books, and helped in covering whatever weaknesses the dungeon may have had. It also made him one of the smartest monsters in the dungeon, and he was proud of it. Now, he hated being the smart one, and his job, too. Why? Because the dungeon core ordered him to engage in peace talks with the human that is living within the dungeon. This wouldn''t have worried Ctulhu greatly, other than the fact that he was sent as a messenger instead of a executioner. He was more worried about how the human was eliminating Eldritch beings without any other support in the form of an adventurer party, which the dungeon monster had grown accustomed of seeing, and claimed the entrance of the dungeon as his territory. After taking down Nyarlothep, one of the three bosses within the dungeon, the human stayed within the entrance room, never really prodding any deeper within the dungeon. Two other Eldritch Abominations, Vothra and Zarro, were sent to engage the human camping in the entrance of the dungeon. They never came back. The dungeon core wasn''t able to spawn Vothra and Zarro back, and it greatly worried the other monsters. Since then, the human would explore several dozen metres into the dungeon, but not any deeper. Unfortunately for the monsters, it forced them to approach the entrance instead of an ambush like they would normally attempt, which was littered with wire traps. Some took that as a warning, staying away from the fearsome human whenever they could, or even outright fleeing upon sight, not keen on truly dying for once in their long lives. Fewer took it as a challenge, and were either dead or missing. After a few weeks, the dungeon core managed to respawn Nyarlothep, who cost a great amount of MP to restore due to it being a tier above the other monsters. ''He shot me in the groin! Twice! And in my mouths thrice! He got stronger from killing me too, boss! Don''t put me near him again, please!'' pleaded one of the strongest monsters in the dungeon. The dungeon core acquiesced, relocating Nyarlothep to the opposite side of the dungeon. Far from the human. It''s now been a month, and every monster was actively running from the monster in human form. The hitman, pleasantly confused, seemed content to wander around and stay in place at the first room of the dungeon. Tensions were high, and the little amount of sleep that the monsters had were lost due to the oblivious human. The dungeon core has seen Ctulhu fit to negotiate a treaty of non aggression with the human. Partly due to his significant amount of INT and WIS (compared to the other monsters) and his mild temperament. "The human does not seek my power or my treasures...It seems he only wishes to live within me..But will not hesitate to kill any monster in his way..The drain on my powers are considerable..the longer this continues..." A war of attrition is something that the dungeon could win, but not keen on having with the man. "Convince him we will no longer trouble him..if he doesn''t attemt to conquer the dungeon...I do not wish for needless bloodshed..against a human favoured by the Goddess herself.." And so, the great Ctulhu readied himself for a quick death. The abomination scarcely believed that a human would so readily believe their words, especially since they''ve been harassing him for quite some time now. It''s 70 INT came into play to crush the monster''s vain, optimistic hope it wouldn''t be gunned down ruthlessly. It was quite ridiculous to see one of the strongest creatures second only to the likes of legendary monsters and other fearsome species so convinced in its own death. The intelligent monster neared the entrance. Despite reassurances from its master, the dungeon core, that it would be respawned if killed (if the dungeon core could even respawn him back), it felt nervous. ''Deep breaths, Ctulhu.'' It said to itself. The tentacles on his face twitched and wiggled as he attempted to calm down. He placed both his webbed palms on his cheeks and took a deep breath. He turned right, and the long winding hallway to the entrance appeared before him. There was a door. That wasn''t there before. In fact, there were no doors at all throughout the dungeon. It was a series of stone hallways that led to rooms that eventually made their way to the three chambers of bosses, and then the final boss. A fairly average layout for such a dangerous dungeon. Not like anybody reached past the first room to question the lack of doors and decor, anyway. Not until now. It cautiously approached the door, almost as if it would explode and reveal the fearsome man, ready to eliminate him in a brutal fashion. The door was made of wooden planks, with a brass door knob. Ctulhu racked his mind with what to do. How do you present youself as non hostile? The intelligent creature recalled a book he read about social etiquette, and had an idea. The octopus humanoid eyed the door, sizing it up. He knocked on the door. There was silence for a minute. Ctulhu grew nervous. Was he wrong? Was knocking polite human etiquette? Was the human evenhere? As he readied himself to enter, a voice was heard through the door, laced with a tinge of confusion. "Come in...?" The abomination hesitantly opened the door, peeking through and poking his head in, beady, black eyes observing the room. It looked quite different from the rest of the dungeon, the once empty and bland stone room now looked like the interior of a house. The walls and floor remained made of stone. There were new rooms, a open area kitchen and a bed room. A television was placed on the left side, a mystery to the oblivious monster as it played cartoons. He saw the human, sitting on a wooden chair, looking at him with caution and gun in his hand, plate of bacon half eaten on the table. The human had black hair, glasses and wore shorts and slippers, leaving him half naked. He looked almost harmless, if only you disregarded his stats.
Level 415 Human, Andrew Lee Title: Hitman (5% increase to DEX, More damage dealt in sneak attacks), Underdog (5% increase to all stats when facing enemies 25 levels above you), Eldritch Hunter (10% increased damage to all Eldritch beings) HP: 44500/44500 MP: 1020/1020 (10.5 MP regen/min) STATS STR-447 DEX-477 CON-445 INT-105 WIS-102 CHA-468 Available stat points: 2100 STATUS EFFECTS Quetzalcoatl''s Greater Blessing- 15% increase to all stats, ability to allocate stat points (Permanent)
"I come in peace, please don''t kill me." Level 415 was hardly a common number to see on a human. In fact, he may be the only human that has surpassed the 400 mark, to Ctulhu''s knowledge. Ctulhu recalls one of the strongest heroes he''s faced; a warrior that boasted a level of 181, who had managed to tank Ghurlruk''s hits and survived for hours on end until the monster was able to crush the mage and healer in the party, before managing to escape with the other member, a dual wielding swordsman who was only level 82. That was the strongest human the dungeon had encountered, and the third strongest being to have entered the dungeon period, the others being a cocky demon who survived her encounter with Ctulhu himself while he was looting humans of their books at an impressive level 241, and an upstart lich that was level 512 who died after encountering Vhiri, one of the three main bosses alongside Nyarlothep and Y''golonac. The man before him doubled the level that great warrior was,. The monster knew he surpassed the human in STR, and CON by a wide margin. But stats do not tell the picture, Ctulhu though wisely. It was aware that the human was a mere level 31 when he managed to slay Nyarlothep, who was nearly a hundred levels above Ctulhu himself. The Eldritch Slayer title he had was not for show. He may have doubled the human in power and durability, but the human had over five times the dexterity he had, allowing the hitman to ost likely run circles around him, wearing him down until he managed to deliver a killing blow. A human having such a high number in all stats is unheard of, especially at the scale the human is accomplishing it. This dungeon has existed for millenia, and there have been no humans that have surpassed or even come close any of the Eldritch in level, and none in terms of sheer power individually. Even in parties, high class adventurers were more likely to die against an average Eldritch Abomination. Only mythical beings like the legendary lizards that dominate continents, Elder Dragons, fabled reptiles of the sea, Leviathans, protectors of nature, Divine Golems, and scourges of the world, Greater Liches surpass them in sheer power individually and could actually threaten the dungeon. Even then, those creatures avoid or hesitate to enter the Stone Cell, due to the fact they could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of high level monsters and that there is simply no point. Dungeons were abundant sources of experience, the likes of which those mythical beings did not care for. Dragons were content with the treasure from looting entire kingdoms and were far too large to fit within the dungeon anyway, Leviathans only cared for things within their domain; the sea, Golems do not feel and are designed to protect, and Liches are far too concerned with their mortality and dying within the dungeon than to conquer the legendary Stone Cell. Humans, elves, demons, and other sapient beings were the only ones who would even bother, for the abundance of wealth and power you could obtain from conquering a dungeon, and the greatest of them wouldn''t equal the weakest of the beings within the Stone Cell. To this day, not a single being that has challenged the dungeon ever conquered it, and the amount who escaped the dungeon were not much more than that. It takes an average of 4 S ranked heroes to defeat the weaker Eldritch beings in the dungeon, and would suffer casualties against the likes of Vothra and Zarro. They would face utter annihiliation against the higher Eldritch monsters like Nyarlothep and Ctulhu, simply due to the fact that they were too strong and durable. They could outlast entire parties and simply wait for the heroes to make a mistake or over-extend as attacks bounce off of their skin and then turning them into paste with their raw stength. These monsters knew no equal other than each other. Nothing that would enter the dungeon could hope to defeat them. Especially not solo. Until now. ''It takes an entire S ranked human party to eliminate a single Eldritch Abomination that is around level 500, yet this single human has slain atleast 4 of us, including Nyarlothep by himself! The dungeon core was right in not irritating this hero of great power.'' Its chances of survival felt all the more slimmer, as Andrew stared at Ctulhu, sizing him up. "Oh, ok. Why''d you come here?" The human relaxed, and pocketed his gun.
I was having a great time. Key word;was. I had managed to guilt trip the Goddess, Quetzalcoatl into giving me what was basically an apartment within the dungeon. It wasn''t anything lavish, but it was certainly an upgrade from nothing. How nice of her. The whole room was about 400 square feet, and had a kitchen on the left side, equipped with a magical stove, a normal sink and a small table with a few chairs. Unfortunately, I had to buy plates and cups from the neighbouring kingdom with the money I made from selling off parts of creatures from outside the dungeon. I never knew feathers from some large ostriches could fetch such a hefty price. I used some as stuffing for my pillows with how soft they were!Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. There was a bed opposite form the kitchen and mounted to the wall was a television. A 30 inch television. That''s right baby. I got a Goddess to give me a TV! Best of all, the channels were all working perfectly! I could watch basketball! Woohoo! The TV wasn''t from my world. The Goddess had to create a television from scratch using my knowledge as a base. It was quite a sight seeing a T.V pop into existence. It didn''t even need electricity! It isn''t even plugged in to any socket! I don''t know how that works! The bed was fairly normal. It was a double sized bed, giving me ample room to roll around. I used a comforter as a blanket, keeping me nice and warm during the cold nights in the dungeon. It was almost like as if I was back on Earth again. Except those stupid monsters kept coming after me. Two more abominations, called Zarro and Vothra attempted to kill me, which was annoying and slightly dangerous. Both level 300 each. But I learned a neat little thing from the Goddess while we were talking. ''If you''re tired of monsters coming after you in the dungeon, just toss them outside. They won''t be able to respawn and come back after you.'' She had questioned my sanity after I firmly made a decision to make my base within the dungeon. But, the dungeon was a blessing in disguise. Not only was it pre made,it was notoriously dangerous for other people to come here, making the chances of my base being ransacked lower. Unlike living in a kingdom, I wouldn''t have to pay any stupid taxes. I live in a fucking dungeon! Noone''s gonna tax me, hah! So anyways, I took Quetzalcoatl''s tip to heart and I set up several trip wire traps (the wire obtained from the market in the Fullbright kingdom) along the three pathways going into my room. Within a couple days, I managed to catch the two monsters, tied up and unable to move. They were screaming something about revenge, but I could care less. They tried to trespass into my room, which is pretty rude. UNACCEPTABLE! Although this technically is their home, but still. This part was mine now. Not like they used it often, anyway. I managed to pick both of them up, despite both being a good 7 feet tall each and atleast 300 pounds of mystery flesh each, I guess that 447 STR came in handy. One under each arm, and I set off to the entrance of the dungeon. Their angry shouts devolved into pleads of forgiveness and promises of never coming here again, but sadly, I couldn''t hear them over my inability to care. We reached the entrance after a short walk through the hallway, and their struggles became more frantic. These wrinkly looking ballsacks were above level 300, and thrashing in my grip, bound by the numerous coils of iron wires that even their considerable strength could not break through. That reminds me, I really should reinstall some more wire traps again. Anyways, I tossed them outside. They began to wither away rapidly, unable to scream as their organs slowly turned to dust, along with their vocal chords. It was a cruel fate for anybody. But, I managed to level up to 358, so it didn''t bother me very much. A couple others tried to ambush me, but I took care of them fairly easily and threw them outside, putting me up to level 415. The levels i got were nothing compared to when I managed to eliminate the one who was level 800, but the other monsters were significant enough to put me over level 400, something which humans have yet to achieve, claimed Alexander when I went to the market for plates and cups. The monsters outside were only goblins and orcs, spanning around level 40-50, and didn''t really increase my level. I decided against using my of my stat points, for now. Quetzalcoatl told me about certain flaws in the system within Durandal, and one of which waspowercreep. Power creep was the result of levelling too much too fast, leaving most people disoriented or overwhelmed. Normally, levelling up gives you the stats themselves automatically, instead of stat points to allocate, which is due to my blessing from the Goddess. The way people''s stats are allocated is affected by numerous factors, such as bloodline, specialties, and the classes, titles or jobs they have. For example, if an average warrior were to level up, they''d be granted perhaps a +4 to STR and a +1 to other stats. Also, it is not always 10 stat points that is automatically allocated per level. Sometimes, someone may have only a total of only 5 or 6 stat points per level due to how weak they are, or even upwards of 15 or even 30 to other stats per level if they are born with great potential. This holds true for monsters, animals and almost every being in Durandal. There are exceptions to every rule, however. If the Goddess deems you worthy, you may receive a blessing. This blessing, which is either Lesser or Greater, allows people to allocate a set amount of stat points per level freely. This allowed me, to grow in ways I would''ve never been able to without the blessing. The Greater blessing gives a set amount of 10 stat points, where as Lesser gives a set amount of 8 stat points per level. This allows for crazy amounts of stats in stats that are normally a constant number with everybody like CHA, or making a big burly person invest points into DEX, making them faster,etc. Normal people however, do not have this and are left taking educated guesses as to what stats they will gain after each level. So while we do not have the greatest potential for growth, we were allowed free reign on where our stats went towards. There lies the problem, however. There have been numerous attempts at exploiting the system, and some have gone awry depending on the person being power levelled. A person who gains a set amount of INT per level, whether it be +1 or above, are more susceptible to the harms of power levelling. Adding an extra +30 to INT or WIS, which directly affects how youthink all at once is a jarring change within the brain, and there have been instances where people have gone insane or gained a god complex due to levelling up to 30 times and having 30,60, or even 90 points of INT or WIS added in at once. There are even some problems regarding the other stats, such as when people can''t control their strength after gaining so much STR in a short span of time, crushing people''s hands on handshakes on accident, etc. I was lucky in investing in my INT and WIS stat. Going over the 100 INT and WIS threshold didn''t change my personality too radically, and turned me into a genius of sorts instead of a psychopath. At 100 INT and WIS, I was on par with most experienced tacticians and venerable scholars. I could probably give a lecture better than any professor. I theorized that INT directly improves IQ,the speed I learn new things at, and has shown to improve the rate at which I regain MP per min. WIS, however, seems to improve my decision making skills and use of tactics I learned during my hitman days, making it much easier to deal with the monsters who could crush stone walls with ease. WIS seems to improve my application of concepts and ''street smarts'', along with the total capacity of MP I can have. The Goddess has warned me of the dangers of investing stats into INT and WIS, quickly, and I decided that I shouldn''t invest any of my stat points at all for now. Let it collect dust instead. Why? Because even after a month, I still haven''t fully gotten used to the newly gained powers I have. I have wrenched wooden doors out of their sockets because I assumed they were heavy, understimating my strength and ripping the door off it''s hinges. My athleticism is unparalled, where even the most agile athletes from Earth would pale compared to me. Extensive testing of my DEX has basically turned me into an acrobatic freak of nature on steroids, jumping 12 feet off the ground doing backflips with ease and running a mile a minute, and my CON made it so I barely even broke a sweat. My CHA might''ve tempted nuns from the kingdom''s church to break their vow of celibacy,and I received 3 notifications where someone''s sexual orientation changed due to the charm I was exuding while I was walking down the street. Frankly, I''d like it if I could get my powers in conrol before I contact other people again. I haven''t gone back to the kingdom since. I can live off of the normal animals from the nearby forests, it''s much more fulfilling hunting your own food. 400 CHA basically turned me into a living Greek God statue. 400 STR turned me into the Hulk. 400 DEX turned me into the Spiderman. 400 CON turned me into Wolverine. I was arguably the strongest human EVER. That wasn''t saying much because, you know, humans probably weren''t the strongest species in Durandal. Regardless, I was probably one of the strongest sapient creatures, physically. With my trusty Quetzalcoatl''s Colt, I was probably the strongest. Was I a little bit of cocky? Yes. Do I deserve to be? Absolutely. I was confident in my ability to ward off any threat coming towards me, so I didn''t see any need to invest anymore stat points. I''ll keep it as a trump card of sorts. If I were to face an opponent that was my equal or my superior, I could shock them by upgrading one of my stats like STR or DEX by a large amount. Or I can outlast opponents by continiously putting stat points into CON so I regain some energy constantly, helping me survive blows that normally would''ve left me dead long ago.. When I get full control of my powers, maybe I''ll start investing points gradually. So my life was fairly stable. I had a home (in THE most dangerous dungeon on the planet), a trusty friend in Alexander Fullbright (who might''ve went gay for me) and a debt from the King of the nearby kingdom, and I got super duper strong, to the point that the monsters didn''t bother me anymore. Life was good. Now here I am, sitting with Ctulhu, negotiating non hostility between me and the dungeon''s inhabitants. It was quite a shock to see the second strongest monster I''ve appraised in the dungeon since that Nyarlothep abomination knocking on my door. Quite polite. It turns out he was sent here by the dungeon core (Dungeons had cores? They were sentient? Nice to know.) to negotiate a treaty of sorts. The dungeon core would lose considerable amounts of MP and monsters replacing the ones I throw out the dungeon, and I didn''t really like monsters throwing themselves at me if I refused the deal. While certainly, I could probably decline and just eliminate whoever comes to kill me for more EXP and power, but I didn''t wish to test the dungeon to see if it could unleash a horde of level 400+ monsters to try kill me, and I certainly didn''t like my chances against that. So it would benefit both sides. "Alright, so basically, all the monsters will leave me alone, and won''t attack me if I don''t attack them. In exchange, I dont''t join any future parties to conquer the dungeon, or help parties in ways to conquer the dungeon, or the treaty is null and void. Right?" The octopus headed being nodded, staring at me. "Yes, if you agree to these terms, I will spread word to the others not to attempt anymore attacks upon you. The dungeon core itself will enforce this."
Level 727 Eldritch Abomination, Ctulhu Title: Bookworm (10% increase to mental stats, 50% reading speed increaed), Legendary Monster (10% increase to all stats, x1.5 growth when slaying heroes) HP: 93300/93300 MP: 450/450 (7.7 MP regen/min) STATS STR-1047 DEX-65 CON-933 INT-77 WIS-45 CHA-2 STATUS EFFECTS N/A
It was a formidable monster. He doubled me in STR and CON, although that Bookworm title is out of place. What the fuck? How does a monster with tentacles for facial hair get any books? That 70 INT is something else, too. He''d rival a gifted person in terms of learning speed and comprehension. His (Is it even a guy? I don''t see a penis...) WIS surpassed that of an average human and myself before my level up, which is impressive because I assumed these guys were just mindless monsters that happened to be capable of some human speech. However, that 2 CHA was just tragic. I guess this is how monsters level up, crazy amounts of physical ability with average or less intelligence, and low charisma. It makes sense. My WIS and INT, along with lessons on body language came into play (handy to gauge if a target is aware of your presence! Vital in my line of work); Ctulhu was nervous. Nervous of me. It was the little things that betrayed his calm facade. His arms were crossed, but I could see his finger tapping on his bicep, fidgeting. The way the octopus humanoid''s beady eyes seemed to wander if I stared at him for too long. I saw lingering traces of fear in his eyes. He obviously wanted me to accept, but played it off as a treaty between equals. The dungeon core and me. I mind my business, you mind yours. This would allow me to explore the dungeon freely, without any hordes coming after me. Icould push for a better deal, but I''d rather not alienate the thing controlling all these insanely strong Eldritch monsters. "Alright. Tell your dungeon core we have a deal. I won''t attack anybody unless they attack me, and I won''t try and conquer the dungeon either." He sagged in relief at my fairly quick acceptance. The 8 foot monster stiffly got out of his chair and left, closing the door gently on his way out. What a polite guy. ... What do I do now? Well, I could explore the dungeon now. It said I can''t try and conquer the dungeon, not that I can''t explore it. I might even find something of use like a treasure chest. They have those in dungeons right? Dungeon-diving, hooray! Without the added threat of ballsack creatures trying to kill me! It''s a shame that I won''t be able to level up as quickly, but I didn''t really care about getting stronger anyway, I was probably the strongest person outside the dungeon in the continent. Even Alexander''s dad, King Arthur Fullbright, was only level 196, and that was after years of adventuring and retiring after half his party was killed in the Stone Cell, apparently. It turns out that the captain of the Royal Guard was a newbie adventurer along with the King decades back, and managed to reach level 88 after several years, rising up to become the captain. The stories he told while we had a feast in gratitude for me saving his foolish son was quite entertaining. Now....which pathway should I explore first?
Y''golonac was a simple creature. He was nothing more than your neighbourhood Eldritch Abomination who liked drinking tea, and being the final boss and guardian of the dungeon core.
Level 1056 Greater Eldritch Abomination, Y''golonac
The monster enjoyed the lack of duties it had, due to the simple fact NO hero has even come close to reaching the chamber of Y''golonac. It has used the past millenia finding ways to pass the time, and had learned about tea from one of his more intelligent colleagues, Ctulhu. Upon a request from the dungeon core for a tea set, his wish was granted and spent centuries enjoying it''s free time drinking tea. In recent decades, it has borrowed books from Ctulhu''s archives to entertain itself. Despite its lax and almost pacifist like behaviour, it was still the undisputed final boss in the dungeon. It''s raw strength and durability makes even the strongest of Liches wary, and would make Elder Dragons give pause. The legend of Y''golonac was never known, simply because of the fact that nobody lived to even see him. The 11 foot monster was headless, almost as if it were decapitated, dried blood around it''s stump. Its body was fat and bulky, hiding untold amounts of power. Sharp, bony claws on it''s hands, and two gruesome mouths on both palms. The only thing stopping this being from wreaking havoc across the continent is being bound to a dungeon, and it''s lack of drive other than to attack intruders who trespass upon it''s chamber. Since it''s conception, the boss has had to never fight a single thing. None of the dungeon''s inhabitants questioned his strength. People would simply fall before they even reach the guardian of the dungeon core. Therefore, it had no real experience in dealing with intruders other than the sheer instinct and protectiveness it has over its master, the dungeon core. But regardless of it''s lack of experience, it would and could utterly destroy any intruder who dared to invade its home. There have been mutterings about a human in the dungeon walls, who has managed to slay Nyarlothep. Y''golonac was certainly not deaf, despite the lack of ears anywhere upon its body. The boss snorted, thinking it ridiculous that any human could even hope to reach his chamber. Another day, another hero. He will soon escape this dungeon, or die trying, Y''golonac thought to itself. Y''golonac pushed the mystery human out of his mind, focusing on the delicious earl grey tea his master had graciously decided to restock for him. Drinking the tea by pouring it onto the stump where his head should be, despite the fact he had mouths on his palms. He sighed in contentment. Nothing could possibly ruin this day. Perhaps he should borrow another novel from Ctulhu, he thought silently. ''What the fuck?'' The monster, who was sitting by his chair, craned it''s neck to look at where the voice originated from.
Level 415 Human, Andrew Lee
He looked at Y''golonac. Y''golonac looked at him. "SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-" Chapter 4: Surviving Encounters With a Dungeon Boss I was still alive, thankfully. The headless monster dropped it''s cup of tea to lunge at me in the blink of an eye. I tried to sidestep, but it was far too quick, faster than anything I''ve encountered so far and I was caught off guard. It had tackled me, sending me to the wall right beside the exit to the room. Fucker hit harder than a defensive lineman in the NFL. I''m actually glad that I brought my combat armor with me.
Quetzalcoatl''s Combat Armor - S Ranked Gear 15% reduction to all damage, -2 to DEX Enchantment(s): Divine Runes: Extremely high durability Description: Crafted by the Goddess, this armor boasts one of the greatest protection/weight ratio. Lightweight, and any damage to your body and arms are softened by a strong, unknown, material padding the arms, chest, and stomach.
"AGH!" Damn. I could hear the stone crack as it slammed me on it. I whipped out my gun as it''s arms were wrapped around me. The only thing keeping me from getting my ribs crushed like as if they were paper was my high CON, and the protection from the body armor, making my body as hard as iron. But it seems that this monster didn''t care. It didn''t seem like it even mean to crush me, just to tackle me into the wall. However, it''s grip was so unbelievably strong I could feel myself suffocating. A normal human probably would''ve been split in half by the immense pressure.
You have impacted on a hard surface! 1,529 damage taken! You are being crushed under immense pressure! 14,364 damage taken! You are being crushed under immense pressure! Ribs are beginning to fracture! 15,612 damage taken! Internal damage! Losing 5/HP per second.
I didn''t need a fancy fucking blue box to tell me that. Unloading a round into the monsters stump caused it great amounts of damage, so much so it let me go from the pain. I managed to come out of the bear hug with fractured ribs, thankfully. I probably would be dead if that kept up a second more.
You have pierced an enemy in a vital area! 43,687 damage dealt!-1 MP. You have pierced an enemy in a vital area! 45,212 damage dealt!-1 MP. You have pierced an enemy in a vital area! 41,766 damage dealt!-1 MP.
It shrieked in pain, grabbing on to it''s throat that I embedded with lead. This is the first real fight I''ve had in a week, and the closest anything has come to killing me. I pushed forward, despite my instincts warning me not to go near a monster capable of crushing stone with ease. This would''ve been better if I had my rifle, but I knew firing that in the somewhat narrow hallways, and low ceilings less than 15 feet tall would be more of a burden than a help, regardless of its amazing firerate. While it was incapacitated, I wrapped myself around it''s back, clinging on to it and focused on maiming the hostile as much as I could. Screaming in anger, it tried to get me off of it''s back by reaching for me as it shook madly. I responded by latching on to the neck, pressing the muzzle of my Colt onto its leathery back, and fired.
You have pierced the enemy. 2,477 damage dealt! -1 MP. You have pierced the enemy. 20,096 damage dealt!-1 MP. You have pierced the enemy. 15,871 damage dealt!-1 MP. You have pierced the enemy. 13,172 damage dealt!-1 MP. You have pierced the enemy. 8,596 damage dealt! -1 MP.
"SCREEEEEEEEE!" That had to have an effect. Almost all my bullets have pierced the guy to the point I could see through him. The monster backpedalled, running us both into the wall. Yet again, the stone cracked under the sheer force when I was slammed into it. I was squished between a monster and a wall. I nearly dropped my gun, but I knew that if I did, I might as well kiss my ass goodbye.
You have impacted upon a hard surface! 4,380 damage dealt! You have received status debuff: Dazed (-30% to DEX and blurry vision)
It managed to throw me off its back, letting me land clumsily approximately 6 feet away from the headless ballsack. My gun was a foot behind me. "Holy fuck." I was panting. This battle barely lasted 3 minutes and I''m half dead. "You''re really fucking tough aren''t you?" With a good look at the monster, I could tell it was just as hurt as I am. Probably more. Solid pointed bullets are much more inclined to penetrate much farther than hollow point bullets could.
Level 1056 Greater Eldritch Abomination, Y''golonac Title: Dungeon Boss (50% increase to CON), Legendary Monster (10% increase to all stats, x1.5 growth when slaying heroes) HP: 96435/304100 MP: 220/220 ( 5.5 MP regen/min) STATS STR-1621 DEX-231 CON-3041 INT-55 WIS-22 CHA-4
Despite being peppered with holes, and the damage taken from my bullets combined with my Eldritch Slayer damage bonus, it still has a crazy amount of health left. Only 20 thousand less than what I''d have at full. It was wheezing, but still ready to strike despite bleeding from newly made holes all across it''s body. Far faster than I expected any monster 11 feet tall to be, took shots that would''ve killedany lesser monster twice over, and strong enough to crush stone in it''s grip with ease. Only a couple rounds and he should be down. I need to stay away as far as possible. One more hit and I''m done for. At this distance, I can probably shoot 4 more times before he can close this distance. It''d take a prayer and a critical hit to ensure I come out fo this alive. Okay, let''s do thi- "HALT!" An orb shimmered into existence. Lightning blue, and glowing a blue light as it floated between us. The monster was kneeling, bowing it''s head to the mystery sphere. I was on guard. My gun was aimed at the new being in an instant. I was having trouble breathing. "Y''golonac, this human is not an enemy...Ctulhu is spreading the word throughout the dungeon that hostilities with the human is to be ceased." It gave the ball of blue energy a deep bow. The voice sounded wrong. Crackly, slightly high pitched, something I wouldn''t expect on a big burly monster with mouths on its hands. "I apologize, master. I was not aware of this." The orb seemed to bob up and down, as if nodding. What the fuck? It looked at me. I dont'' know how, since it was just staying in the exact same spot. I could feel it staring at me, though. Think along the lines of spidey-senses. "I apologize for this happening mere minutes into our negotiated treaty. This was my mistake." The blue ball''s voice sounded high pitched, like a prepubescent boy, combined with the sound when you speak into a fan. Robotic, but fluid enough to sound human at the same time. This must''ve been the dungeon core. I shrugged. "As long as he doesn''t attack me again, I don''t care." I''m nearly dead, and my excitement for dungeon diving has dropped down to 0. I just wanna go back home and have a nice cup of tea, and go to sleep. The dungeon core stared at me, and nodded slightly. "Here, take this. As proof of our cooperation....and compensation." The ball of energy began to glow slightly for only a second. A audible ''pop'' was heard as a fancy red potion dropped into my hands, catching it on instinct.
Elixir of Healing- S Ranked Item Heals 40% of HP Description: A high class healing item, it''s very expensive, requires rare ingredients and a master alchemist to create. Does NOT regenerate lost limbs or cure diseases, contrary to popular opinion.
The potion was made out of crystal glass, with a cork sealing away a red liquid within. I nodded in thanks, and gulped it down. The bruises I received were beginning to fade. I felt myself able to breathe easier, although I still had some trouble. My ribs, which were a good hit away from breaking, mended back together. I still felt slightly sore, but I am in a much better condition than I was seconds ago. That''s super convenient.
Status debuff: Internal Bleeding, has been healed!
"Now that this predicament has been solved, I''ll leave you two to your own devices. Farewell." The blue ball of energy popped out of existence, the ethereal light covering the room now gone. I felt much better. Being on the brink of death did not bode well for my mood.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Level 415 Human, Andrew Lee Title: Hitman (5% increase to DEX, More damage dealt in sneak attacks), Underdog (5% increase to all stats when facing enemies 25 levels above you), Eldritch Hunter (10% increased damage to all Eldritch beings) HP: 25219/44500 MP: 1012/1020 (10.5 MP regen/min) STATS STR-447 DEX-477 CON-445 INT-105 WIS-102 CHA-468 Available stat points: 2100 STATUS EFFECTS Quetzalcoatl''s Greater Blessing- 15% increase to all stats, ability to allocate stat points (Permanent)
I was sitting there, dumbfounded. The 11 foot tall monster rose from it''s kneeling position. It''s body was facing towards me, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "So, uh... Tea? I have earl grey." "Oh. Thanks."
It was quite therapeutic, having tea with someone. Discounting for the fact they just tried to kill me. Or the fact that I was having tea with a wrinkly ballsack monster with no head. Have I mentioned how good the tea was? Because it was quite good, really. A nice, citrus aroma with a strong flavor. I wasn''t exactly a conoisseur, but it was better quality than the instant ones I''d make myself occasionally back on Earth. Y''golonac, the headless monster who was responsible for being the last line of defense and the final boss of the dungeon, was sitting across me, having a similar cup of tea. It was odd, because while we talked, he''d pour the scalding tea down his stump and use his hands to communicate at the same time. "Enough about me, though. What could have possibly driven you to stay here in the dungeon? I know for humans, a dungeon isn''t the most hospitable of places." I thought about what he said. Whydid I stay here? It certainly wasn''t for the peace. "Well, it''s basically free to live here. Not the safest, but I doubt anything short of a group of you could kill me. Quetzalcoatl managed to make me a room here," Through exploiting her guilty conscience and milking her of favours. "and I thought it''d be a shame to waste it." "Ah, so it''s true? You''re a human that managed to curry the Goddess'' favour?" I nodded as I sipped the tea. "Mhmm." "Fascinating. May I ask how you gained her attention? She was a kind deity, but certainly not the type to pay attention to a specific being." I internally debated as to whether or not I should tell it about me being from another world. It could bite me in the ass, but how? Eh, what''s the harm. Fuck it. Not like it''ll tattle to anyone important. "The Goddess ripped a hole from another world, and I fell through here. So I''m probably trapped in this world, maybe forever." It was pretty funny, seeing a small fountain of tea rise up from the stump of his. Was this the way headless monsters choked on their tea? It was sputtering, and I gave it a napkin lying on the table. Muttering a word of thanks, he wiped his neck. "You seem to be..taking this well, for someone in another world. I understand humans have people they treasure. Do you not miss anybody from your home world?" I grew somber at that. There really wasn''t anybody I missed much from Earth. Killing somewhat desensitized me, and I couldn''t really form any meaningful connections when I was pulled out of highschool to become a hitman. Since I was 15, it''s been killing, learning from Agent Romanoff, or keeping myself distracted with books, games or movies. Friends didn''t really happen as a hitman, especially for someone who was half the age of the average person in my profession. I''ve had to act as friends towards targets or friends of targets, or the friends of the friend of a target, or even seduce others, but nothing felt genuine. Not when I knew I was going to kill them. Most of my personality came from imitating the personalities of those comic book heroes. Snarky and sarcastic. I didn''t exactly have the best role models, and I recognized that a long time ago. I was morbidly proud of my 100% success rate regarding assassinations. Agent Romanoff, who, unlike the one in the Avengers, wasnot a hot red haired lady. Unfortunately, it was this grizzly old man that looked more like Wolverine. A mentor, and an acquaintance of sorts. Easily in his 40s when he started training me in the arts of killing. A certified killer. Skilled in the arts of muay-thai and brazillian jiu-jitsu. Capable of shooting moving targets from 50 feet away with a pistol, and a smooth actor. Also one of the biggest dickheads ever. A regular contract with my dad, who was Charles Moretti, he retired and was offered security in exchange for teaching me. First thing he did was kick me in the ribs. And everywhere else. But he was a fine teacher. He taught me how to defend myself and kill others all in a span of 12 months. A way of desensitizing me was forcing me to raise a rabbit during our training, and forced me to kill and skin it after a year, letting me get attached to it. Not the nicest, but it did the job. Made sure I didn''t freeze up when I finally got a target''s trust and killed ''em. Even as I grew under his tutelage and his physical abilities began to decline, he''d still kick my ass anyday of the week. Perhaps now, I would be able to beat him. I respected him. He ackowldeged by skills after I managed to take out 14 people by myself and taking only one bullet to my forarm, but he still had a scathing remark after that. "I could''ve taken these guys out using only a knife and some wire. With all my fingers broken." So he was still a dickhead. Not a friend, but certainly not an enemy. But it''s all in the past now. I''m in a new world, a fresh start, of sorts. A world where I can just chill, shoot stuff, and watch basketball. No dad that needs me to kill any rivals, or to threaten that dude running the hot dog stand because he looked at him funny. I was free. I shook my head. "No, not really." He looked at me. Despite having no eyes. Or a face. Or a head. "I see." I don''t think he could, even if he tried. "You know, I''ve been meaning to ask. How do you see when you don''t have eyes? Or a head, for that matter. In fact, how do you even hear?" He paused. Taking my question in. "I don''t know. Perhaps magic?" The 11 foot monster shrugged. I sighed. Guess I''ll never know the answer to that. "It''s been a long day. I''m going back to my room now. See you...Ye-golnak? Yeejolcac? How do I say your name?'' He perked up. "Oh, it''s pronounced Y???????????????''??????????????????????????????g???????????????????????????????????o??????????????????????????l???????????????????????????????????????o????????????????????????????????n??????????????????????a???????????????????????????c????????????????????????????" ... Whatever he said. It gave me a headache. I feel like if I say that, my furniture''s gonna start floating or some shit. I sighed. This world is starting to get to me. "I can''t pronounce that. I''ll call you..Headless. Okay?" Wow. Real original, Andrew. He huffed in exasperation. "Fine. Farewell, hero." "The name''s Andrew." I walked, turning through the hallways. It was quite easy to memorize things once I upgraded by INT to 100. The hallways were fairly easy to travel through, no traps, no monsters, no anything. It was more of an empty rabbit warren, really. Plain and with no traps (other than the ones I set up myself.) I reached the pathway that finally led to my room. I couldn''t wait to just sit back and relax, watch some TV and fall asleep. I opened the door. Only to see people rummaging through my room. MY room. They heard me open the door, and stared at me. "May I ask why you''re looking around my room? Either way, you''re going to get your skulls cracked." I asked coldly. Fucking hate thieves. Good thing I hid my rifle underneath the bed, or this could''ve turned bloody. The toughest looking of them, a tall man wearing a bandana strutted towards me, a cocky smirk and a broadsword in his hand. Easily a foot taller than me, he was bulky and looked very dirty.
Level 81 Human, Hugo Thornwell
"Now, you can''t boss me around like that. You can either watch us take your shit, or let me stab you into fucking pieces. You''re not gonna do shit against us when I''m-" His words died in his mouth, probably seeing my level.
You have pierced an enemy in a fatal spot! 65,211 damage dealt!
I blew his brains out, splattering it on the table behind him as what was left of his skull gushed out blood. That''s going to take a while to clean up. Gross. I really shouldn''t have done that. The other 3 bandits picked up their weapons, ready for combat. I''ll handicap myself, I wont splatter them across the room so that I don''t get blood anywhere else. I pocketed my gun. I have a better idea. I opened the door, and yelled as loud as I could. "OI! I got free food for you all! Think of it as a sign of our friendship!" I grabbed ahold of the carcass strewn across my table, and swung it deep inside the hallway. They lunged for me. The first one tried to pierce me through my stomach, but I twisted away and let him over extend, grabbing the hilt of his sword in one hand, and his hip on the other, and launched him into the hallway, easily 20 feet inside. The second bandit was already on me, dagger in hand as he latched on to my back. The serrated steel aimed at my throat, I caught it in one hand, and then flipping him over, dislocating his arm in the process. Crying out in pain, I grabbed him by his leg, and threw him in the pathway to the rest of the dungeon along with his buddy.
You have dislocated an enemy''s arm! 857 damage dealt!
The third and final bandit, knowing he''s outmatched, began to turn tail and run, dropping his short sword as he abandoned his friends. I caught up to him in a single leap, clearing the 10 feet of space between us in the blink of an eye. I''ll use my less lethal gun for this guy. I yanked the glock out of the hidden pocket inside my pants.
Glock - Standard B Ranked Weapon Deals piercing damage. Enchantment(s): N/A Description: A firearm from Earth. Standard issue. Short recoil, reliable, and easy to use.
I shot him in the thigh, using my non magical glock, and dragged him to the pathway with the rest of this rag tag group, leaving a trail of blood. I tossed him in, a little closer to about 10 feet away from the door as he lay there in a broken heap. His friends were walking closer to the door, and I waved as I slammed the door as hard as I could.
You have pierced an enemy! 1,210 damage dealt!
10 seconds passed, and I could hear the footsteps of new arrivals through the door. The bandits grew closer, and I could hear their breathing grow more frantic. "What in the-? Are those humans?" "Yeah. You think boss is gonna get mad if we eat them?" The yelling began to start, curses as one of them tried to open the door. Unfortunately I was standing there, blocking them with my foot. "FUCK!FUCK!FUCK! HURRY AND OPEN THE DO-AGH!" "Probably not." I could hear screaming, and a gross ripping sound as I presumed one of the bandits fell prey to the abominations within. Banging on the door appeared, and more frantic steps. "AH! AHHHH!" snap, crunch, crack The banging on the door grew louder, and pleas of help from the lone bandit were pitiful and pathetic. I couldn''t take it anymore. This was far too much. "HEY!" I opened the door, revealing the bandit who''s arm I dislocated, cradling his arm, looking at me with a sense of false hope. Behind him, were the entrails of his comrades and two eldritch abominations who heeded my call. A large, yellowish, beefy creature with a snail for a head and a set of jagged, sharp jaws across it''s neck. Numerous horns erupted from it''s sides and gorrila-like arms as it stared at me, like a deer caught in the headlights. The other, was a gaunt, twisted humanoid with long claws soaked in blood and haunting green eyes that looked at me in slight apprehension. They lay mere feet behind the bandit as they snacked on the carcasses. The bandit was reaching for the door, looking to escape. I grabbed him by the back of his shirt, and slid him right back inside. "Hello?! You mind taking this guy too? He''s annoying as fuck!" The light in his eyes died, as I kicked him square in the sternum, right into the waiting hands of the thin monster. I shut the door, letting out a small breath. Being a hitman did instill some ruthlessness and cruelty in me, it seems. "nooOO! AHH! AHHHHH-grghk!" A loud squelching noise was heard. Silence, and then soft chewing noises and slurps were audible. Now, time to deal with all the blood.... "Thanks for the food, bossman! You aren''t so bad, after all!" "I appreciate the meal. I haven''t had one in a couple months. I will remember this, human." "Yep, no problem. If I find someone I don''t like, I''ll just toss ''em in one of the three hallways here." I get rid of annoying people and I make the monsters inside happy. A win-win situation for everbody. I waited until I could no longer hear their footsteps. Then I let my guard down and let out a long sigh. Something I''ve been doing a lot today. "How the hell am I gonna get this blood off my table?" Guess I''ll get some bleach from the nearby kingdom. A mop, some paper towels, and a spray bottle would be needed, too. ..I hope they have bleach. Has this world even begun producing it yet? Another sigh escaped my lips. This was gonna take awhile. I stuck my glock back in the hidden pocket within my pants. This was another aspect of being a hitman I didn''t like; cleaning up after the job. Chapter 5: Having a Variety of Friends is Good, Right? The autumn leaves crunched under my feet as I traversed through the grasslands, straight to the dungeon. Supplies of food, clothing and a variety of items were in my extra dimensional storage, enough for about a month for one person. Three months since my near demise in the Stone Cell, and encounter with Andrew Lee. I had no longer put myself above others. I have trained hard. Pushed myself to improve, I asked the captain and my father to give me no mercy in training, and they didn''t. Train until my body could no longer move. For Clause and Garett. So nobody would ever have to die for my sake, again.
Level 85 Human, Alexander Fullbright Title: Genius of the Sword (150% increase to learning speed regarding sword techniques), Fullbright Prodigy (5% increase to all stats, 2x learning speed towards all subjects) HP: 8800/8800 MP: 580/580 ( 9.2 MP regen/min) STATS STR- 108 DEX- 110 CON- 88 INT- 92 WIS- 58 CHA- 55 STATUS EFFECTS N/A
Despite me on track to being the strongest person to come from the Fullbright line, I kept myself humble, knowing that there were people far better than I am. I won''t let my overconfidence affect my judgement again. Especially when I still haven''t surpassed father, much less Andrew Lee. Beside me were two others. Luna Warless and Zaza Lochwood. They were accompanying me as support in the case any monsters above my capabilities (which I highly doubted would appear anywhere near our kingdom) attacked, and to meet the mysterious enigma who saved my life. It wouldn''t do if my new party didn''t know about him, if we ever grew strong enough to even attempt conquering this dungeon. I''ve made up in my mind to introduce any new members of our party to Andrew, because I knew he was a good judge of character and could help us grow stronger. Zaza Lochwood was the son of the captain of the Royal Guard, Elton Lochwood, who used to be in a party back in the day with the King himself. Zaza was a laid back kid, despite his staggering size of 6''8 and over 300 pounds of muscle at the age of 18 years old, and high amounts of CON and STR, he was a formidable warrior. Although his lack of speed is exposed against faster opponents he has shown great reflexes and battle instinct, making him the perfect guy to distract enemies and tank their hits. While the father had a different role in adventuring parties than his son did, he had the King, who was a tank himself, pass on many skills and tips that would be crucial in battle. Luna was an orphan, her family torn apart by war and monster invasions and found on the outskirts of Tarvell, bleeding out beside the corpse of two monsters, and presumably from the continent of Aalrog, ruled by the Elder Dragon Dharma. She was treated, and given a room in the palace to recuperate, and pledged her loyalty to the King, gratitude for saving her from an untimely death and helping her regain her bearings. Luna revealed that her bloodline as part of the Warless clan gave her a disposition towards magic and healing, and has shown great aptitude for anything related to the arcane arts. She fought by buffing herself and others with great strength and dexterity, crushing her enemies with a mixture of elemental magic and powerful strikes from her staff. She has begun learning the arts of healing and being a priest to cover our lack of expertise in that area. She is now level 51, with a very well rounded skill set, making her an invaluable part of our team. Merely two weeks ago, I had returned to the dungeon, bringing gifts, medical supplies and food for the man who must''ve undoubtedly been suffering living in a dungeon. After all, dungeons were merciless and inhospitable to intruders. I knew he was alive, my faith in the man who slew a monster leagues above me at level 31 had grown stronger after he had levelled up. I don''t doubt that he has gotten stronger surviving in such a hostile environment like that. I did not expect him to be laying on a large bed, half naked and watching something called a television. In an utterly normal room, which was abnormal considering the fact this used to be an entrance room of a dungeon full of Eldritch beasts. I was flabbergasted, seeing one of the most dangerous dungeon''s entrance room become a comfortable loft for one person. The shock, however, did not stop blood rushing to my nether regions upon seeing his perfect physique, to my embarassment and mortification. I don''t think he noticed. Thankfully. We talked, and he had revealed his status as an otherworlder, as he thanked me for the kind gifts, despite me saying that it was merely repayment for saving my life and that it was only right to do so. He showed me a rectangle that was capable of producing moving pictures. A television he had called it. I had wondered how to make this, but I knew that the magic needed was far beyond my comprehension, and that even the greatest magicians in this continent would scratch their heads making heads or tails about what made this thing work. I had tried to convince him that moving into the palace would be a benefit for the both parties, as he would live a lavish and luxurious life in the finest guest room we had, free of charge, and that if any enemy were to invade, whether it be a monster horde, demons, bandits or a rival kingdom, we''d have a very capable person ready to defend us. He declined however, saying that the Goddess had already given him a place of residence, and it would be impossible to bring his TV back due to it being permanently affixed to the walls of the dungeon. I had backed off after that, and he merely requested that I visit regularly and bring him supplies and some souvenirs from the adventures I go on. ''You''re a hero, right? Well, since heroes like you go adventuring and all that, just bring me some stuff whenever you come and visit!'' Taking his words to heart, I would bring a souvenir from every dungeon or major quest I went to, like the polished skull of an Elder Moose that we had taken down as a party on our first quest. I had placed it in my dimensional ring, that contained the rest of the supplies and other miscellaneous items I had decided to stick in there. I was interrupted from my thoughts by Luna, who walked on my side, vigilantly looking around to make sure no monsters could or would ambush us. "Prince, who exactly is Andrew Lee? And what type of man is he?¡± The white haired woman inquired, her bright, blue eyes peering at me inquisitively. She was a new member of our adventuring party (which was very recently made, too), having only been discovered on August, a whole month after Andrew had left. I doubt she has encountered him yet. ¡±Andrew Lee is...a Hitman. A sort of assasin that kills for money. Or so he claims.¡± She turned away from her surroundings, looking at me. ¡±Isn¡¯t that a bad thing, Prince?¡± ¡±I could see why it would, but he was forthcoming with the information, and honesty is good. We all need to make a living, and it seems that his way to live was never the most peaceful or noble one there was.¡± He appreciated my straight forward nature regarding our reasons as to why we offered him a room in the palace, not hiding our ulterior motives, and in turn, was blunt with what his profession entailed. I respected him for that. I continued on, ¡°Despite that, he saved my life. Without knowing who I was or what connection I had. I know that the Goddess herself pays special attention to him, and I can¡¯t really not trust anyone whom is favoured by Quetzalcoatl herself, no?¡± Luna absorbed the information silently, and turned to Zaza, who was behind us, wearing a standard suit of heavy iron armour. On his back was a mace that granted him HP upon hitting an enemy and a shield that absorbed impact, making it perfect for a warrior like himself. He was looking at the both of them with a placid smile, basking in the sunlight and the gentle breeze as we traversed the grasslands. ¡±Do you know Andrew Lee, Zaza? What he looks like?¡± Luna asked the tall and bulky warrior. He towered over us, casting a shadow that blocked the sun from the both of us. That was the main reason why we put him behind us, instead of the front where he would be more valuable in a formation. He snapped out of his day dreaming, "Well, he''s a little it shorter than me, and has black hair. Pale skin and wears glasses." Zaza mused for a little bit, before adding "Oh. He''s pretty handsome too. Can''t forget that." Luna tilted her head, probably wondering why he''d add such a detail. She''ll find out sooner or later. "Don''t forget that he''s probably the strongest human ever, now. According to our history books, the highest level human recorded was Frederick Holmes, who was a level 251 SS ranked mage and he had already surpassed level 300 when I saw him last month. Who knows how strong he''s gotten by now." She was silent and most likely imagining what type of person he''d be. I noticed the dungeon from a good couple miles ahead. It was huge, and quite noticeable from a far distance. However, the grasslands blocked the view from farther distances. On the dungeon''s left was a forest, full of creatures level 40 and above. It was a good challenge for C to B ranked adventurers. While this forest would theoretically be a challenge for either Luna or Zaza, they were exceptional. Luna was a capable healer, and an even better fighter. Her STR and DEX were off the charts due to dilligent training, more than you''d expect from a level 50. Zaza was very durable, and could outlast any opponent combined with his mace which leeched off the HP from enemies he attacked.. We''d need to enter B-A ranked areas to give them both a considerable challenge.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Hey, the dungeon''s over there. Let''s go a little bit faster." I began to speed up immediately, breaking out into a light jog while they tried to catch up. A light jog for me was equivalent to a sprint for Zaza, who was lagging behind. I reached the dungeon in several minutes, and I could see them catching up in a few minutes. It seems that Zaza is quite slow. We''ll need to fix that later. I slowed down to a brisk walk, as I neared the dungeon. Standing at 15 feet tall, but easily spanning dozens of thousands of square feet. It covered nearly a tenth of the valley it was on. The outside was the shape of a rectangle, with 4 sides and no other entrance than the one facing the forest. Inside , however, was allegedly multiple pathways that connected to larger rooms full of monsters beyond comprehension. Due to the dangerous nature of the dungeon, only a handful of people could confirm this. Most believe there are two bosses in the dungeon, Vhiri, the Eldritch praying mantis with serrated teeth that was rumoured to have crushed a lich foolish enough to enter the Stone Cell with only a couple of skeletons as a party, and Nyarlothep, a mass of pulsating flesh with several mouths throughout it''s body with no eyes, who I encountered during my...run at the dungeon. There are other infamous monsters within, such as Ctulhu and Azaroth who were seen to be lower levelled, bur certainly not less dangerous. I waited for them until they were merely 50 feet away as I rested my back on the aged stone walls of the dungeon. Then, I entered. I knew that there should be no monsters in the first hallway, which led several dozen feet inside before reaching the former entrance room, which was now a base for Andrew. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have entered at all. Knowing Andrew, he would probably kill me if I suprised him. My steps were far too quiet. Nearing the entrance, I saw it fit to announce my presence before I went in, to make sure that he''d know I was coming. The retired assassins I knew were very jumpy and always on guard, and I assume that an assassin of Andrew''s calibre would answer with lethal force if I entered without any prior warning. "Andrew?" I said loudly and clearly into the hallway, which was still fairly dim with only torches lighting up the way. "I brought supplies and stuff from my adventu-" I paused. I could hear footsteps thudding, getting closer and louder. Those footsteps were far too heavy, and I doubt that even Zaza could make footsteps that loud on purpose. "-hey, do you, huff, mind not running that far into the dungeon without us? I had to sprint the rest of the way he-" Behind me was an exhausted Zaza and a slightly ruffled priest. In front of me, however, was an ginormous, headless eldritch being. Sprinting at a speed that surpassed mine.
Level 1056 Greater Eldritch Abomination, Y''golonac
"RUN!" It was far too fast, I uttered a single word before it tackled me, catching me in it''s iron grip and using me to slam into the others behind me.
You have impacted upon a hard object! 895 damage!
"Oof!" I could hear Zaza and Luna emitting grunts of pain. It had brought down all of us in a swift move, and I could see it rearing sharp claws ready to bisect us in one fell swoop. I removed my sword from it''s sheath in an instant, hoping I could slow the blow enough for it not to be fatal. "SCREEEEEEEEEE-" I saw Andrew leaping upon it''s back and yanking at it''s arm as hard as he can. The veins on his forearms were popping as he strained to prevent us from being gutted like a fish. "Headless! These are friends! They aren''t bandits!" Upon saying that, the creature stopped resisting. He stilled and sighed in relief, glancing at us to make sure no significant damage was done. The monster got up and Andrew jumped off its back. My party scrambled to get back into position, with me and Zaza at the front, brandishing our weapons and Luna behind us, ready to cast her spells at a moments notice. They conversed, focused entirely on each other. The monster looked almost apologetic in its stance, scratching the back of its neck. "I appreciate that you were ready to kill some bandits, but atleast let me confirm if they are before you start running for it? They literally said my name before you just dashed off and truied to murder them." It nodded, the stump of the neck bobbing up and down. The monster, who towered over everybody by atleast 5 feet turned to us and we tensed. It bowed. "I deeply apologize for attacking you and your party, human. I had assumed you were bandits ransacking Lee''s home again." It took off, saying farewell as Andrew waved goodbye. It disappeared into the door, leaving us and the hitman alone. The hitman turned to look at us, who were still tense and ready to fight. He placed his hands on his head and sighed. "This is going to take a little bit of explaining, huh?"
"You made friends with the monsters in thedungeon?!" Alexander seethed, still in disbelief that I''d allied myself with the deathtrap that was this dungeon. "I wouldn''t say made friends, it''s more of a..treaty. Headless is alright, he''s just a normal guy at heart, you know?" I tried to defend myself. I do what''s best for me, and what''s best for me just happened to be having a truce with the blue dungeon core capable of probably destroying me. The red haired pretty boy looked at me in slight anger. "After they nearly killed me? After they killed my friends, you''d do this?" There was a slight amount of hurt, which was understandable. "You can''t really blame me, no? I wasn''t responsible for them dying, and you were trespassing into the dungeon anyway, which is more of your fault than it is mine." The swordsman looked at me angrily, and looked ready to shout, but deflated and realized that I was right, in a sense. I took a closer look at the sword on his hip.
Heartstriker - Unique A Ranked Weapon Deals slashing damage Enchantment(s): Human Rune: Enhanced Durability, 15% increased slashing damage, +5 to CHA & DEX when used Description: A sabre forged by the first female forgemaster, Demia Ironheart, and given as a gift for her lover, who died in battle. This sword allows you to cut down swathes of enemies with grace and power.
Huh. A fancy one, huh? Mine''s still better though. Noone could possibly have a weapon superior to my Colt! The sword had a curved blade, with a bright red sheen when the light reflected on it just right. It''s handle was decorated with precious crystals embedded into it. Perhaps those were runes instead of decoration,. Alexander sighed, "Fine. I''ll give you that one. Iwill conquer this dungeon, though. Whether you have a treaty with it or not. Eventually." The two others stood there silently, and I took that as a chance to observe them.
Level 51 Human, Luna Warless Title: Warless Bloodline (30% increase to INT and WIS, 150% more power using buffs), Jack of All Trades (15% increased learning speed towards all subjects) HP: 5500/5500 MP: 750/750 ( 10.0 MP regen/min) STATS STR- 58 DEX- 65 CON- 55 INT- 100 WIS- 75 CHA- 32 STATUS EFFECTS N/A
Oh. She''s quite strong. That Warless bloodline seems like a rather unique and powerful boost. I should look into that. She was staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face, as if she was unsure of whether to be afraid of me, consider me as an enemy or to worship me. I wouldn''t blame her if she did any of the three. This Warless girl was quite beautiful. Her wide, blue eyes, shining like the most impressive of sapphires, her white, silky long hair that went down to her elbows and her heart shaped face, her cute nose and soft lips, I realized; Damn, she''s really beautiful. I shook myself from innapropriate thoughts, and observed Zaza. That big oaf was strong as hell, but had a relaxed personality. A type of guy that''s always pleasant to be with.
Level 55 Human, Zaza Lochwood Title: N/A HP: 23600/23600 MP: 360/360 ( 3.4 MP regen/min) STATS STR- 168 DEX- 21 CON- 236 INT- 34 WIS- 36 CHA- 29 STATUS EFFECTS Fatigued - -10% to all stats (Temporary)
Probably the strongest bastard I ever met, except for the King. Or Y''golonac. Or any of the monsters in here, really. Not the strongest, but definitely up there. Probably top 20, but since I know less than 50 people in this world, I guess it''s not too impressive. It''s weird, since I saw his dad, and his dad was a head shorter than me and he never said anything about his mother being tall either. Was being tall a recessive gene, and he just happened to be huge? I doubt that the mother had an affair, as they have the same blonde hair and blue eyes and the same nose. Interesting. I wonder how''d they compare to me in a fight? My brain pooped out an idea. "Alright, I won''t stop you from trying to conquer the dungeon. Your life, and all that." Alexander narrowed his eyes. "I''m sensing a ''but'' here." "But, you guys will have to beat me in a fight before I even let you through those doors. I''ve saved your life, and I can''t do it again lest I break off the alliance, which means I''ll lose this whole room all because you felt suicidal enough to try and challenge the dungeon." "Fine." Zaza looked at the swordsman with an expression akin to someone telling you to shove a really large and jagged branch up your ass. "Uh- Alexander, you do realize he''s-" "Yes. I do. In fact, let''s do it now." Alexander said eagerly. He was roaring for a fight. To prove his capabilities. I can respect that. This is going to be a joke. He genuinely thought he had a chance against me. Good fighters need to be humble. I was an exception, because I''m a massive hypocrite. "I''ll give you a handicap, I won''t use this." I held the overpowered Colt in my right, dramatically waving it and placed it in my back pocket."And if you win," I whispered into his ear, fluster him a little bit and take an advantage of that little crush he has on me. This guy got a boner when he saw me a month ago, and he didn''t think I noticed. HA! "I''ll doanything you want." I said breathily in his ear. He blushed madly and pushed me off. The poor bastard was so easy to tease.
We stood on opposite of each other, with me, unarmed with only a shirt, shorts and with only my fists, feet, and my mind as weapons and the trio, fully geared and looking ready to fight, a mere 50 feet away. I could see determination but grim resignation on Zaza''s face, concentration on Alexander''s, and a blank stare from Luna. "Come at me with the intent to kill, if you want to have a sliver of a chance of winning. GO!" I shouted, blatantly ripping off Kakashi fromNaruto. Everything moved. Zaza began rushing towards me, shield in hand and mace in the other. A red blur was flanking me, but I saw it quickly and met him head to head. A slash aimed at my midsection instantly, but I ducked. I kicked the sword from his hands and I knocked him aside as Zaza barrelled towards me. I was hit with a ton of force, but my insane amount of STR let me handle it with only a considerable amount of difficulty. In the second I was incapacitated with Zaza, I noticed a metal staff ready to knock me on the head as I looked up, Luna in the air, ready to smack me. I swung my head to the left, the staff bouncing off harmlessly onto the shield. Knowing I was in a difficult position, I dashed off, leaving a considerable amount of space between me and the two fighters. Luna landed gracefully as she began chanting, and I could see a slight red glow from both Zaza and Luna. I ducked immediately, hearing a woosh of Heartstriker mere inches from slicing me. I swept his feet, tripping Alexander and causing him to fall. I reared up my arm, telegraphing my punch and I could see him about to yank his head to the side. Why not scare him a little bit? I punched the groundhard. An audible crack could be heard as my fist shattered the earth underneath, as cracks formed with an imprint of my fist at it''s epicenter. He rolled frantically, but I picked him up by his shoulders and threw him across the grasslands, straight at the two fighters who steadily approached me like as if he weighed nothing more than a particularly heavy pillow. He impacted on the shield, letting out a gasp of pain and Zaza releasing a grunt as he absorbed the impact.
You have thrown an enemy at a hard object. 266 damage dealt!
"Come on now, I''m still holding back. You''re not going to survive a minute any deeper than the first room at this rate!" Time to put them in a world of hurt. Chapter 6: Bastard Bandits It was exhilirating, having a fight like this. Guns were awesome, and hand to hand combat was never my fort¨¦, but I did enjoy both equally. When you''re given the physical capabilities to do superhuman feats, you take advantage of that. In a fight where there''s no risk to my life and I can use my mind and body to it''s full potential, I enjoy it the most. It keeps your mind sharp, and hones your instincts without any real dznger to yourself. Before me was the three promising adventurers, bruised and battered after nearly half an hour of combat. I was hit a couple of times, but at most they left a tiny scratch or a small mark. I fought defensively, using counter attacks and waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Normally, a knife would be in the place of where I strike, but for this match, this was to be non-lethal. What were supposed to be instant kill shots are painful bruises. Alexander''s red hair was matted with dirt and dust, his face full of exhaustion. He had tried to double team me along with Zaza, while Luna kept their magical buffs going and waited for an moment to catch me off guard with her staff. Zaza was quite a durable warrior, and despite 30 minutes of rigorous combat, was only left slightly fatigued. Luna, while a very capable fighter on her own right, had reduced her mana pool to sliver of itself, and was most likely mentally exhausted from casting enhancing magic and fighting me at the same time. The chemistry and teamwork was admirable, but not enough. I had roughed them up, leaving bruises and dislocated arms at the worst. "It''s clear you guys aren''t going to beat me, so let''s stop it here. Otherwise, you''ll all get hurt even worse." I sat down and crossed my legs, yawning and stretching my arms above my head. Zaza who boasted the highest CON I''ve seen on any human, was panting, "You-ha, you''re one tough bastard aren''t-cha?" "Yes, I would like to think so." Alexander''s eyes were full of fiery determination and a slight amount of indiginance, but he closed his eyes, knowing this was a lost cause. Good. True fighters should know when to retreat, and I hope that this instilled a sense of knowing when to retreat into his head." The Warless girl, took this as a sign of the end of the match and flopped onto the grass, panting and recovering from the intense fight. "You guys were very impressive. But not good enough to even tire me." I lectured, letting them know of the gap between us. "Not only was I holding off of using most of my capabilities, I was making sure not to deal any permanent damage either. Even then, I mananged to leave you guys in the dust. You won''t even survive the first room, at this rate." "But, you''re stronger than the monsters inside! You beat Nyarlothep when you were less than half my level. If we struggled against you, we''d have better chance than the weak" "Ah, but level isn''t always the best indicator of how strong they are." I pulled out the Colt from my back pocket. "Without this, I would''ve been dead in seconds against it. If I didn''t have my weapons, I''d most likely lose against alot of the monsters inside in a straight fight, and even if I did win, I wouldn''t come out unscathed." That shut Alexander up, as he realized just how powerful Stone Cell beings were. To instill just how dangerous monsters like Y''golonac are, I added, "The headless monster that tried to kill you just now? I had my gun on me and was this," I put about a millimetre of space between my thumb and pointing finger. "-close to dying, I was in a really tight spot." Zaza whistled, "Damn." Alexander grit his teeth. "Fine! But, don''t think that I''ll-" I heard a whistle through the air, from behind me. I turned and caught the offending item aimed at the back of my head. It was an arrow.
Poisoned Arrow - B Ranked Weapon Deals piercing & poison damage Description: A standard arrow, dipped in the liquid venom of a Demon Variant spider.
I narrowed my eyes. This came from the forest a couple kilometres from the dungeon. Who would do this? I squinted, and I could make out a large band of people, wearing some red, and carrying ALOT of weapons a couple hundred metres away. I could see "You three, go in the dungeon. NOW." They looked at me in a slight amount of concern, and looked at the direction I was looking at. It seems like these fucking bandits didn''t get my message, did they?
(wow, an epic flashback for foreshadowing...)4 days ago... A bandit lay before Andrew, bloodied and bruised, missing a pinkie and thoroughly beaten. Next to him were the lifeless bodies of two other bandits, bleedng profusely from a slit throat, and the other from a bullet to the sternum. "Now, if I see anymore of you little red cunts in here, I''ll personally come find your camp, and shoot the dicks out of every last one of you. You hear that? Or am I gonna have to beat it into you?" The poor bastard nodded profusely, shaking slightly as the ever so ruthless hitman shook him violently. "Go to your boss and tell him to go choke on a goblin cock." The bandit promptly got thrown outside.
Easily over a thousand people, and a large red flag with a crude drawing of a skull with with bones in the shape of a cross behind it. visible high above the vast army. Mainly swords and shields as weapons, with maces, spears and crossbows mixed in. A horn sounded as the bandits neared. They were shrinking the distance between us quite fast, considering the size of the horde. I started running backwards, covering the trio''s escape. They were far too slow, as they had just gone through the ringer against me. I fired aimlessly at the horde, hoping to take atleast a few down to slow their advance.
You have pierced an enemy in a lethal area! 16,032 damage dealt! -1 MP! You have pierced an enemy. 2,649 damage dealt!-1 MP! You missed!-1 MP! You have pierced an enemy. 1,821 damage dealt!-1 MP! You have pierced an enemy in a lethal area! 20,552 damage dealt!-1 MP!
"How the hell did you piss off the Scarlet Cross bandits?! What the fuck! We''re gonna die!" Alexander was sprinting, carrying a exhausted Luna on his arms. Behind him was Zaza, who was lagging behind. due ti him not being as fast. However, his crazy stamina allowed him to keep up without much trouble. "I-uh, told them to suck a dick when they kept trying to rob me? What''d you want me to do?" "TELL US WHEN THIS SHIT HAPPENS!" "We can talk later! Just go inside the fucking dungeon now!" We were very close, only abut a hundred metres away from the entrance. There, I could think of a plan on what to do. I doubt that these guys would be stupid enough to just go inside all at once. I can ward them off with my rifle from inside.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I had fired off a couple more rounds just to make sure, and I turned tail and ran. I had resorted to carrying the big warrior over my shoulder, as he was really starting to slow down. Zaza may have been over 300 pounds of muscle and metal, but it felt just like a big, considerably heavy bundle of clothes I was carrying over my shoulder. This did two things, we were going to clear more distance faster, and since he was well armored from head to toe, I could use him as shield from the dozens of arrows raining down upon us. "Cover your face, Zaza! Those arrows are poisoned!" "OH, shit!" He put his forearms, which were guarded with half inch thick iron above his face, and I could hear a loud clang. His shield would''ve been a better alternative, however, it was rather hard to pull out the shield from his back while I''m carrying him. The blonde warrior was spouting curses as I could see a few arrows bouncing off harmlessly onto the ground. In front of me was Alexander carrying Luna, who had managed to dodge the few arrows that sailed towards him and the exhausted mage. "Keep running! Don''t stop until you reach my room!" We entered the passage within, sprinting through and entering my room. I dropped Zaza on the ground, as I was somewhat tired after all that. 400 CON did not give me infinite stamina. I only had 5 or so minutes until those bandits started marching through. I dashed to the doors leading deeper into the dungeon. I opened the middle one, and shouted as loud as I could. "HEY! Anybody here?!" I could hear the sound of footsteps echoing, closer to my location. The light behind me slowly revealed the slug monster I had fed bandits to a week ago. I had thrown the carcasses of the other two bandits two days ago, and I didn''t bother to look who had eaten it. By the time I came back from training outside, the corpses were gone.
Level 498 Eldritch Abomination, Thratu
It stood an intimidating 8 feet tall, with the head of a snail, two small tentacles sprouting on the top of it''s head, with the hulking figure similar to that of a gorilla. Massive biceps with eevn larger forearms, it''s hands look like it could crush me with ease. He stood not too far away, clearly visible to the trio behind me. "What''s up bossman!" It said in a cheery voice. "You got more people for me? Those three are looking like a snack!" "No they''re not, but there''s some fresh guys you can eat soon. BUT, I need to talk to your boss. Like, NOW." He shrugged, and remained silent for a few seconds, staying fairly still. Behind me, I could feel their stares burning into my back. They probably haven''t seen any monsters this cordial with other humans. In a small pop, there was a great blue ball of power right on top of my kitchen table. This startled the trio greatly, with Alexander letting out a squeak of fear. They inched closer to the exit, ready to flee if the entity turns out to be hostile. "I suppose that you calling me out here is something related to the large group of humans approaching the dungeon?" It said in a metallic voice. Not questioning how it knew, I pressed through. "I was wondering if you could cooperate with me, andnot killl these three while I go off and find a way to kill the humans outside." It stilled for a moment, pondering over what I said. "The only reason I didn''t overrun with you hordes of monsters, is the fear of the Goddess smiting me to ashes, and the fact that eliminating you would come at a too high of a cost. Normally, I''d never house a human willingly without trying to kill them." The dungeon core had a point. "Especially when those humans stated that they''dconquerme eventually." I glared at Alexander. "So, what''s in it for me?" I sighed. "I''ll do anything you want, that isn''t too extreme." "Hmm, no. Make it two favours." "Fine." I didn''t have time to be making demands. "Now, I need a couple of your guys to defend the entrance and act as my support, and to block any of them getting in." I went to my bed, and told Zaza to move out of the way. I reached underneath, where my rifle lay. I haven''t put this baby to the test yet, this would be an educational experience. Let''s see if people still die from a well placed bullet like they do on Earth. "Hey, you three. Give me all your mana potions. Some of your health potions, too."
Meanwhile, the bandits began to take position a good dozen feet around the entrance.The bigger ones stood at the forefront, with the most durable armor they could afford. After the lone survivor claimed that the human who lived in the dungeon had a variant of bow that fired tiny arrows at great speeds, the leader saw fit to equip his warriors that could take the force of even the swiftest of arrows. Behind the line of steel, were mages and archers, standing vigilant and ready to strike down anything that comes out of the dungeon. The rest were at the back, resting. A good half of the horde was a distance away setting up camps. These bandits were the less specialized who were ill suited for fighting in scenarios like this. The leader realized this, and had set up camp far away. Nearly a thousand would be capable of taking down those adventurers and the human who lived in the dungeon, no matter how high level they are. Even the king wouldn''t last so long against an organzed horde of bandits that average level 75. "Boss, how do we know if they won''t just stay there until we go away?" A random lackey asked, to provide foreshadowing for the readers. Oops, fourth wall break. Sorry about that.
Level 122 Human, Ivan Thornwell
"Heh, dungeons are treacherous. They lure adevnturers with the promise of treasure, riches and power they can''t comprehend and are brought to their knees by the treacherous nature of dungeons." Ivan Thornwell was a former adventurer turned bandit, one of the strongest in the nation. However, greed caused him to slaughter his adventurer party, for a legendary weapon they had acquired during an expedition and fled the kingdom with his brother, Hugo Thornwell. Since then, the formidable ranger had used his ruthless personality, cunning, awesome power and silver tongue to build an army that kingdoms hesitate to apprehend. Not only did he train his recruits, but instill a sense of loyalty into a crew of degenerates and scum, which allowed him to have such a great following. "The Stone Cell is an endless stone maze, one of the most inhospitable places in the world-"
"Damn, this place is great." Zaza whistled as he looked around. He had taken his armor off, nursing the injuries he received against the fight with Andrew. "This bed is insanely soft. What''s it made out of?" "I don''t know. Queztalcoatl made it for me. In fact, she made this whole room." There was a pause in everything. Thratu and Y''golonac had stilled as they absorbed what the hitman just said. Alexander and Luna were looking at him with an expression of disbelief. "YOU GOT THE GODDESS TO MAKE YOU A HOU-"
"-hosting the most bloodthirsty and violent creatures known to Durandal-"
"Would you like some tea, young one?" Alexander stared at the teacup in the Eldritch Abomination''s hands, unsure of whether to run or scream. He opted to nod and silently take the cup from the monster. The swordsman stared at the tea, which was the colour of a maple leaf in autumn. He stared at Andrew, silently asking if this was okay to drink, but Andrew didn''t notice the pointed look, or chsoe to ignore it. The monster was expectant, waiting to see it''s reaction. "..! Hey! This is really good!" The monster seemed to look bashful, scrunching it''s shoulders and waving off the compliment. "You make me blush, young lady. Ohohoho." The red haired boy sputtered. "I''m a guy! I have an Adam''s apple! I have a peni-" "-Aaaannnddd. I''m gonna stop you right there." Zaza muffled the young genius as he ranted on, offended about his masculinity being questioned. The 11 foot tall abomination apologized earnestly.
"-that entices adventurers with the greatest of treasures, only to turn around and reveal nothing but pain and despair-"
"Hey, is it true you guys keep the legendary equipment of the adventurers you''ve slain as treasure?" Zaza asked Thratu, who stood in front of the entrance that led outside. Having accepted the fact that these monsters weren''t going to eat them and could communicate in English, he decided to try and converse with them. The abomination shook it''s snail head. "Nah, if we kill someone, we eat the, armor and all. The only treasure we have here are books." "Hah?! Armor and all? How on earh do you digest that/ How do you evenchew?" "Nah, it''s really not that hard. Watch." The giant took hold of the corner of the stone wall with giant gorilla-like forearms and snapped of a piece with ease. It tossed the stone into it''s gaping maw, a huge slit that spanned from its left breast to right breast. Full of jagged teeth, it crushed the stone like a human would a biscuit. The warrior looked on in horror, wondering what would happen if he stuck his arm in there. Andrew looked up from cleaning his rifle, hearing the sound of stone breaking over the noise of the television. "HEY! Did you just eat my fucking wall?!" He looked livid, unhappy that his home was desecrated because the monster felt hungry and ate the wall. "Boss, wa-wait, I did it as a demonstr-GAH!"
"and completely hostile to anything that enters it. From the moment they entered the Stone Cell, they''d be bombarded with monsters and death, and their only hope of survival would be to go out." "How are we gonna confim if they''re dead or not?" "Well, if they don''t come out in a day, I''ll send 10 men in at a time to see if they''re still there."
"Alright, Snailhead, you stay here in the room, and make sure noone eats them. Headless, you;re coming with me. Stay a couple of metres near the entrance to cover me if I need to retreat." Andrew had equipped his gear, covering his torso and joints. His rifle slung over his shoulder, handgun in his hip holster, along with 5 bottles of mana restoring potions. He pointed at the three adventurers, who all stripped down to their clothes as they watched the television, fascinated with the technology. "You three, focus on recuperating as fast as possible." "Alright, good luck, Andrew. We''ll be waiting for you." Zaza waved. "I don''t need luck. I''m plenty good myself.