January 17th, 2022
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[Name: Richter Maier || Mana: 100%/100% || Level 24: 20% XP || Unused Attribute Points: 0 (-12)]
[Class: Swordsman (intrinsic)]
[Attributes: Strength: 25 || Agility: 28 || Constitution: 18 || Magic: 47 (35 + 12) || Intelligence 14]
[Abilities: Transcendent Bloodlust (innate), Transcendent Sense (innate), Swordsman's Tenacity (passive), Swordsman's Agility (passive) || Skills: Sunder, Harden]
[79 Copper || 0 Healing Potions || 2 Mana Potions]
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His recent trend was to invest everything into mana. It gave the best results - allowing him to keep his body coordinated while displaying power when needed. But investing so much at once made him dizzy, catching him off guard.
The mana in his veins sped up, threatening to burst and wreak havoc through his muscles and joints. Hints of bloodlust leaked out as he focused his mind on taking control. The energy inside stilled, as if scared stiff under his strong presence. Slowly, his mana circuit resumed, circulating throughout his body like nothing happened.
Richter shifted his body side to side, testing for any lingering effects.
There were none. He was both relieved and disappointed at that.
The next task was to find the dungeon. Fortunately, this wasn't hard. Richter was close enough to pick up on it with his Sense after a bit of wandering around. The intense aura that radiated was hard to miss.
A brisk run later he was standing in front of a collapsed building, facing three large marble gates. Two of them had been conquered already — fractured into pieces. Goblins were diced, frozen, or withered around a radius from the center. Just one was left standing, enticing him closer to the swirling, blue vortex.
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[TIER ? DUNGEON]
[Recommended Level: ?? - ??]
[Monsters: Tricksters]
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'Shit, nothing can ever be easy. But...'
This was in his favor. A standard Tier 1 dungeon boss wouldn't be enough to level him up. Tracking the XP gains revealed that an on-level kill gave twenty percent, with an additional ten percent for each level over.
He'd need to kill a level thirty monster. A being that passed the threshold of Tier 3. Rio's words echoed in his mind, but would it really be such a massive jump in power? Maybe the devil was in the details: Both goblin dungeons had been conquered, so why was the Trickster dungeon left alone? Did nobody try it?
Impossible. There had to be some that were brave or foolish enough to try. So the fact that it was still standing...
He pressed his hand to the dungeon interface and stepped through the portal.
...meant that no one survived.
***
A city, that unlike any he'd ever seen, welcomed him on the other side. He spawned before a thick gate of polished metal spanning a large plot of land. A lavish, cold mansion sprawled the width of the property on the far side, with a fence towering at ten feet wrapping all the way around. The exterior was murky and dark, colored with blacks, blues, and greens. At a glance, the materials were shiny and reflective. An old-fashioned wooden water wheel drew water across from a stable to the left of the mansion.
Richter looked around in awe.
'Is this really a dungeon?' he wondered.
He realized he knew little about what a dungeon was or where dungeons took place. Prior instances felt like separate spaces, but this...
It was lively.
The city behind him teemed with beings going about their day. Carriages creaked and groaned, shops sold weapons and armor, and chimneys from neighboring homes blew smoke into the sky. Dozens would stop to stare at him, frowning or shaking their heads in pity. There was no animosity or bloodlust. He reached out to the city - so close, yet so far.
A massive dome of mana - one that covered the estate - blocked his way. He turned back to the entrance, surprised to see that the gate had opened for him. A massive field of green and red grass with a shoulder-width path led to the front door. There were drained husks at varying points along the path, confirming his earlier thoughts. But his Sense didn't pick up on anything dangerous, even beneath the rocky soil.
Richter drew his sword and stepped onto the cobble, inching forward. Step after step, nothing.
Finally, as he passed the first corpse, something pierced through the air in his direction.
[Mana Surge - 5%]
He split the vine down the middle, flicking his wrist to arc the edge toward another on his right. Deja vu hit hard as more and more vines sprouted from the grass, each cut short in succession. It was much easier than the Vikten Queen, allowing him to conserve his mana.
Richter eyed the field, looking for any signs of the source and coming up short. It was like the grass itself was a security system to keep intruders out. The attacks grew in number and speed the further he made it — but that only made the patterns more predictable. He cut another set of vines, stepping across the threshold of the porch, and like magic, the vines stopped. The front door creaked open, inviting him in.
But just walking through the doorway was difficult. A brazen, malicious aura blanketed him, making each step harder than the last. He ground his teeth and forced himself into the foyer. Everything felt wrong.
The interior was lit by oil lamps strung up on pillars equidistant from one another. Carved statues - presumably of the owner - painted a story of a warrior, a conqueror, and a hero. Poses of victory and success. A narcissist.
Richter took a deep breath as the pressure disappeared. He'd love to explore and catch his bearings, but a trail of blood beckoned him toward the back rooms. Not that he saw any other doors to check. He passed under an arch, rebounding his footsteps off the tile floor.
The throne room came into view seconds later, a sight that chilled him to his core. A chilliness contrasted with the funeral pyre in the back left corner. A mass of wood was set ablaze, piled with bodies of the people who came before him. Clumps of burnt remains settled at the bottom. The smell was vile. His eyes watered. But the man atop the gold throne didn't bat an eye.
He was human...mostly. His skin was an earthy grey, smooth, and polished with no blemishes. He had curly blonde hair and wore a crown atop his head. A crown that stood out even against the glow of fire. The man's lips pursed, lighting with a golden glow.
"Another lamb to the slaughter and no more servants to clean up the mess. What a waste."
He vanished. From sitting to halving the distance between them. His feet left prints of ash and soot as his short sword sliced through the air.
[Shikigami Sword Style: Draw - 80%]
Richter's arm blurred. The sound of the sword sliding from its sheath rang out as he met the attack. But against a man who could cover dozens of meters in a blink, blocking was the wrong choice.
His arm ripped in several places as he met with an unstoppable force. He was tossed back, denting the wall across from the throne. He expected his end any moment. But the man didn't follow up. He reappeared on the throne with his legs crossed, grunting in displeasure.
"Strange. Your mana efficiency must be quite impressive. I didn't think anyone from your planet could display such power."
Richter was too busy coughing up blood to pay attention. He slid down the wall and bought a Healing Potion, shakily tilting it between his lips.
"Why didn't you follow up?" He choked out.
The man snorted, gripping the left armrest like a vice. "It doesn't matter. You only have so much mana; I'll kill you soon enough."
Richter eyed the man carefully, examining his expressions and behavior.
"Is it because you can't?... You can't follow up?"
"Shut up."
The gold armrest cracked under his strength.
Richter downed a Mana Potion and sheathed his sword. The man's eyes flashed gold again.
He was ready this time. Seeing it once was enough. The attack didn't have any technique or discipline behind it. It was just an ugly, untrained slash.
[Mana Surge - 50%]
He bent back, using the minimum amount needed to dodge. The man reappeared on the throne again, glaring at Richter with annoyance.
It finally dawned on Richter, though he should have realized it sooner.
"You're a Trickster, aren't you? You aren't the real one."
The monster clicked his tongue.
"Does it matter?"
"I'm curious. That crown isn't just for show, right? You're the King of this country or wherever. Why would a monster bother going to such lengths?"
"It wasn't by choice." The man leaned forward, letting his shirt spill open to reveal a black collar around his throat.
"That collar—"
"It isn't just for show," he spat.
"I see. That's why you couldn't follow up."
The man regained control and burst forth.
[Mana Surge - 50%]
Richter grabbed his wrist as he slid past. It was meaningless. Just a brief pause before the man shook off his grasp. But there was a trace of fear in his eyes.
He raced back to the throne, crashing into the seat as he screamed in agony. Richter could see it more clearly now - the arcs of lightning that surged from the collar, scorching the monster's body. He thought he Sensed it earlier, but now it was confirmed.
"You aren't allowed to leave the throne, are you?"
"It makes no difference if you know."
Richter shook his head in disagreement, "I guess I should be grateful for it."
He downed his last Mana Potion.
[Chain Cast: Sunder x3 (20%) --> Mana Surge (40%)]
The man's eyebrows lifted in shock.
"Impossi—"
Each sphere flew toward him, spaced out just enough to catch him after he slashed. He strained his body in an attempt to hit them without getting up.
One down, then another, but the third was too awkward to hit. It whizzed past his ear, hitting the intended target: the throne. The seat blasted to pieces, knocking the man off balance.
With no throne, how was he to obey the command?
The collar blinked red and white, whirling louder and louder. He desperately tore at it to no avail. Richter watched silently as the King was shocked to a crisp, fading closer to death. He walked over and stabbed down into his durable throat, claiming the last of his struggles.
['Trickster Level 30 (CAPPED)' killed. 0 copper awarded. 80% XP awarded]
[Level up! You have reached level 25. Attribute points awarded. Subclass available.]
All in all, he should be happy with the result. The fight was in his favor, and he reached the goal of level twenty-five. It just left a sour taste in his mouth. The Trickster undoubtedly killed a lot of people. But such a fate was...uncomfortable.
The blue exit portal opened up for him. He walked through, grateful to get away. But another notification popped on the other side. And with it, the earth shook.
[Challenge 2 was completed through hidden clear conditions. Tier 1 Status will be overridden.]
[Bonus rewards will be distributed shortly to the individual(s) responsible.]
[Challenge 2 successful. Adjustments have been made]
[Congratulations, Earth is officially a Tier 2 Planet. Your Challenge Page has been updated.]
Richter wouldn't meet them for a while, but at long last-
The Ëinhãŕl had arrived.
***