Nathan felt as though he had moved to an unfamiliar environment. A rotten and wet scent immediately forced its way into his nostrils. The sensation of the damp air and the lower temperature also spread throughout his body.
Nathan closed his eyes and bent down, still in his spot.
The dungeon he had entered had the environment of a long tunnel cave with a minimal source of light from the sparsely scattered luminous stones on the cave walls. Most of the cave area was filled with puddles of water.
Although it was located in Southlake, its environment made it an unusually beginner-unfriendly dungeon. However, the number of monsters in the dungeon was relatively small.
That was why it still was a favorite option for beginners. The risk to reward ratio was still pretty good for them.
After a few seconds, Nathan opened his eyes. The senses of a Hunter, by default, were an upgrade over a normal person's. They could hear, feel, and see better than normal humans. And although it was still difficult, he was getting used to the dungeon environment.
Nathan slowly stood up and held his sword.
'Luna… Luna… Can you hear me?' Nathan tried to communicate without making a sound.
Luna floated in front of him. "Yes, I can hear you, Master."
Nathan nodded. 'I'll try to communicate quietly with you from now on, alright?'
"Sure," she said, her voice hushed. "If you want to make it out of the dungeon alive, you need to be as quiet as possible."
Nathan remained silent in his place, trying to get used to his slightly muddy footing. The surface of the water seemed to be ankle-deep.
He tried to minimize the sound of his footsteps, but the sound of his footsteps stepping on the puddles could not be avoided and immediately echoed in the narrow cave.
'I don't think I can avoid making noise. These puddles are everywhere!.'
Nathan had researched earlier and discovered that this particular dungeon contained between 10 and 20 monsters, one of which was the Boss located at the end of the tunnel. Since it was a Solo Dungeon, Nathan had the freedom to enter and exit at any time; however, the dungeon would be sealed off for the following week.
When a dungeon gate appeared on earth for the first time. A Hunter must be able to clear the dungeon before its contents explode and the monsters inside come out and attack humans.
When a dungeon had been conquered, its status will become a used dungeon. The difficulty level will decrease drastically and can be re-entered periodically. However, the main reward could only be obtained when the dungeon was conquered for the first time.
The used dungeon would also have a useful life. When the dungeon gets used frequently, the number of monsters will continue to decrease. At one point, the dungeon gate will be destroyed and could no longer be used.
Dungeons also have a minimum level requirement and a maximum number of participants. Therefore, the higher the tier of a dungeon and the difficulty, the greater the number of Hunters would be allowed to enter.
"Say, Luna, how long does it take for the average Hunter to reach level 50?"
"Hmm…."
Luna was silent, just following Nathan's footsteps.
"You don't have to worry. Just tell me."
"The average Hunter can reach level 50 in two years, Master Nathan." There was a sad tone in her voice.
Nathan nodded. "I understand it seems impossible to achieve the target I want to achieve this time."
He sighed lightly before continuing. "Can you tell me why it takes so long to do it?"
"Okay," Luna floated in front of him. Even though the light from the crescent moon she was sitting on was bright, it didn't help illuminate the dark cave.
"Most of the beginner Hunters don't finish the dungeon. They come out when they think they're in trouble or get seriously injured."
"Okay, then?"
Nathan said, stopping his steps. He heard splashing water echoing in the distance.
"This way, the average Hunter only kills about seven monsters in one week. With such low averages and the intensity with which they enter dungeons in one month, most only reach level 50 in two years. Some even take longer."
Nathan nodded. "The initial phase as a Hunter is quite difficult. Especially for those who are in support roles. Clearing a dungeon like this alone is certainly not a simple thing."
The sound of splashing water got closer and closer.
"Our first opponent is approaching."
Nathan stood quietly, holding the sword with both hands. He tried to calm his breathing. He did not want to do anything wrong.
"I want to get a sense of the strength of my opponent before I put my berserker skills to the test," he said.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The incoming footsteps suddenly sped up as Nathan's first enemy exploded into a sprint.
A figure as tall as half an average human's body could be seen running from a distance. The two red eyeballs that were clearly visible quickly moved closer.
"It's a Swarm Rat, Master Nathan," she said, warning him of its dangerous movements. "Its bite contains a powerful poison that can weaken all human senses, so be careful."
Nathan waited quietly. After a few seconds, the monster's figure finally appeared not far in front of him. It looked like a giant rat with long fur covering its body.
[Swarm Rat Lv. 5]
The rat groaned and moaned horrifically and bared its sharp teeth at Nathan.
Nathan took a deep breath. He exhaled again.
"This is the first fight I have been waiting for my whole life. I will not disappoint myself and Edna, who has patiently trained me this far." Nathan gritted his teeth.
The rat jumped and darted swiftly towards him.
Even though the rat's movements were wild and fast, he could still keep up with it. He threw his sword slash towards the rat's mouth.
Slash!
A robust and sturdy sword slash connected with the rat's ugly face and sent it flying backward.
Nathan jumped back and tried to read the rat's next movement.
The rat screamed on the spot, and its movements became uncontrollable.
Sensing that the rat was more or less disabled, Nathan darted in close quickly. Within a blink of an eye, his body was in front of the rat. The rat's jaw shot open and tried to bite him. But Nathan unhesitatingly threw a stab into its jaw, instantly stabbing through the bone of the monster's head.
Blade found brain matter, and the fight was over as quickly as it had started.
[You've killed Swarm Rat Lv. 5]
[You received 25 experience]
[Exp: 25/50]
Nathan could smell the thick, nauseating blood of the monster. It added to the rotten smell of the cave and puddles and made it many times worser.
Nathan pulled back his sword and pushed the rat's dead body away.
Gingerly and with a grimace, Nathan turned the rat over to show its chest. Immediately, he slashed it open.
"Ugh… looks like I should get used to doing this?"
Nathan reached inside the rat's chest and stopped when he found what he was looking for.
[Swarm Rat Monster Core Lv. 5]
He got a dark stone from the monster's chest. It was a Monster Core. According to his research, monsters had a 50% chance of leaving a Monster Core when they died.
Nathan gripped the stone, which was the size of an adult human thumb. Then he put it in his backpack.
Nathan waved his left hand and sword to get the rat's blood off them.
"I really need some time to get used to all this stuff."
Nathan then continued on his way. He did it slowly and remained alert for any surprise attacks that might come his way.
Very soon, he found another monster, and he was also able to easily defeat it.
[You've killed Swarm Rat Lv. 5]
[You received 25 experience]
[Level Up]
[Exp: 0/60]
[You received 6 stat points]
[You received 100 skill points]
"Finally!" Luna exclaimed. "You're leveling up for the first time!"
Nathan's face was alight with joy as he threw his fists in the air, unable to contain his excitement.
He smiled, "The 20% increase in status points from each level is truly a privilege that cannot be underestimated."
Nathan again cleaved the chest of the rat monster that stretched stiffly in front of him. And this time, he didn't get a Monster Core from it.
"Ugh…" Nathan disdainfully waved his palm.
"Okay, Luna. Let's welcome the next monster!" Nathan walked back slowly down the cave passage.