It's been 8 days since I entered this dungeon. I'm currently exploring the 5th floor. Actually, there is no difference in environtments between the 1st floor and the 5th floor.
Be it the ceiling, walls or even the grounds, everything looks the same. Even the monsters are the same. Slimes, goblins, bats and zombies. If not for the fact that this place was corrupted by the abyss seeds, the lower floors is no different from the newbie dungeon.
My plan was to clear a floor per day, but I have been staying in this floor for 3 days now. I don't want to make a mistake by rushing recklessly and die in vain.
Thankfully, it seems like the effects of 3x exp is working. I can tell I'm getting stronger even when I'm killing monsters weaker than me.
With my current strength, I'm probably around level 12. It's really annoying since I can't see my status nor my progress. The reason why rpg players are torturing themselves with grinding monsters in game is because they can see the progress.
No matter how small the progress is, as long as you see the experiences bar increase, it's definitely motivating. For example, if killing a single monster gives you 0,07%. Then you just need kill 1500 monsters to fill your experiences bar to level up.
It sounds a lot, but not actually. Let's say it took 5 seconds to kill a monster, then you just need to farm for 2 hours to kill 1500 monsters.
This is why even though grinding is a torture, people still do it because they can see their progress. But reality is different, not only I have to waste my time looking for monsters while exploring this place, I have to be on guard at all times to avoid sneak attack. If it was still a game, I probably already reached level 50 or higher in 3 days.
Due to being unable to see my experiences bar, I focus on raising my proficiency.
The way how I handle my weapon, breathing, footing, finding the enemy weakness point and reading the flow of the battle. In the game, all of this are not shown as data, but I can feel it in reality.
The more I fight, the more I can see my own growth through these things. For example, it took a minute to kill a goblin before, but now I can kill a goblin in 10 seconds.
Even with my knowledge about the game, it took me 3 days to learned their attack patterns and habit to finally get used to it. Sometimes, I misjudged the situation, disrupting my rhythm.
Knowing about the monster informations doesn't mean I can get used to it instantly. Although I only get light bruise so far, it doesn't mean I'm unhurt.
This is only possible due to the fact that I'm currently on the lower floors, but once I reached higher floors I might get killed even when fighting against monster with lower level than mine.
If there is no change, the boss in this floor is a level 10 skeleton warrior. I've been hunting zombie to get used dealing with humanoid monster.
Even though goblin have 2 legs and 2 arms just like human, their short built is not the ideal training partner for me. Zombie who used to be human is more ideal. Thanks to it, I got used to the smell of rotten meat and seeing corpses.
In front of me, there was an iron door with torches placed on the walls in both sides. It was about 3 meters in height. The blue flames burning the torches gave a cold and eerie feeling. It feels like my soul would get dragged away if I stare at it for too long.
No matter how I see it, this is the boss room. This place looks beautiful on the screen, but seeing it for real makes me nervous.
To be exact, the thing that is behind this door is what makes me nervous. Even from here, I could sense its dread aura and the suffocating atmosphere.
I extended my left hand towards the door. I could feel the cold sensation slowly spreads out from my hand to my entire body. Anxiety, fear, excitement and joy. My hands were trembling as my emotions rage on like a whirlwind.
I gripped the sword on my right hand so hard trying to hold my overflowing emotions.
"Let's go"
I grinned unconsciously and pushed the door open.
∆ ∆ ∆
As soon as I sat foot inside, flames burst out all over the walls. The room was brightened up.
"What the hell?"
In the center part of the room, a three meter skeleton was standing still. It wore a tattered armor and holds a rusty great axe with both hands. Blue flames were burning in it's empty eyes, emitting a cold and eerie feeling.
I could feel it's terrifying gaze as I stared at it.
"Kakakakaka"
A clacking sound resounded inside the room as it moves its jawbones. Purple light burst out from the ground and 5 skeleton soldiers came out from the magic circle. 4 melee and 1 archer.
"It's gonna be one hell of a fight"
I was taken aback and let out a wry smile.
I hurriedly took out a medium-grade strength potion and speed potion and gulped it down in one go.
I have to buff myself if I wanted to win and live to tell the tale.
4 skeleton soldiers were charging at me with their swords while the other one was aiming its bow at me.
I hurriedly ran to make a distance. It would be bad if I got surrounded by them and the boss charge at me.
As I ran, I channeled my mana into my sword and threw "Crescent Slash"towards the skeleton archer first.
The wind shockwave hit the skeleton archer and split it into two as it crumbled.
As soon as I killed it, I channeled my mana into my feet and turned around.
"Die!"
I ran and charged towards the skeleton soldiers with a thrust. The body of the skeleton soldier on the front was broken into pieces.
I stopped for a moment and 2 skeleton soldiers jumped out and attacked me. I dodged to the side and slashed at one of them, separating its head from its body. The next moment, I chopped down at the other one and broke it's skull.
While I was busy dealing with these two, the last skeleton soldier sneaked attack on me.
"Tsk"
Taking advantage of the buffs from the potions, I blocked its it's attack and overpowered it.
Seeing it's last subordinate have been killed, the boss let out a loud roar and charged towards me.
"Come on you damn skeleton!"
I rushed at the boss and closed the distance instantly.
Clank!
A sharp sound resounded as we clashed.
I could feel my hand going numb as our weapon clashed. My hand was pushed back as I lost my balance.
In that short moment, the skeleton warrior slashed for the second time.
"Damn!"
There was no time for me to dodged, so I could only brace myself and blocked it's attack.
Clank!
The impact threw my body away until I hit the walls.
"Kuh!"
I could feel my bones shattered due to the impact. Even after drinking strength potion, I still lost in terms of power.
"Damn you!"
I stood up and spat out the blood in my mouth. Since I couldn't compete with strength, then I will utilize my speed to avoid it's attack and hit it's weakness.
I took out a medium-grade healing potion and drank it. I could feel my body getting healed as the bitter medicine entered my throat.
"Bastard! Let's see whether I kill you first or I ran out of potions first!"
"Kakakakaka!"
I grinned as I saw it charged towards me. I ran to open a distance while chanelling my mana into my sword.
"Come and catch me!"
"Kakakaka!"
It let out a furious roar and it's speed increased due to my provocation.
In the game, all I had to do to fight boss was just set my position, click attack or skills and use potions or guard to cut down the boss HP until I defeated it. If my party members was knocked out I could use items to revive them.
But reality is different. If I got knocked out here that means death. There is no save and load or retry, so I only have one chance.
As I resolved myself, I channeled my mana to the limit and turned around.
I charged at the boss as fast as I could and closed the distance. My mind was getting empty the closer I am.
The boss swung it's great axe at me, and in that moment I could feel as if time was slowing down. I could see it's attack trajectory line so clearly and hear the sound of my heart beating slowly.
I ducked and swung my sword at it's knee. Due to it's size, the boss lost it's balance and fell on it's knee. Without any hesitation I turned back and slashed at it's neck.
"That was fun, bitch!"
Clank!
With a sharp sound, it's head flew away and it's body fell into the ground.