The next day dawned with the promise of adventure and danger. Aryan's routine had become a grueling test of endurance, with hours of mining and intense fire magic training. His body bore the marks of his efforts, covered in bruises and burns, but his spirit remained unyielding.
[Ding!!
Active skill learned: Flame control rank: D-
magic power increased by +50 ]
Aryan's red T-shirt, once pristine, was now a testament to his determination, stained with dirt and scratches. But his smile remained radiant, matching the blazing fire that danced in his palm.
"For the next step, I need to keep producing flames repeatedly until I develop fireball skills. Embrace the process and keep pushing your limits," Aryan said to himself, his satisfaction evident.
After done with the training, Aryan walked to the dormatory where he was granted to take a little rest, whatever he could, before the mining job began again.
"The writer believes that flame control is not an offensive skill, Rimuru. Want to prove him wrong?" Aryan chuckled, lying on his bed while reading the book of flame magic in his hands.
"Giyu Giyu," Rimuru responded, hopping excitedly next to Aryan.
[Rimuru: green slime, "Contracted Beast" ]
ͯLevel 2 Progress: 1.8%
Active skill: First aid, used for detoxification and healing
Basic heal [heals any basic cuts, scratches, and wounds]
"Indeed, my friend!" Aryan laughed, suddenly propelling himself up from the bed. Flames continued to flicker in his hand as he sat on the edge of his bed.
"Get ready, because tomorrow we are going to conquer the second floor of the dungeon."
"Giiiiyuuu!"
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Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Aryan, Rimuru had been making remarkable progress in the past two days.
Flashback: IN PAST:-
"GIIIIIYYYYYUUUUU!" Rimuru exclaimed, bouncing on the table with excitement.
"So, you're saying there is more magical energy outside than inside?" Aryan asked, a touch of confusion evident in his voice as he sat on the bed.
[ A/N: Aryan can somewhat understand Rimuru's feelings since he contracted it.]
"Giyu, Giiiyyuu, Giiiiiiyu."
"And you can do... ah, your Giyu thing to grow faster here?" Aryan translated, his brow furrowing with puzzlement.
Rimuru's excitement intensified as he continued his animated explanation.
"Alright then, buddy. I'll hide you inside the table, and you can do your Giyu thing, or whatever it is you meant. Just make sure to stay safe while I'm outside training," Aryan responded, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
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Present time:-
"Congratulations, everyone! We made it out of the dungeon without a hitch, and the mission was a resounding success," the silver-armed knight announced, his joy evident in his voice.
"And as a token of our gratitude, the Rudra clan has decided to reward you with 15 silver coins instead of the promised 12 for your exceptional efforts," the knight continued.
"YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" The crowd erupted into cheers and roars of celebration.
For Aryan, fortune seemed to favour him these past few days. Learning the fire skill at a bargain, witnessing Rimuru evolve to level 2, and now receiving extra coins as a reward—it seemed luck was on his side. But there was one thing left to do: test his newfound personal skill.
Having rested well the previous night and feeling surprisingly energised after leaving the dungeon, he decided to change into fresh clothes in his rented room before heading to Whale's shop.
[A/N: Whale was the dwarf from whom Aryan had previously purchased his weapon and armour.]
"Hello, Uncle Whale! Remember me? I bought chainmail armour from you," Aryan called out, knocking on the door.
"Coming... coming..." a muscular dwarf replied, wiping sweat from his forehead as he opened the door. "Ahh, it's you, brat! Could've said so earlier. Come in," he grumbled, stepping aside to let Aryan enter.
"So, what brings you here this time?" the dwarf asked, gesturing towards his collection of weaponry with his left hand while still holding a towel in his right.
"I'll be venturing into the second and third floors of the dungeon. Do you have any armour more suitable for that, sir?" Aryan inquired with a genuine smile.
"Ah, the wolf hideout. You're making progress, lad. Not bad, not bad," the dwarf muttered, stroking his chin. "You see, the small wolves on the second floor are agile creatures, and their attacks can be dangerous. I suggest you go with leather armour and wear chainmail armour beneath it for added protection."
"As for weapons—" Before the dwarf could finish his sentence, Aryan interjected.
"I already have something in mind," Aryan said, struggling to contain his excitement. "Do you have any gauntlets or knuckles? I'd love to purchase a pair."
"Hmmm," the dwarf mused, a hint of amusement in his expression.
"I've got just what you need," the dwarf replied, making his way to his equipment pile and retrieving two knuckles and a set of leather armour.
"It'll cost you 1 silver and 200 copper for the pair," the dwarf declared, his left eye narrowing.
[ Leather armor: Normal tier
[No special effects]
[ Iron gauntlets—Advanced tier]
Special ability: Mana conduction, allows the user to cast spells while wearing them.
Special ability: Bleed—The target hit by it will bleed 20% of the total damage per second for 2 seconds.
Aryan's gaze was fixed on the iron gauntlets, their black surface adorned with four 2-inch spikes. The lower end featured a larger, 5-inch spike, while the upper end appeared plain.
"Seems like my luck is soaring these days, huh?" Aryan thought to himself, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I can offer you 900 coppers for them."
"1 silver and 100 copper, given that you're an old customer," the dwarf countered, a smug look on his face.
"950 copper; that's all I have," Aryan politely requested.
"1 silver, no more, no less," the dwarf responded firmly, crossing his arms.
"Alright, deal!" Aryan agreed, satisfaction evident on both their faces.
Armed with his new equipment, Aryan made his way
to the hunting area on the first floor.
Once again, Aryan found himself standing amidst the grassy landscape, and a rustling sound emanated from behind him. Swiftly dodging to the left, he leapt backward as a blur streaked towards him. As he caught sight of the rat, a smile crept onto his face, and flames engulfed his fists, turning the iron knuckles red-hot.
"Time to unveil my personal skill: fire punch."
With those words, Aryan's hand shot forward, landing a direct hit on the airborne rat that had leaped at him. A small explosion echoed as the rat dissipated into black smoke.
"The book claims that the golden energy I emit from my hand is some kind of explosive that triggers upon contact with other materials. While I may not be able to conjure a fireball—essentially a larger explosion—without sufficient magical power and control to concentrate those explosive energy particles, the book overlooked a crucial detail," Aryan explained, a wide grin still etched on his face.
"Whether the explosives are big or small, they're still explosives. Instead of channelling all that explosive energy into one point, I realised that by spreading it away and coating my hands with the explosive energy, I could develop an entirely new skill."
"With this skill, whenever something makes contact with my fist, the explosive energy coating my hands creates a chain reaction of small blasts, amplifying the impact force and burning damage of my attacks."
"Not only this—the more I keep punching, the stronger my attacks become," Aryan declared, his fists clenched with determination.
"Now then, it's time for floor 2!"