I didn't speak to the item lady—my feet moved straight to the portal, hoping to clear the floors and improve no matter the cost to my body.
There were only 3 hours before I would have to meet Aki, and Mother would be gone to avoid any trouble.
[Do you want to do this?]
{It will be hard~}
"I have to learn not just to throw my body around and rely on the flames that easily kill monsters. Just for this floor, let me try to improve and fight with my body and this cheap sword."
[Iron Greatsword (Uncommon)]
Durability: 120/120
Attack: 12
Defence: 7
Info: A well-made standard Iron Greatsword with great stopping power and damage.
As I stepped into the portal, it felt completely different than before, maybe due to my new race or the song of Flora, who knew, but the teleport didn't make me feel sick as the familiar feeling of floating through a dark sea filled my body with comfort.
[(He's getting used to it finally...)]
{(You worry too much Eternia~)}
{(Our little puppy will be fine. He needs to grow more, or he will die.)}
[(Don't...)]
{(The protection of his world will not last long, I will tell him if you do not~)}
My body landed in a small clearing like a little grassland between a forest—thinking of the scenery of the Ratman village from before, it makes sense that the next floors would be in a field...
Maybe up to floor 9, I will be attacking the village rather than defending it?
Before I started the floor and left the safe platform, there seemed to be a change in the dungeon type... They seem more intelligent and lifelike.
"Even from here, I can see the small patrolling groups of Ratmen."
Let's adjust my bonus attributes and take out my sword...
I wanted to continue using my hands and feet; I had used them for over ten years to learn martial arts and survive the slums...
But sometimes my fists won't be enough, whether the reach is too short or unable to handle several enemies simultaneously.
"It's not like I will always overpower the enemy completely."
20 Points...
Since I was a little lazy and didn't check in the past, I checked the current effects that each attribute did...
For some reason, Eternia and Lupera were silent, and thus it felt a little lonely.
Strength - The amount of physical and muscular power of your body, increased melee damage and body strength.
Dexterity - Improves your speed and flexibility, making ranged weapons more accurate and increasing your running speed. It also improves defensive abilities like parrying or dodging.
Vitality - Increases your natural defences, lowering damage taken from physical sources and making it harder to kill you. It also improves general health and stamina.
Intelligence - All magical damage increases and reduces the time it takes to cast most magic, granting better synergy and increasing Mana capacity.
Magic - Linked to Intelligence and represents the current level of magic damage.
Since I felt that my body was more important for now.
I decided to prioritise strength, dexterity and vitality first, adding 6 to all three and the last 2 points to my strength.
[User: 513225769]
[Status: Wants to improve and learn]
[Current Location: Gold Tier Dungeon - Level 5]
[Safe Zone: Saol, Happy-Life Apartments, xxx-xxx]
[Name: Rai Shibuya]
Race: Human/Primal Werewolf
Sex: Male
Guild: Lexion Knights
Location: 32nd Island Pamil 8th District (Noble-Area) Medium Size
Class: Champion of Lupera
Title: He Who Molested The Goddess! [+ 10 Charm + 2 Luck - 10 Good Fate], Wolf Mothers Chosen [+ Wolf Fist Damage]
Eternal Rank: Bronze 1
Eternia Rank: 204,205th
Level: 7
HP: 40/40 MP: 24/24
Attribute Points: 0
STR: 22
DEX: 20
VIT: 20
INT: 12
MAG: 12
Charm: 15 (Temporarily Locked) (The Goddess would let you kiss her feet.)
Luck: 10 (Cannot be increased with Points)
==>Current Wealth <==
$13,650
259 Gold
Spells: Mid-Rank Flaming Wolf Fist Burst! (MAX)
Skill: Low-Rank Boxing Arts (Lv7), Mid-Rank Damage Reduction (Lv1) Low-Rank Greatsword Skill (Lv1), Low-Rank Melee Defence Skill (Lv1), Mana Vision (Lv1), Dark Vision (Passive), Mana Kiss (Lv1), Superman punch (Lv1)
Form: Primal Werewolf Form (Lvl1)
Passive: Handsome Aura
Blessings: Wolf Mother's Blessing [Vit+5]
[Flora's Song: Duration 24 hours! +5 To all attributes! Her feelings are bursting—she feels a strange fluttering in her stomach when looking at you directly!]
-
The song she gave me didn't show on the screen, but a faint blue light beside them on the screen showed +5 to each attribute except charm.
I am happy with the growth from just adding my class and race.
"Phew..." A moment after putting so many attributes into my body, a sudden sense of discomfort spread as my muscles and veins began writhing and wriggling under my flesh... It was disgusting before a healthy throbbing pain grew in each of my limbs...
"Shit..."
When I tried to step forward, my body almost collapsed. The disconnection between the speed and power I was used to had been increased by 25%, and I tripped, slipping out of the safe zone...
Instantly I felt a hostile prickling on my skin.
This was completely different from the previous floors—maybe I had finally stepped out of the tutorial or something...
Closing my eyes, I began to breathe deeply, letting the painful sensations in my body slowly fade while calming myself.
I didn't want to rush off like a foolish idiot and smash things...
There would come a time when that wouldn't work!
"Change starts with my realisation and efforts. Now then..."
Looking around the area with more focus, the trees seemed to be those you might find during winter.
"Are they called conifers?"
Sadly my knowledge of greenery and trees was lacking, but it was a little like Christmas. Within the small bushes and trunks were small animals like rabbits with extremely long ears and small horns... and an orange-furred fox.
"Kinda cute... I imagine the fox would be Lupera, and the rabbit being chased is Eternia...Haha." Comforting myself as the silence of the wild was eerie to those who were used to the city, where noise never stops...
No crowds, no cars, no roadworks... Only the sound of animals and the soft frigid winds blew against my body.
Putting my fingers into the inventory, I grabbed the Iron sword again.
When you travel through the portal, the weapons will be sent to your inventory...
But why didn't it send clothes back too?
I got a little sidetracked, instead walking forward and looking around at the sword held over my shoulder as the weight was now negligible.
"Don't rush."
"Don't get too worked up."
"Keep calm and watch your opponent's actions, their habits and try to exploit them as a race."
"Let's go me... We can do it."
Slowly, with calm steps, I walked towards the closest scouting party of the Ratmen, sniffing the air as they looked towards my direction.
Biting my tongue, I avoided the anxiety and self-doubt built over the years in my head, repeatedly repeating, "I can do this; I am not useless", repeatedly to keep a calm facade.
I had family, friends...
Just rushing along head first and hoping for the best is no longer how I live. What happens when I, too, can die in this world?
Now is my time to learn; my body can take the damage.
[!!!]
{(See, look at him go. Have faith in the man that was fated to save us.)}
[...]
Holding the sword with both hands, I began to plan my next actions, how to attack and avoid damage.
I watched the Ratmen rushing towards me at their slow pace.
"Farewell." Somehow the words came out as I stepped to the side, then twisted my hips, rotating the huge sword around my body in a circle before cleaving the head of two rats off without any damage or rushing.
-> Defeated Ratman A and B
I watched their bodies drop, taking two steps back, lowering the sword and watching the remaining 4 Rats.
"Thank you for being my stepping stones."