'Fuck,' Jacob cursed internally upon seeing that his arm didn't regrow. This affected his combat power a lot, and he was starting to struggle to hold off zombies.
"Serina, help a bit here," Jacob said to his sister.
"Idiot," Serina muttered as she worked harder to push back and kill more zombies because of Jacob.
But overall, the group had an easier time because all bodyguards also reached above level 10 and became stronger.
They already had above-average fighting capability, so getting a boost in their body stats and acquiring skills made them stronger.
The group was getting closer to the area where the mist was present.
Erix and Rin were the first to enter the misty area and vanished when they entered!
"T-That…what happened?" Toshin and others were startled to see Erix and Rin disappearing.
Isabella bit her lips and entered the mist area as the scenery changed.
She saw a vast garden before her with that giant flower monster at the center.
[You have entered a field dungeon. Defeat the Helix Flower to get a Rare Treasure chest and other random rewards]
Erix, Rin, and Isabella stood at the corner of this garden and couldn't get out as everything outside this five hundred square meters area garden was only a thick fog on all sides.
Rin tried to put her hand out but quickly took it back as her skin started burning and her Vitality decreased by a point.
"We can't leave this garden," Rin said somberly.
Soon, Toshin, Lena, Serina, Jacob, and those ten bodyguards also entered the misty area.
"Aaron is outside…." Isabella said with a worried expression.
"Don't worry. I still have a connection with my pet and can communicate with it. They are fine," Erix said before he turned to the giant flower monster.
"We must kill that monster to leave this so-called field dungeon."
[Helix Flower]
_Type: Plant Monster
_Vitality: 2000/2000
_Attack: 300
_Defense: 100
_Status:
—> [ Strength: 135 / Agility: 103 / Health: 164 / Stamina: 164]
—> [ Magic: 50 / Mana: 500/500 ]
"It's not moving to attack us," Rin said with a thoughtful expression. "I think it will only awake and attack us if we attack it, which means we have a resting time."
Toshin looked at bodyguards and said, "Quick, open treasure chests and gear up."
He also took out the three treasure chests he got: two common and one uncommon grade.
Lena also got two common and one uncommon grade treasure chest.
Jacob got one common and one uncommon, while Serina was lucky as she got four treasure chests, two uncommon and two common.
Each bodyguard also got at least two or more treasure chests.
On the other hand, Isabella got five treasure chests, two common and three uncommon.
But Rin and Erix only got two treasure chests total: one Uncommon-grade from a Bee that Erix killed and one Rare-grade from that bulldog monster.
Everyone started opening their treasure chests as they received various things.
Isabella got three 1st Tier skills and two normal-class skills from her five treasure chests.
She learned all five skills one by one as she felt a bit of a headache because of the information entering her head regarding the skills.
[~Isabella~]
_Race: Human
_Level: 18
_Class: None
_Vitality: 200/200
_Status points: 36
——> [ Strength: 32 (+60)/ Agility: 33/ Health: 35 / Stamina: 34]
——> [ Magic affinity: Rank-A / Magic power: 94 (+30) / Mana: 200/200 ]
_Skills:
______Active Skills: [3/5] ______
-> [ Frost Shield (1st Tier) ]
-> [ Flame Whips (1st Tier) ]
-> [ Wind Dash (1st Tier) ]
______Passive Skills: [2/5] ______
-> [ Vital Power (1st class): Strength +60, Vitality +100 ]
-> [ Soldier Combat Art (normal class): Acquires soldier-level fighting knowledge and expertise.]
______Special Skills: [1/3] ______
-> [ Mother's Unbounded Love ]
"I feel so strong now…." Isabella muttered as she got knowledge of the skills. The one that affected her combat ability was Soldier Combat Art. She now had a similar level of fighting expertise as a soldier.
That skill could be said to be the most useful skill! Such fighting expertise would immensely help her in fights, especially in the current early stage of this apocalypse.
"Erix, Rin. Should we use our stat points before fighting that monster?" Isabella asked.
"Yeah, assign your stat points."
"Alright," Toshin and others nodded. Toshin wanted to use his saved stat points to boost himself. He and his wife had reached level 21 in this short journey, but that flower still intimidated them.
"Let's open our treasure chests," Erix said as he opened the uncommon treasure chest.
A cyan-colored orb came out with a scroll in it.
"A skill, huh? Hope it's a passive skill that boosts my stats," Erix muttered as he touched the orb, causing it to vanish, and grabbed the scroll before learning the skill.
[You have learned a 1st Tier passive skill, Metacyber Arm]
'Hmm?' Erix was surprised as he felt a strange sensation in his body as if something had appeared inside him. Then, two seconds later, a black metallic arm appeared in front of him with brown and blue patterns.
It was a meter-long arm with a sci-fi-like design and looked incredible. The hand part had web-like patterns with a blue hue exuding from it, looking magical even with its sci-fi appearance.
"A robotic arm?" Rin was surprised.
A faint blue electric-like thread extended from the arm's end before it connected to Erix's forehead briefly before vanishing.
[ Metacyber Arm (1st Tier passive skill): A prototype Hyperphysique object with pre-defined powers that can be upgraded. Its metaphysical component can connect to the user's mind for them to freely control it and possibly unleash skills through it].
"This is a strange passive skill," Erix uttered with a surprised expression as he could control this arm with his mind.
He could also see the Metacyber Arm's status!
_____
[ Metacyber Arm ]
-Physical power: 80
-Magic: 80
-Durability: 1000/1000
-Usable skills: Imposing Fist, Repairman, Punch Force (passive).
-Note: It takes two days to restore once destroyed.
_____
"Eh, I also got a skill," Rin said as she opened her Rare-grade treasure chest.
[ Budding Sword (1st class passive skill): Your mind is like a sharp sword, and your movement is like graceful swordplay. A budding intent of sword is present in you. +20% Damage on sword attacks and attacks unleashed through a sword ]
"It's a Rare-grade treasure chest, so why did it still drop a 1st Tier skill?" Erix frowned.
"Who knows? But it's good," Rin shrugged as she took the scroll and learned the skill.
"Alright, we are ready to rumble now," she said with a grin upon feeling the new skill's power.
"Yep," Erix nodded with a smile as he and Rin approached each other. Rin wrapped her arms around Erix's neck while Erix grabbed her waist and pulled her in before they shared a passionate kiss.
"What are you doing?" Isabella asked with confusion.
"It's our special skill called Ignis Ad intimacy," Rin said with a chuckle as she swung her sword in the air and nodded. "Our overall stat and magic are increased by 30% for an hour."
"Let's start attacking. We don't have time to make plans because Aaron is outside," Erix said as he jumped on his hammer and flew up. "Rin and I will go first, while Isabella will protect us from the back with her Forst Shield.
"The rest of you attack however you like with your new skills, but don't get too close and keep eyes on us and the flower monster both when you attack," Rin added.
[A/N: Some are thinking i am making Erix a brute-sci-fi type but it's nothing like that. These skills are also temporary skills as indicated, but MCs' true powers and combat styles are not based on these acquired skills, but the skills that they will create themselves because they carve their own combat style and paths based on their affinities/concepts and powers they will learn soon.]