The spawning area had three tunnels, each group choosing a different passage, while Dante ventured into one on his own.
Inside the dungeon, most groups focused solely on their own survival, particularly if they hailed from different organizations or guilds.
Viewing the dungeon as a treasure trove, fierce competition inevitably arose. It was customary for individuals to vie for any discovered treasures on their own.
The rhythmic drip of water echoed alongside Dante's measured footsteps. The cave-like environment cast the area in darkness, but thanks to the scattered luminous fungi and Dante's heightened eyesight, he navigated without difficulty.
Suddenly, his attention was captivated by a particular plant. He approached it and retrieved his medal, deciding to put one of its functions to the test.
"Scan." Dante commanded the medallion. It emitted a white beam onto the plant, conducting a thorough top-to-bottom scan and then vice versa.
As Dante held the medal in his palms, it emitted another light, projecting an image of the same plant onto the ground. Simultaneously, text appeared beneath the holographic image.
"Calth Plant - Poisonous, inedible, no other uses," the text relayed the plant's name and its key characteristics.
"This is handy." Dante reflected to himself. The medal housed an extensive database, enabling Holders to identify objects encountered within a dungeon—provided, of course, they were included in the database.
Subsequently, he resumed his stroll, and soon came across a peculiar rock. Once again, he used the medal to scan it, revealing the rock's name, characteristics, and potential uses.
Having familiarized himself with the medallion's function, Dante refrained from scanning every random object he encountered.
Locating the boss room in this dungeon posed a greater challenge compared to the straightforward nature of F-class dungeons.
As Dante continued to walk for nearly 30 minutes, he suddenly heard a low, grunting sound.
Ahead of him, a lengthy creature writhed. Its skin was slick and black, covered in protruding bumps. The creature lacked legs, sporting a mouth brimming with razor-sharp teeth at one end, presumably its front. Measuring nearly 7 meters in length and 4 meters in width, it undulated in place.
"Oh? Is it constricting something?" Dante mused, finding himself entertained. He felt no immediate threat and observed from a safe distance.
The worm-like creature suddenly uncoiled itself.
Beside it materialized a lifeless creature, standing at a height of 2 meters, with wings extending from its arms to the sides of its body. This monstrous being bore a resemblance to a bat, complete with a tail protruding from its back.
The worm ascended to the top of the bat-like creature's head, its mouth gaping wide. It engulfed the head and then, in a slow, deliberate motion, began its descent towards the creature's feet.
Having consumed the entire bat-like creature, the worm now lay still, seemingly inert.
Observing this peculiar sight, Dante cautiously approached, retrieving a sword from his inventory.
He wasn't entirely sure what kind of monster he was facing. While he had read information about creatures commonly found in D-class dungeons, Dante hadn't delved deeply into the subject. At the time, his focus had been solely on navigating an F-class dungeon.
As they drew within meters of each other, the worm suddenly convulsed violently and lunged towards Dante.
Anticipating some sort of reaction when he chose to approach the creature, Dante swiftly sidestepped, narrowly evading the lunging attack.
Bang!
The worm crashed onto the ground, its gaping maw producing a thunderous echo.
Dante surged ahead, refraining from triggering his Skill, Concentration. As his physical prowess heightened, so did the fortitude of his mind. Thus, even without employing Concentration, Dante's body and mind proved more than capable.
The worm swiftly pivoted, fixating on Dante. In a swift motion, it lunged towards him, jaws agape.
Swift and sure, Dante's blade cleaved through the worm's hide, slicing through with minimal resistance.
Black blood gushed forth.
The worm screamed like a metal scratching another metal.
It continued to wiggle while dripping blood. Dante saw this, intrigued by how this beast behaved.
The worm jumped on Dante once more.
It recovered in less than a second.
'Does it regenerate?'Dante thought as he noticed the wound on the worm body had healed.
'I suppose I'll have to kill it with a single slash.'
Dante charged forward, this time intending to for a sure kill.
Thud.
The segmented form of the worm slumped to the ground, spilling forth a strange liquid and filling the air with an unfamiliar odor, causing Dante to wrinkle his nose.
As Dante surveyed the scene, there was no trace of the bat-like monster, and the earth exuded wisps of white smoke. It caught him off guard.
"It can digest fast." Dante mused while retrieving the monster core.
"You obtained 900 Exp!" A notification chimed.
"That many?" Dante's eyes widened, puzzled by the seemingly generous reward for dispatching what he considered an easy foe.
"Have I grown that strong?" Dante clenched his hand. He hadn't pushed his limits since his last encounter with an F-class dungeon. Even during his recent assessment for the coveted medal, Dante hadn't exerted his full might. While he'd expended a substantial amount of Energy, he hadn't tapped into the true potential of a Holder.
Suddenly, the clang of metal echoed, and Dante glanced down, finding his sword now halved. A wry smile tugged at his lips, knowing that the weapons he had relied on thus far all hailed from F-class dungeons.
Undeterred, Dante pressed forward. He lacked a specific destination, but wherever there were monsters, Dante will try to kill it.
Before long, Dante's gaze settled on three additional 'worms'.
***
"Watch out!" Dex shouted.
Bang!
The worm monster plummeted to the ground, sending debris scattering.
One of his teammates, a mustachioed individual, charged at it, delivering a powerful punch. A resounding boom reverberated.
Yet the monster remained unmoved, and with a twist, the mustachioed man was sent hurtling.
The girl in their team raised her hand, causing the worm to elevate a mere three feet off the ground.
Dex and the remaining Holder advanced for the kill. Dex's hands emitted a blue glow as he slapped it onto the monster. Simultaneously, the other Holder employed their Skill on the creature.
Boom!
The worm monster detonated, showering its gastric juices in all directions.
"Mailey!" Dex called out to the girl.
Mailey flicked her hand, sending the corrosive liquid away from them.
"That cursed Vamp Worm!" grumbled the mustachioed guy as he approached, debris clinging to him.
"Haha! Unlucky for you, your Skill doesn't affect them," Mailey remarked, effortlessly retrieving the monster core using her own Skill.
Vamp Worms possess the ability to absorb elemental Skills and boast nearly instantaneous regeneration. Their primary diet consists of small Tailed Bats.
"Hey kid! Heal me!" the mustachioed guy snapped.
"I'm on it!" replied the Holder who had sought to join them, still carrying their backpack. He extended his hand and directed it towards the mustachioed man. In an instant, a faint glow enveloped him.
However, after a while, the injury was still not completely healed. This only served to further enrage the mustachioed guy.
"Are you utterly useless?"
"I c-can only accelerate your body's natural regeneration."
"Then get lost!" The mustachioed guy shoved the Holder aside while taking out his own mana potion.
Dex surveyed the three lifeless Vamp Worms on the ground.
"I wonder how that guy's holding up. He's probably dead already." Dex mused, a sly grin crossing his face.
Little did he know, if he were to know Dante's current kill count, he would have pissed his pants.